Mervyn Westfield, 23, who played for Essex, admitted accepting or obtaining a corrupt payment to bowl in a way that would allow the scoring of runs, during a hearing at the Old Bailey in London. The court heard that he had agreed to bowl his first over in a way that would let Durham score a set number of runs in the game in September 2009.
Westfield will be sentenced on February 10 and was warned he will face a jail sentence.
“I hold out no promises to you as to the eventual outcome of this case,” Judge Anthony Morris told Westfield. “It’s open to the court to pass an immediate custodial sentence.”
Morris said the name of the other party involved in the deal would be known to cricket fans, but did not reveal it.
The court heard the seamer, who was released by Essex in 2010 ‘on cricketing grounds’, agreed to bowl the first over so that 12 runs could be scored, but only 10 were achieved. Westfield conceded 60 runs from seven overs as Durham scored 276 for six, a target surpassed by Essex, who won the game by seven wickets.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 13th, 2012.
COMMENTS (13)
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@Yuri Kondratyuk
Brilliant response to @antanu g,@chona and @pakistani. You have certainly raised the bar.
@antanu g: @chona: @Pakistani: Killing one is a murder and killing a million is holocaust. Actions are same and magnitudes are different and so should be the punishment. Hope you understand the logic.
@Yuri Kondratyuk: what rubbish....a match is a match....a cheating is a cheating...there is no difference. what would be your comment if a club level pakistani was involved?
@Shamy: good point
@Gen Hamid Gul: there is a difference between publishing and beating the drum consistently...
@chona:
The cricketer will be sentenced in Feb. He has not been acquitted.
Coming to your conclusion of not making it headline. Osama was killed it was a headline. Any Zafarruddin is killed, doesn't make the headlines.
And if you think Pak ODI players are of the same level as a county level then good for you.
By the way, BBC has published the news.
@Yuri Kondratyuk:
Judging by your unique theory......one can kill someone in Sahara Desert and remain free but if he only slaps someone on a street in New york then he will be behind bars.......!!!!
ha ha ha ha
@Yuri Kondratyuk: you mean to say that dishonesty is different on different levels ? hahahaha
@Shamy:
It's a county cricketer not an international cricketer who represents his country. There is a difference in the magnitude of consequences.
Wht the Topic is discussed so Humbly, Watch Daily mail uk, everytime they publish the story of Pakistan with Disgrace Trio, and never report any match where pakistan is playing.
@Shamy: It's called double standard.
and why isnt this news being highlighted on BBC now ?