KIDLINGTON captain Shahbaz Ali has admitted he made a "massive mistake" in fielding a player under a false name.

o But although he accepts his actions amount to cheating, he denies he is actually a cheat.

Shahbaz has held on to the Kidlington captaincy despite playing Jehan Mohammed, of Morris Motors Exiles, under the name Aquib Lakab in their ECB Cockspur Cup clash at Reading.

Kidlington were kicked out of the competition as a result, but chairman Nick Duval said the club ignored calls to sack Shahbaz.

Shahbaz said: "I'm not a cheat. I'm a very competitive player, all I tried to do was get 11 players out.

"I know it's a massive mistake and I do take responsibility because the other players didn't know about it.

"At the end of the day, it comes down to me. I have been hammered for it.

"The punishment is that we are out of the cup."

Shahbaz said he had already written Aquib Lakab's name on the teamsheet, but claimed the 16-year-old "bottled it" when he learned Reading had some first-class contracted players.

Jehan Mohammed had come to watch the match with some friends and was persuaded to take Aquib's place.

"If I wanted to, I could have got in some big-boy ringers," said Shahbaz.

"I pushed him in just to field 11 players.

"It's not like I fielded a first-class player and because of him, we won the game.

"At the end of the day I didn't think I was 'cheating'. That is a massive word to use.

"People who don't know me will think Shabba cheated to win that game, but that wasn't the case."

Duval has given Shahbaz his backing and hopes the club can now go forward.

"It is very difficult to administer cricket at any level," he said Duval.

"Some are saying Shahbaz should be sacked, but how would we benefit from that?

"We are always likely to make mistakes. I would like to know anybody who has not made a mistake.

"But what's happened is that we have started another plate spinning and one has fallen off at the end."