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Pakistani cricket authorities have launched an investigation after a number of current international stars played in exhibition matches in the United States with banned spinner Danish Kaneria. |
Kaneria was given a lifetime ban for spot-fixing in an English county game, which under International Cricket Council (ICC) rules effectively bars him from playing anywhere in the world. But he represented the Houston Eagles in a series of Twenty20 games last weekend in Houston, Texas, with Test players Wahab Riaz and Nasir Jamshed taking part for rival team Boom Boom Blasters.
Other Pakistani players involved in the games were Fawad Alam, who staged a comeback in the national team in last month’s Asia Cup, Abdul Razzaq and Shahzaib Hasan.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed said the matter was under investigation. “We are looking into how these players featured in these matches—authorised or unauthorised—without our permission,” Ahmed told AFP. The United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) could also have questions to answer as banned players such as Kaneria are not allowed to play in any match under the auspices of an ICC member country’s association.
The England and Wales Cricket Board banned Kaneria two years ago for his part in a spot-fixing case during a 2009 county match between Essex and Durham. A disciplinary board found he had enticed his Essex teammate Mervyn Westfield to concede an agreed number of runs in an over in return for money.
Three other Pakistani players—Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer—are also serving five-year bans in a separate spot-fixing case of 2010. Asif was also stopped from playing an exhibition match in Norway last year.
Ajmal cleared to play county cricket
Star Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has been given clearance by his home board to play a shortened stint with Worcestershire in the English season.
The 36-year-old’s departure was held up after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) discussed the matter following confirmation of Pakistan’s tour to Sri Lanka in July-August. “We have given NOC (no-objection certificate) to Ajmal but want him to return in mid-July so that he can be part of team’s tour to Sri Lanka,” PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed told AFP.
Pakistan will play two Tests and three one-day internationals in Sri Lanka on a tour which was only finalised last week on the sidelines of an International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai.
Ajmal said he would fly early next week and will be available for Worcestershire’s home match against Derbyshire on April 27. “I am quite used to playing in the English season, but duty-bound to return for national duty once the PCB wants me,” he told AFP.
Regarded as one of the best spinners of modern times, Ajmal has so far played 33 Tests, 110 one-day internationals and 63 Twenty20 matches.
He took 24 wickets in helping Pakistan rout then-world Test number one England 3-0 in their series in the United Arab Emirates in 2012
