Westfield, 23, the first player to admit to a corruption charge in a county match, entered a guilty plea to charges of accepting or obtaining a corrupt payment to bowl in a way that would allow the scoring of runs.
It is already an offence under England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regulations for players to fail to report approaches related to corrupt activities. But the governing body established a ‘window’ until April 30 whereby players can report previous approaches without the threat of ECB punishment.
Meanwhile Ronnie Irani, Westfield’s captain when he made his Essex debut, lamented the loss of an ‘exceptional talent’.
“The ECB should use him, take him around to counties, do a video with him, and use him as an example for future generations of cricketers that if you do get a call in your room saying ‘bowl a bad over and we will give you £6,000’, this is what happens to you,” former Essex batsman Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports.
Westfield was released by Essex in 2010 ‘on cricketing grounds’, but Irani, speaking to the BBC, emphasised his ability by saying, ‘I saw this kid when he was 15, he played for me as captain when he was a 17-year-old boy and he was an exceptional talent’.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2012.
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