Banned Kaneria to seek ECB compensation

KARACHI: Disgraced Pakistani leg-spinner Danish Kaneria will seek compensation from English cricket authorities for delaying his appeal against a life ban imposed for spot-fixing last year, his lawyer said Thursday.

The 32-year-old's appeal against the ban was adjourned until April 22 after Kaneria's accuser, former Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield reportedly refused to appear in the hearing in December last year.

Kaneria, Pakistan's most successful Test spinner with 261 wickets in 61 matches, was banned after Westfield named him in an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) inquiry in June last year. Westfield was banned for five years.

Kaneria's lawyer Farogh Naseem said his client was distraught by the delay in hearing his appeal.

"We will definitely seek compensation from the ECB as because of the ban my client has been unable to play and earn a living," Naseem told AFP.

Naseem refused to disclose the exact figure but went on to say that it will be "substantial".

"We feel that they not only have delayed the procedure, but they refused to allow an interim measure until it was decided. Kaneria should have been allowed to continue to play while the matter was settled," the lawyer said.

Two years ago, Kaneria was arrested by Essex police on charges of inducing his teammate Westfield to concede a certain number of runs in an over in return of money during a Pro-40 match against Durham in 2009.

The Pakistani leg-spinner was not charged but Westfield named Kaneria as the go-between during a criminal inquiry last year, which ended in a four-month jail term for the Englishman.

Under International Cricket Council rules bans imposed on a player by any country have to be applied by all member boards.

Naseem said his client wants the appeal to be heard in public.

"We do not have anything to hide and, if the ECB is confident they have a strong case, they should have nothing to hide as well," he said.