Westfield charged with conspiracy to defraud
Former Essex medium-pace bowler, Mervyn Westfield was charged with conspiracy to defraud after it was alleged that he deliberately bowled wides in county game last year in England. This, the charges claim, was a part of a spot-fixing scandal that occurred
in 2009.
The Crown Prosecution Service announced this only a few days after Pakistan’s leg-spinner, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Danish-Kaneria-c1314 was cleared of any wrongdoing. Earlier, Westfield had been released by the county.
The Essex management said that while they were saddened by the charges against Westfield, they had also no information about the probe after having released Westfield from the county due to his on-field performances. The release said, "A decision was taken
some weeks ago that Mervyn's playing contract was not to be renewed with the club for 2011. This decision was made purely on cricketing grounds and was not influenced in any way by the ongoing inquiry.”
According to the charges, Westfield had accepted money to allow a certain number of runs taken off his first over. 60 runs had come off the seven overs that he bowled and the game was televised live across the world.
Antony Swift, of the CPS said that he had advised that Westfield should be charged, given the kind of evidence that was present against the pace bowler. He added, “There is sufficient evidence to prosecute Mr Westfield and it is in the public interest to do
so.”
Both Kaneria and Westfield had been arrested by the Essex police in May over allegations of spot-fixing. Kaneria was released by the Essex police after no incriminating evidence was found against him, but no decision had earlier been taken about Westfield.
Westfield has played in only seven first class games and eight List A games for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Essex-c783. He had made his debut in 2005 but his career had not taken off as he would have liked it to.
According to UK’s Criminal Justice Act 1987, the conspiracy to defraud carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine.
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