Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has admitted his role in a spot-fixing case on Thursday, more than six years after he was banned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Essex teammate Mervyn Westfield was jailed for four months after pleading guilty to accepting a payment to concede a set number of runs from his over in a 40-over county match against Durham in 2009.

The 37-year-old Kaneria, who had repeatedly denied any involvement in trying to engineer particular situations in a game, was banned for life by the ECB in June 2012 for “cajoling and pressurising” Westfield into accepting money.

“My name is Danish Kaneria and I admit that I was guilty of the two charges brought against me by the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2012,” he told Al Jazeera.

I say sorry to #Pakistan: Danish Kaneria

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“I have become strong enough to make this decision, because you cannot live a life with lies.”

“I want to apologise to Mervyn Westfield, my Essex teammates, my Essex cricket club, my Essex cricket fans. I say sorry to Pakistan,” Kaneria added.

He last played for Pakistan against England at Trent Bridge in 2010, and has not appeared in any first-class game since March 2012.

Kaneria remains Pakistan’s most successful spinner with 261 wickets in 61 Tests.

“If the ECB and ICC (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.”