**Kaneria arrested in London; released later
**LONDON: Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria was taken into custody in Essex, UK, on Saturday for spot fixing charges, but was been released on bail later, ARY NEWS reported.
Danish Kaneria, Essex’s Pakistan wrist spinner, and young fast bowler Mervyn Westfield were arrested by Essex police on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud following the police’s investigation into alleged spot-fixing in Essex’s Pro40 match against Durham last September.
Both men appeared at Brentwood police station on Friday and were questioned under caution before being released on bail until Sept 15, pending further inquiries.
As neither has yet been charged with any offence, both are free to continue playing cricket until then, by which time Pakistan will have completed their Test series against England.
That should allow Pakistan’s selectors to at least pick Kaneria, with only a modicum of controversy hanging over him.
That series needs Kaneria, though the England and Wales Cricket Board, as full signatories to the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption code, will be torn over his presence.
Now that Shane Warne is retired, he is the world’s pre-eminent wrist-spinner, and unless Pakistan’s selectors decide not to select him while the investigation is ongoing, he is crucial to their competitiveness in that series.
Essex police had wanted to interview Kaneria, 29, who has 58 Test caps for Pakistan, last Monday, three days after his return to England, but that was during Essex’s County Championship match with Kent and the club asked if that could be deferred until yesterday.