'Boards must respect ECB ban on Kaneria'

Kuala Lumpur: The ICC on Friday commended England and Wales Cricket (ECB) for handing out bans to Danish Kaneria and Mervyn Westfield for their role in spot-fixing and also asked all members boards to "recognise and respect" the punishment.

Pakistani spinner Kaneria was banned for life and Westfield was handed a five-year ban by the ECB after they were found guilty of spot-fixing during a County match.

"ICC takes no pleasure from players being found guilty of corrupt behaviour and we hope that this verdict provides further warning to any person who might, for whatever reason, contemplate corrupt activity within our sport," ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.

Pakistani spinner Kaneria was banned for life and Westfield was handed a five-year ban by the ECB.

"ICC has a zero-tolerance attitude towards corruption and that we and our Member Boards will use everything within our powers to ensure that any hint of corrupt activity within the game is comprehensively investigated and, where appropriate, robustly prosecuted.

"To that end, the ICC Board had instructed all Member Boards to implement domestic Anti-Corruption codes which mirror that of the ICC and the fact that the ECB has a code and through their ACCESS Unit empowered themselves to investigate and successfully prosecute this case, is to be commended," the statement added.

Lorgat said that ICC would ask all cricket boards affiliated with them to recognise this punishment.

"It is opportune that the ICC Board meets this week and I will ask the Board to remind all Members to put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure that the sanctions imposed on both players in this case are appropriately recognised and respected outside of the ECB?s domestic jurisdiction," he said.

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