A Pakistani renowned Leg-spinner ‘Danish Kaneria’ has been labelled ‘Cancer for the game of cricket’ by England Cricket Board after hearing a spot fixing case against him in United Kingdom. The former Essex pace bowler is found guilty of spot fixing and been banned for 5 years for the world of cricket. He was also charged with bringing the game into disrepute. ‘We must take every appropriate step to protect our game from his corrupt activities’, says Gerard Elias, who chaired the panel of three for the Kaneria’s case. Kaneria was arrested with Westfield in May 2010 but released without charge. He was again called back before the panel and found guilty of corruption and bringing the game into disrepute. “We have no doubt that this is a cancer which must be rooted out of the game of cricket,” Elias added. This penalty is not only limited to ECB but applies also Pakistan through the mutual recognition sanction introduced by the International Cricket Council two years ago. “Cricket was Danish’s profession and whilst he has erred, I don’t think the disciplinary panel should have given him a ban for life. I think a ban of five years like that imposed on Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif would have been the right punishment”, says former Pakistani test cricketer Mushtaq Muhammad. Kaneria has impressed in English county cricket, taking 32 wickets in seven championship matches for Essex County in 2005. Kaneria took a short break for Essex during the visit of Pakistan cricket team to England in 2006. He later on joined Essex in and played well in 2006-2008 county matches and took 107 wickets in 2007. Danish Prabha Shanker Kaneria was born on 16 December 1980 in Pakistan. He continued the tradition of great Pakistani leg spin bowlers and possesses a very well disguised ‘googly’. In Test matches, Kaneria holds the record for most wickets by any Pakistani spin bowler and fourth on the list of most Test wickets over all, only behind the legends of cricket Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Imran Khan.
