Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria. Picture: David Davies/PA Wire

Pakistan leg spin bowler Danish Kaneria has banned for life by the ECB after being found guilty of two corruption charges for encouraging Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield to spot fix.

The paceman was jailed for four months in February after he admitted committing the offences which took place against Durham in 2009.

Westfield, who pleaded guilty to the offence was banned for five years, although he can play club cricket after three, while the leg spinner can’t play in any ECB affiliated competition.

In handing down the ban, the panel said: “Kaneria has made no admission, has shown no remorse and sought to cast blame on other plainly innocent persons.

“We regard him as a grave danger to the game of cricket and we must take every appropriate step to protect our game from his corrupt activities.

“Self evidently, corruption, specifically spot-fixing, in cricket or any other sport for that matter, is a cancer that eats at the health and very existence of the game.

“For the general public, supporting the game and their team within it, there is no merit or motivation to expend time, money or effort to watch a match whose integrity may be in doubt. The consequences of the public’s disengagement from cricket would be catastrophic.”

Kaneria intends to appeal the ban telling Sky Sports: “I’m very upset about this decision. They don’t have any proof against me.

“I’m an honest man. I’ve been playing cricket with passion and love. I have done nothing wrong.”

The guilty verdict comes after former Pakistan captain Salman Butt was released from prison after serving seven months of a 30-month sentence for spot-fixing in the 2010 Test series in England.

Kaneria also played in the tainted series, but was dropped after the first Test in Nottingham – England won that match by 354 runs and won the series 3-1.