{"id":19192,"date":"2018-10-20T07:23:59","date_gmt":"2018-10-20T07:23:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=19192"},"modified":"2018-10-20T07:23:59","modified_gmt":"2018-10-20T07:23:59","slug":"pakistan-cricket-star-danish-kaneria-admits-to-match-fixing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=19192","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan cricket star Danish Kaneria admits to match-fixing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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London, England –<\/strong> A former Pakistan<\/a> cricket star has confessed to his role in a spot-fixing scandal in England, after denying it for six years.<\/p>\n

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit<\/a>, Danish Kaneria admits he induced a teammate at Essex County Cricket Club to underperform for money paid by a notorious bookmaker.<\/p>\n

Kaneria, Pakistan’s most successful Test spin bowler, was banned from the sport<\/a> for life by cricket authorities in 2012, but until now, has always protested his innocence.<\/p>\n

In the television confession<\/a>, he says: “My name is Danish Kaneria and I admit that I was guilty of the two charges brought against me by the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2012.”<\/p>\n

He adds: “I have become strong enough to make this decision because you cannot live a life with lies.”<\/p>\n

Kaneria, 37, expresses remorse for his actions and apologises for letting down his team, country, fans and family.<\/p>\n

His failure to tell cricket authorities about the bookmaker’s approach was “the biggest mistake of my life \u2026 I regret it from the bottom of my heart,” he says.<\/p>\n

Kaneria’s confession is the latest development in Al Jazeera’s two-year investigation\u00a0<\/span>into corruption in cricket.<\/p>\n

The documentary, Cricket’s Match Fixers<\/a>, which was released<\/a> earlier this year, rocked the sport.\u00a0A follow-up film, due to be aired on October 21, 2018, contains more explosive revelations.<\/p>\n

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Pakistani bowler Kaneria with Al Jazeera’s reporter David Harrison [Al Jazeera]\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Kaneria was banned after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) investigated claims of spot-fixing during a county championship match between Durham and Essex in 2009.<\/p>\n

He was found guilty of attempting to induce Essex teammate Mervyn Westfield to underperform and bringing the game into disrepute.<\/p>\n

Westfield admitted corruption and was jailed for four months and suspended for five years in 2012. He had agreed to underperform for a payment of 6,000 British pounds ($7,860).<\/p>\n

Kaneria, who played 61 Test matches and took 276 international wickets, had two appeals rejected<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Pakistani spin bowler, a member of the Hindu minority in Pakistan, says he regrets introducing Westfield to the Indian bookie Anu Bhatt at a nightclub in Essex.<\/p>\n

“Mervyn used to tell me that he wants to become a rich cricketer,” Kaneria says.<\/p>\n

“I was highly paid in Essex County and I was an international player at that time. I was living a very lavish life, so he also wanted to make money.”<\/p>\n

“I want to apologise to Mervyn Westfield, my Essex teammates, Essex Cricket club and the fans \u2026 to Pakistan and my fans around the world. And to my wife and family – I have let them all down.<\/p>\n

“I was the highest wicket-taker for Pakistan at that time. I was making good money all around the world.<\/p>\n

“It’s been six years. I lost my friends \u2026 respect from the fans. I lost everything.”<\/p>\n

‘Second chance’<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Kaneria was introduced to Bhatt during a tour of the West Indies in 2005.<\/p>\n

In 2008, during a tour of India, Bhatt invited the Pakistan team for dinner. “My wife and other cricketers went to his house,” Kaneria says.<\/p>\n

An anti-corruption investigator at the International Cricket Council (ICC), world cricket’s governing body, warned Pakistan’s players to stay away from Bhatt and Kaneria says he regrets ignoring that advice.<\/p>\n

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Kaneria is remorseful for his actions and letting his country, team, fans and family down [Al Jazeera]\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Kaneria says his father was dying of cancer when the spot-fixing scandal broke and he could not bring himself to admit to the ECB charges at the time.<\/p>\n

“His health was getting worse and worse. I didn’t have the courage to face him and tell him that I had done wrong. He was so proud of me and it would have caused him a lot of suffering.”<\/p>\n

Kaneria hopes his lifetime ban will be lifted so he can help young cricketers avoid the temptations of match-fixers.<\/p>\n

“I want to ask for people’s forgiveness,” he says. “Cricket has given me so much in my life and I want to give something back.<\/p>\n

“If the ECB and ICC and other bodies would give me a second chance, I can help to educate young people in cricket, teach them that if you do wrong, you are finished, like me.”<\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/em>latest film, Cricket’s Match Fixers<\/a>: The Munawar Files,\u00a0<\/em>can be viewed on Al Jazeera at the following times:<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Sunday, October 21 – 20:00 GMT<\/p>\n

Monday, October 22 – 06:00 GMT \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tuesday, October 23 – 01:00 GMT \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wednesday, October 24 – 12:00 GMT <\/span><\/p>\n

Thursday, October 25 – 06:00 GMT <\/span><\/p>\n

Friday, October 26 – 01:00 GMT <\/span><\/p>\n

Saturday, October 27 – 20:00 GMT \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday, October 28 – 12:00 GMT\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n