I don't need to appear in trial matches: Kaneria

He said he was even ready to sacrifice his county commitments if PCB gives him a chance to play Tests, one-dayers and Twenty20 matches.

Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria today asserted that he was in prime form with no fitness concerns and if PCB drafts him directly in the national team he was always available to play for the country.

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He said he was even ready to sacrifice his county commitments if PCB gives him a chance to play Tests, one-dayers and Twenty20 matches.

Kaneria, who is enjoying a successful stint with Essex in the English county championship, had turned down an invitation from the national selectors to play in three trial matches in Lahore being held to finalise teams for a home series against New Zealand and the Champions Trophy.

"I have taken 22 wickets in Twenty20 cricket for them and am bowling well and I am in super fit condition. The board contacted me and I told them that since these are trial matches I can not leave my county commitments. The trial matches are on 7 and 10 and I have an important match during the same dates.

"If I was invited directly for the team I would get clearance from my county to travel to Pakistan," he told PTI from England.

Asked about his statement that he would think about playing for England if Pakistani selectors continued to ignore him for one-day and Twenty20 games, Kaneria said it was all a misunderstanding.

"My statement was misquoted. What I said was that if I was not picked for Pakistan for say three years then I would have no option but to settle down in England and carry on my cricket career there as I am a professional player," he clarified.

"No one should ever doubt my commitment and pride for playing for Pakistan. I made that clear later on," he said.