KARACHI: Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria Thursday sought clarification from selectors over his omission from the national team, saying he had always played clean cricket and was disappointed at being overlooked.
The 30-year-old leg-spinner was not cleared for play by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over suspicions of spot-fixing and was not included in the team for two Tests against New Zealand, the first of which starts in Hamilton on Friday.
He was also left out of the 30-man preliminary squad listed for next month's World Cup to be jointly hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The leg-spinner was arrested in May on charges of spot-fixing during a Pro40 match between Essex and Durham a year earlier, but released without charge.
Kanria said his London-based barrister is in Karachi and has sought a meeting with the PCB.
"I have asked my barrister Steve Haurigan... to talk to the PCB and clear up this problem and the damage to my name. Mr Haurigan is in Karachi and has requested a meeting and is waiting a reply from the PCB," Kaneria said.
"Naturally I am disappointed after being overlooked for the series against South Africa in United Arab Emirates in October-November last year and then I was not selected for the New Zealand tour and then for the World Cup," he said. Kanria was dropped mid-way from the tour of England in August and sent home. He has not been selected since.
"I fully cooperated with the PCB and submitted all the documents they wanted from me."
Kaneria said his English county cricket team Essex had failed to sign him for 2011 for financial reasons and not over the spot-fixing allegations.
"I have played my cricket clean and after being cleared by police in England Essex gave me a letter saying that because of the financial crunch they did not want my service after 2010," said Kaneria.
The wily leg-spinner has so far taken 261 wickets in 61 Tests -- the most by any Pakistani spinner in their all Test matches
.
