Kaneria Loses Appeal Against Lifetime Ban

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that a Cricket Discipline Commission has dismissed Danish Kaneria's appeal against being found guilty of two corruption charges in 2012.

Kaneria was found guilty in June 2012 and banned for life by the ECB for two breaches of its Anti-Corruption code relating to a match in 2009.

The charges relate to a match between Essex and Durham in 2009, where fast bowler Mervyn Westfield admitted to accepting a bribe to underperform by conceding a minimum number of runs in his first over, implicating Kaneria in the process.

Kaneria was charged with encouraging, or attempting to induce or encourage Westfield to underperform and conducting himself in a manner which brings the game into disrepute by so doing.

Following his ban in 2012, an ECB Disciplinary panel issued a statement calling Kaneria a 'grave danger' to the game.

Kaneria is now set to appeal against his sanction and costs, which will be heard at a later date, as will Westfield's appeal against the sanction imposed on him.

He was banned for five years.

"I welcome wholeheartedly the independent panel’s decision to dismiss Mr Kaneria’s appeal and uphold the earlier decision made by the Cricket Discipline Commission last summer," ECB Chief Executive David Collier said.

"I should like to thank the appeal panel for their time and diligence in hearing this case and I congratulate the ACCESS unit for its work in support of the successful prosecution of this corrupt activity.

"Corruption has no place in sport and ECB will continue to be vigilant and adopt a zero tolerance approach in this area."
 
© Cricket World 2013