Kaneria cleared by ECB to play for Essex

Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has been cleared by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to return to Essex in time for today's Friends Provident Twenty20 semi-final against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.

Kaneria will now join West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo to be the club's two overseas players.

"It is obviously great news that Danish will be available for finals day, we are all delighted to welcome him back," The Daily Times quoted Paul Grayson, Essex coach, as saying.

"He is a top-class performer in Twenty20 cricket and is a match-winner in his own right. He knows us and we know him well and his record is outstanding across all formats of the game," he added.

The 29-year-old will remain with the county for the remainder of the summer, unless he is called back into Pakistan's touring party.

Kaneria's registration from the county championship was earlier suspended by the ECB following a match fixing scandal.

The ECB had sent letters to both Kaneria and his Essex teammate fast bowler Mervyn Westfield which stated that they would remain suspended from their county team until the police investigates their alleged involvement in match fixing.

Both cricketers were arrested last month and interviewed at Brentwood police station about alleged irregularities during a Pro-40 League game against Durham last September.

However, neither of them have been charged and are out on bail until September 15.