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Pakistan's legspin great Abdul Qadir slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for it's failure to present incriminating evidence in the Danish Kaneria spot-fixing case and termed the bowler's life ban 'baffling'.
A disciplinary panel of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) banned Kaneria for life in 2012 for 'luring' Essex teammate Mervyn Westfield in to conceding a set number of runs in exchange for money during a 2009 county match.
During the British proceedings against Kaneria, it was alleged that an Indian bookmaker named Anu Bhatt paid 6000 pounds to Westfield in a deal brokered by the Pakistan leg-spinner.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), possibly mindful of its reputation in the wake of a series of fixing scandals, also upheld the ECB's ban and urged Kaneria to end his legal battle and confess.
“England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had banned Kaneria and not the ICC. Then on what grounds has the PCB barred him from playing cricket? He earns for a living from the game,” Qadir said in an interview with APP.
“Danish did not commit any crime like Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt then why he is barred from playing cricket?” Qadir added while urging the PCB to make evidence in the Kaneria case public.
He bashed PCB for allowing Amir to play in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) before paving the way for his return to the national team while restricting Asif and Butt, who have also served their spot-fixing bans, from being eligible for selection.
“You cannot have two sets of rules for players when it comes to allowing them back into the national squad,” he said.
Qadir, who mastered wrist spin while it was a dying art during 1970s and 80s, said Kaneria should appeal against his ban to get justice from the board or through the court.
“PCB's treatment of Danish has made him feel like he is not a Pakistani; like he is from other country and religion,” said the 60-year-old.
“It’s Kaneria’s right to see the evidence which has led to his ban and the PCB should reopen his case.”
Kaneria, 35, has hunted down 261 batsmen in his 61 Test outings.
