EXCLUSIVE: Danish Kaneria allegedly taunted Essex teammate with banana
EXCLUSIVE: Disgraced former Pakistan leg spinner Danish Kaneria allegedly taunted Essex team-mate Maurice Chambers with a banana
- Danish Kaneria and Maurice Chambers played county cricket together for Essex
- Kaneria was given a lifetime ban from English cricket in 2012 for match-fixing
- He’s now accused of taunting Chambers with a banana during their playing days
Former Pakistan leg spinner Danish Kaneria is accused of repeatedly taunting team-mate Maurice Chambers with a banana in the dressing room and on the team bus whilst playing together at Essex.
The shocking allegations against Kaneria, who was given a life ban from English cricket in 2012 for match-fixing, are understood to feature in the long-awaited Newton Report commissioned by the club and a separate ECB investigation into historic racism at the county, which remains ongoing.
Essex appointed Katharine Newton KC to lead an independent inquiry 18 months ago after allegations of racism were made by three former players, including Chambers.
In a distressing interview with The Cricketer the former fast bowler said he had been subjected to racist bullying for 10 years at Essex and referenced being taunted with a banana without naming those involved.
Mail Sport has learned that Kaneria is named in the Newton Report and the ECB’s investigations as the player responsible for the banana incidents, which are alleged to have taken place on a regular basis in the changing room and on the way back from away matches.
Danish Kaneria (left) allegedly taunted Maurice Chambers with a banana when they were Essex team-mates
Chambers (above) has said he was subjected to racist bullying for 10 years at Essex
Kaneria represented Pakistan between 2000 and 2010, taking 261 Test wickets for his country, before he was handed a life ban from English cricket for match-fixing in 2012
The 42-year-old spent six seasons at Essex between 2004 and 2010 alongside a Test career that brought him 261 wickets for Pakistan before being implicated in the match-fixing scandal that led to former team-mate Mervyn Westfield being jailed.
Kaneria was banned for life by the ECB in 2012 after being found guilty of ‘cajoling and pressurising’ Westfield into accepting cash in return for trying to concede a set number of runs in a particular over during a Pro 40 match against Durham in 2009.
After repeatedly denying any involvement in the plot, which was orchestrated by Indian businessman Anu Bhatt, Kaneria admitted his role in an interview with Al-Jazeera six years later in which he also apologised to Westfield.
Essex are understood to have received a final version of the Newton Report, which also names other ex-players accused of racism, but its publication has been delayed due to legal issues.
It is unclear whether the ECB or Newton’s investigations involved interviews with Kaneria, who is no longer involved in cricket.
Kaneria was not available for comment. The ECB declined to comment.
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