Danish Kaneria reveals PCB made all Pakistan players meet 2012 county cricket spot fixer

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria doesn't seem to stop making headlines anytime soon. In another sensational revelation, Kaneria went on to claim that the bookmaker who had a role in the 2012 spot-fixing scandal in English county cricket, frequently visited Pakistan that too on the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) invitation and that players in the national side at that time were well acquainted with him. Kaneria, who was himself charged in a spot-fixing case while playing county cricket in 2012, alleged that the bookie was well known to PCB officials as well.

ALSO READ | Danish Kaneria requests Imran Khan to lend him a helping hand in removing his ban

Entire Pakistan team knew the spot fixer: Danish Kaneria

In a video on his YouTube channel, Kaneria said he had always been misinterpreted. He added that when people have the opportunity to speak the truth, they do not since they twist facts and portray it. He asserted that he was now telling the truth. The 39-year old went on to defend himself by saying that PCB officials themselves were the ones who introduced him to the 2012 English county cricket spot fixer of Indian origin, Anu Bhatt.

ALSO READ | Inzamam absolved, another of Danish Kaneria's captains - Waqar Younis - breaks silence

Kaneria continued with the fact that he did not know Bhatt personally and was only introduced to him because both of them were of the same religion. The former leg-spinner lashed out at people accusing him of 'cooking up stories' just to gain more viewership for his YouTube channel and stated he did not make a single revelation in many years and it was his former teammate Shoaib Akhtar, who spoke about discrimination against him on national television.

Kaneria's latest claims sound eerily similar to the one made by former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif back in August 2013. Latif told multiple Indian news agencies that Bhatt was a special 'guest' of the PCB who was invited when England and India toured Pakistan in the 2005-06 season. Latif felt that Bhatt tried to induce Kaneria specifically into corrupt activities in 2009 and 2010 and eventually, the English and Welsh Cricket Board (ECB) victimised the former leg-spinner after being declared guilty of perpetrating spot-fixing in English county cricket.

ALSO READ | Danish Kaneria turns tables on Javed Miandad, counters with startling revelation

Danish Kaneria had introduced his Essex teammate Mervyn Westfield to Bhatt, who offered Westfield $7,862 for conceding 12 runs in an over. Kaneria was named the broker in the scam. Westfield later pleaded guilty of accepting the bribe and was subsequently imprisoned for two months at Belmarsh prison in London. 

ALSO READ | Shahid Afridi reacts to Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria's discrimination claims