The Pakistan Cricket Board has sought legal opinion from a law firm in London on case of Danish Kaneria which will come up for hearing on September 27 in the Sindh High Court. PCB’s legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi was quoted as saying that the board would get the legal opinion on whether Danish can submit tapes and transcripts of his questioning by the Essex police this week. “The court at its last hearing directed us to submit a legal opinion from any law firm in London on whether the stance taken by Danish is correct on submission of tapes and transcripts,” Rizvi said.
Kaneria, Pakistan’s most successful Test leg-spinner, went to court against PCB’s decision to not clear him for national selection on the basis of his questioning in a spot-fixing case by the Essex police last year in England when he played for Essex. Kaneria was questioned by the Essex police in connection with allegations that he and his Essex teammate Mervyn Westfield were involved in spot fixing during a Pro-40 match against Durham in September 2009. The police later said it had found no evidence against Kaneria but have filed criminal charges against Westfield.
Kaneria’s lawyer at the last hearing in the Sindh High Court submitted a document by the bowler’s English lawyer in which he stated that under English laws they could not submit the tapes and transcripts of the questioning of Kaneria by the Essex police.
The PCB’s integrity committee has said it cannot give clearance to Kaneria for national selection until he shows them the transcripts or tapes of the questioning by the Essex police. “Our point is very clear that in a case where Kaneria’s own career and clearance is at stake why he is more worried about the Westfield case,” Rizvi said. Kaneria’s lawyers have also taken the plea that they can’t submit the tapes or transcripts as the matter is sub-judice due to the charges against Westfiled and can have a bearing on his case. “We will submit our legal opinion on this issue once we get it this week. But our stance is clear whatever judgement the court gives we will follow it in letter and spirit,” Rizvi said. Interestingly, on September 27, the Lahore High Court will also hold a hearing on a writ field by retired fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar against the decision by the board to ban and fine him Rs 7.5 million for breach of discipline. The board has already deducted the fine from Shoaib’s earnings with them. In spite of being set free in November last year, the PCB barred Kaneria from going to United Arab Emirates to play a Test series for Pakistan.
Kaneria, who has taken 261 wickets in 61 Tests, and 15 wickets in 18 ODIs had sais: “I have committed no crime and that’s why Essex police and my county have cleared me in that spot-fixing case. I have now come to the legal system and I hope to see justice will be done here,” the matter would be resolved soon peacefully.
Kaneria said, “My priority is to play for Pakistan but I don’t know for what crime I am being punished by the PCB. Every time they announce a squad and every time they give contracts to players they say Kaneria is not cleared.” Kaneria’s lawyer also said that they have failed to understand PCB’s reasons for ignoring the cricketer time and again.
