Former Pak captain Mushtaq Mohammad calls life ban on 'fixer' Kaneria 'harsh'

Islamabad, June 25(ANI): Former Pakistan captain Mushtaq Mohammad has said the life ban imposed on leg spinner Danish Kaneria by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for being involved in a spot fixing case is too harsh.

Kaneria has been banned for life from any cricket under the jurisdiction of the ECB after being found guilty of corruption by a disciplinary panel in relation to the spot-fixing case involving Mervyn Westfield.

The International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption code states that decisions based on a domestic board's regulations should be upheld by boards around the world, including the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which will now complete its own integrity committee hearing.

Mushtaq , while criticizing Kaneria for his actions, feels though that the life ban is callous, and he should have been banned for maximum five years just like his fellow Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.

"Cricket was Danish's profession and whilst he has erred, I don't think the disciplinary panel should have given him a ban for life. I think a ban of 5 years like that imposed upon Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif would have been the right punishment," PakPassion.net quoted Mushtaq, as saying.

"I think Danish is well within his rights to challenge the life ban through whatever means are available to him as I think a life ban is an over the top punishment," he added. (ANI)