KARACHI: Lawyers for banned cricketer Danish Kaneria will challenge the absence of witness Mervyn Westfield if he does not appear for an appeal hearing on Monday, the Pakistan player said on Sunday.

Kaneria said from London that his legal team had been told that his former Essex team mate Westfield would not attend the hearing in the British capital.

“We are surprised at this development and will challenge his absence when the hearing proceedings begin,” said Kaneria, who was banned for life by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in June for corruption.

Kaneria will appeal against the ban this week after being branded a “grave danger” to the game by the ECB who found him guilty of encouraging or attempting to encourage Westfield to under-perform in a match in 2009.—Reuters