Essex speak out against accusations of leniency – Cricket News Update
The Essex county club management has spoken out against courtroom accusations that the club had turned a “blind eye” to the blatant corruption and illegal activities which were brought to light after the conviction of pacer Mervyn Westfield.
Westfield was charged and then later convicted in February this year for having accepted corrupt payments (6,000 pounds) in exchange for agreeing to concede a set amount of runs during a county cricket match between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Durham-c782 and Essex in September 2009. Westfield
later alleged that then teammate, Pakistani leg-spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Danish-Kaneria-c1314, had approached him with the proposition.
The testimony of Tony Palladino, another Essex player, was instrumental in Westfield’s conviction, when he admitted that Westfield had shown him a large amount of money in his flat.
While the 23-year-old Westfield was later sentenced to 4 months in prison, his lawyer Mark Milliken-Smith accused players and coaches associated with the club of having turned a blind eye to the underhand activities taking place.
“Essex Cricket wish to make it clear that the players and management involved in the discovery and reporting of suspicions concerning the possible collusion of Mervyn Westfield and Danish Kaneria … took the correct action in reporting those suspicions,”
read an official statement issued by the county.
“The game owes a debt to the positive actions taken by the Essex players who came forward,” the statement went on to say.
Similar sentiments were expressed by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Essex-c783 chairman Nigel Hilliard, who dismissed claims that the players and coaches associated with the club had displayed a complacent attitude.
“In fact, it was only after the incident came to light that several players realised conversations considered to be jokes at the time had real meanings,” Hilliard said to the
Daily Telegraph. “The sport is in a better situation now as a result of greater knowledge, new regulations and better education.”
Westfield’s conviction was one among a tide of corruption scandals to hit the sport. Also, Pakistani players http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 at Lord’s were also convicted not too
long ago.
Meanwhile New Zealand’s http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lalit-Kumar-Modi-c72144, who accused him of having been involved in match-fixing during his stint in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League.
Tags: