Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has accused his former team-mate and captain Shahid Afridi of misbehaving with him for being a Hindu while playing cricket together for the Pakistani cricket team. Kaneria called Afridi a characterless forger and a liar. Kaneria also requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to lift the life ban imposed on him over spot-fixing charges.
41-year-old Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria said that the spot-fixing allegations leveled against him in 2013 were false and therefore he must be given a chance by lifting the ban imposed on him. It is notable that Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar had also revealed that the Pakistani team gave unfair treatment to Danish Kaneria because he is a Hindu.
Speaking to news agency IANS on Thursday, April 28, 2022, Danish Kaneria said that Pakistan team captain Shahid Afridi had conspired against him. He said, “Shahid Afridi always let me down. He used to keep me on the bench and not let me play One Day International matches. He didn’t want me to be on the team.”
He further said that Shahid Afridi is a characterless and false person. He also told the news agency that Shahid Afridi was jealous of his good performances and provoked other players against him. Kaneria said that ignoring all these things, he used to focus only on cricket. Had Shahid Afridi not been the captain, Kaneria would have played a lot more matches than the 18 ODIs. Kaneria took 261 wickets in his 62 Test matches and 15 wickets in his 18 ODIs.
Danish Kaneria added, “False allegations of spot-fixing were made against me. My name was associated with the person involved in this case. He was also a friend of other Pakistani cricketers, including Afridi, but I was included in it. I have not been involved in any kind of fixing.”
Danish Kaneria said Shoaib Akhtar was the first person to speak publicly about his problems. Akhtar had openly said how Kaneria was badly treated in the team for being a Hindu. Danesh Kaneria said that later several officials put pressure on Akhtar, after which Akhtar stopped talking about it.
He requested the PCB to lift the ban imposed on him so that he can live in peace and dignity. He said that it was a matter of pride for him to play for Pakistan and for that he was grateful to the PCB. He said the ban on many fixers has been lifted, so like other players, he should also get a chance.
It is notable that Danish Kaneria was banned for life from all cricket by the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on two charges of spot-fixing in English County Championship Pro-League matches in 2012. After this, the Pakistan Cricket Board suspended him.
Born in a very poor home in Karachi city of Pakistan, Danish Kaneria played 61 Test matches between 2000 and 2010, taking 261 wickets at an average of 34.79. Kaneria is the highest wicket-taking spinner for Pakistan in Test cricket, and 4th on the all-time list of Pakistani bowlers after Wasim Akram (414), Waqar Younis (373), and Imran Khan (362).
What did Shoaib Akhtar say about Danish Kaneria?
Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar admitted in a chat show in December 2019 that Danish Kaneria was not treated well in the Pakistan team just because he is a Hindu. The players in the team even used to question why does Danish Kaneria eat with them?
Kaneria was not the only player to feel this religious discrimination in the Pakistan dressing room. About Yousuf Yohanna, Shoaib Akhtar said, “Yusuf has 12,000 runs to his name. But we never respected them. I also had a fight with two or three players. I said that even if someone is a Hindu, he will play and then the same Hindu won us the Test series.”
Mentioning Danish Kaneria, Shoaib Akhtar said, “It will be open, but I want to tell you that some players asked me why Danish Kaneria eats with us. I told them all that I would pick you up from here and throw you out. You’d be the captain of your house. That player is giving you 6 wickets every time. In England, it was Danish and Sami who won us the series.”
It must be noted that Yousuf Yohanna was originally a Christian, but later he converted to the Muslim religion. It was also being said that a star player like him had to change his religion to prolong his cricketing career and to become the captain of the Pakistan team.
