Father of banned cricketer Kaneria dies

The father of Pakistani leg-spinner Danish Kaneria died Tuesday just days after his son lost an appeal in England against a lifetime ban for his role in a spot-fixing plot.

"I am devastated," Kaneria told AFP from London. "He was suffering from esophageal cancer which was diagnosed in January and his last rites will be held when I return home."

Prabha Shankar Kaneria was 82.

His son, 32, was banned for life by the England and Wales Cricket Board after being found guilty of cajoling Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield to concede a set number of runs in an over in a 2009 one-day county match.

Kaneria appealed against the ban but it was upheld on Thursday.

The spinner said he fought the sanction despite his father's illness.

"I had to go to attend the hearing despite worries about his health and it's a big blow to my life and to my family," he said.

Kaneria became the second player from the Hindu community to play international cricket for Pakistan after Anil Dalpat in the 1980s.

He is Pakistan's leading spinner Test spinner with 261 wickets in 61 matches.

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