PCB to examine rejection of Kaneria's ban appeal

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will legally examine the dismissal of the appeal made by leg-spinner Danish Kaneria against his ban on charges of spot-fixing.

An ECB panel in London had rejected Kaneria' appeal against the life ban, handed out to him over charges of spot-fixing.

PCB Chairman, Zaka Ashraf said the Board lawyers will examine Kaneria's appeal verdict.

"We will ask our lawyers to analyze the outcome of the appeal hearing of Kaneria and then decide what to do. But one thing is clear we are not going to tolerate corruption of any sort in our cricket," he said.

Kaneria, only the second Hindu to play for Pakistan with a Test career haul of 261 wickets, had appealed against the ECB disciplinary committee’s decision, which finds him guilty of spot-fixing. The appeal was also against the life ban imposed on him to play cricket in England and the costs of 100,000 he has been ordered to pay to the ECB.

The ECB disciplinary panel had found him guilty of encouraging his Essex teammate Mervyn Westfield to under-perform in a match in 2009.

Westfield’s testimony led to Kaneria’s eventual ban last year in June.

The ECB said in a statement on Friday that Kaneria’s further appeal against sanction and costs will be heard at a later date. The PCB had also suspended Kaneria from playing any cricket in Pakistan last year pending the outcome of his appeal hearings.

Kaneria said after the ECB announcement that he was disappointed with the verdict.

"It is again disappointing because the way things went in the four day hearing I thought things had become clear. But once we know the reasons we will decide whether to go to the High Court or not," he said.

"We are waiting for what are the reasons behind it and as soon as we know the reasons we will take some further steps."