ESSEX pair Danish Kaneria and Mervyn Westfield will be able to carry on playing for the club despite being arrested in an investigation into spot-fixing.

Pakistan leg-spinner Kaneria, 29, and 22-year-old pace bowler Westfield attended Brentwood police station on Friday and were questioned, before being released on bail.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Two men from Chelmsford have been arrested in connection with a police investigation into first class domestic cricket match irregularities.

“The investigation began in March 2010 following allegations received about two Essex county cricket players.

“On Friday, May 14, two men aged 22 and 29 were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud and both were released on police bail until Wednesday, September 15 pending further inquiries.”

It is understood the match in question was a Pro40 win against Durham last September.

A representative of Essex County Cricket Club confirmed the players involved were Kaneria and Westfield.

Both men will be free to continue playing until September 15, meaning Kaneria will be available for Pakistan’s Test series against England.

His involvement with Essex is expected to be cut short by international commitments, having only just arrived in the country due to a domestic competition in Pakistan.

He made his first appearance of the season for Essex in last week’s LV= County Championship draw against Kent in which he took six wickets.

Westfield, meanwhile, has not been included in any of Essex’s first-team squads this season.

The investigation into spot-fixing, which is a practice whereby money is placed on individual details in a match, has seen the whole Essex squad interviewed by police.

Neither player featured in Essex’s five-wicket victory over Bangladesh.