PCB bars Kaneria from all cricket till result of appeal

Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, has been barred from playing any official cricket in Pakistan pending the outcome of his appeal against a lifetime ban handed by the ECB last month for corruption. The decision was taken after a meeting of the Pakistan board's integrity committee on Monday.

Kaneria, Pakistan's fourth-highest wicket-taker in Tests, was handed the life ban by an ECB disciplinary panel hearing the spot-fixing case involving former Essex fast bowler Mervyn Westfield. Kaneria had been found guilty of inducing Westfield to under-perform and of bringing the game into disrepute. He has indicated that he would contest the verdict, though he is yet to formally lodge an appeal.

The PCB's integrity committee, headed by board chairman Zaka Ashraf, said that any final decision on Kaneria would be taken only after the appeal was dealt with. Kaneria had already been barred from playing for the Pakistan national side in 2010, and the PCB has said that it would in principle stand by the sanctions imposed by the England board.

So far, he had been allowed to participate in Pakistan domestic cricket, and he was among the highest wicket-takers in last season's Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the first-class tournament. He represented Habib Bank Limited, who have written a letter to the PCB asking for clarity on his cricketing status. HBL are set to suspend ties with Kaneria, and are waiting for a formal response from the PCB before taking a call on his job status. Kaneria's last domestic match was a Twenty20 for Karachi Zebras in March.

Although his punishment was handed out by the ECB, the ICC's anti-corruption code states that decisions based on a domestic board's regulations should be upheld by boards around the world, including the PCB.