After six years of denials the former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has admitted to match fixing.
The 37-year-old has also apologised to former Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield, who was sent to jail after Kaneria encouraged him to spot-fix.
Essex Police say they are "currently reassessing the investigation" following Kaneria's admission.
Pakistan spinner Danish Kaniera Photo: Photosport
Kaneria, who was banned from playing in England and Wales for life, says he "cannot live a life with lies".
"It's been six years. I lost everything," the leg-spinner told Al Jazeera.
"I lost friends, respect from fans.
"I want to apologise to Mervyn Westfield, my Essex team-mates, Essex Cricket Club and the fans, to Pakistan and my fans around the world. And to my wife and family - I have let them all down."
Kaneria was found to have pressured Westfield, who was handed a four-month prison sentence, into agreeing to concede 12 runs during an over of a one-day game for Essex against Durham in 2009.
Danish Kaniera (left) has admitted to match fixing six years ago in English county cricket. Mohammad Asif (right) was banned for five five-years between 2010 and 2015 fr spot fixing in a test match. Photo: Photosport
Kaneria was banned for life and described as "a grave danger to the game of cricket" by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), who also banned Westfield for five years.
In 2014, Kaneria told BBC Sport he had not pressured Westfield and said if given the chance, he would ask his former team-mate why he had chosen to "destroy" his career.
But he now says he knew Westfield who received a $10,000 payment for his role wanted to "become a rich cricketer".
In reflecting on his denial of the crime, Kaneria says the ill-health of his father around the time of the spot-fixing scandal had been an influence.
"His health was getting worse and worse," added Kaneria. "I didn't have the courage to face him and tell him that I had done wrong. He was so proud of me and it would have caused him a lot of suffering."
Kaneria took 261 Test wickets for Pakistan - a figure only bettered by Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Imran Khan.
He exhausted all legal option in appealing against his lifetime ban but hopes he can return to the sport in order to "give something back", and asks for "people's forgiveness".
Kaneria added: "If the ECB, International Cricket Council and other bodies would give me a second chance, I can help to educate young people in cricket, teach them that if you do wrong, you are finished, like me."
Danish Kaneria. Photo: Photosport
Kaneria's spot-fixing timeline.
February 2009: Essex play Durham in a 40-over match
February 2012: Westfield is jailed for four months, of which he served two, for spot-fixing in that game. During the trial Kaneria was accused of applying "pressure" on Westfield to underperform for money
April 2012: Westfield and Kaneria are charged by the ECB for "alleged breaches of anti-corruption directives"
June 2012: Kaneria receives lifetime cricket ban while Westfield is suspended for five years
December 2012: Kaneria's appeal against the verdict is deferred
April 2013: Rearranged ECB appeal hearing sees Kaneria fail to overturn spot-fixing finding
August 2014: Kaneria's application to appeal his ban is deemed to be "totally without merit" and rejected by the Court of Appeal.
October 2018: Kaneria finally comes clean after six years of denials.
-BBC
