Danish Kaneria was the last Hindu player to play for the Pakistan cricket team. He has claimed that he faced ‘discrimination’ due to his religion and that ruined his playing career.
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Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has spoken about the “discrimination” he faced in Pakistan as a member of the minority committee. The former leg-spinner, Kaneria, played 61 Tests for Pakistan from 2000 to 2010, taking 261 wickets and 15 five-wicket hauls.
He is only the second Hindu cricketer, after Anil Dalpat, to represent the national team.
Kaneria: ‘I faced a lot of discrimination in Pakistan’
Kaneria alleged that religious discrimination “destroyed” his playing career.
“We all gathered here and shared our experiences of how we were treated in Pakistan. We have faced discrimination, and today, we raised our voices against it,” Kaneria was quoted as saying by per ANI.
“I, too, have faced a lot of discrimination, and my career was destroyed. I did not receive the respect and equal value I deserved in Pakistan. Because of this discrimination, I am in the US today. We spoke to raise awareness and let the USA know how much we have suffered so that action can be taken.”
Earlier in an interview with India Today, Kaneria had said that his former teammate Shahid Afridi asked him to convert to Islam on multiple occasions, but he was supported by Inzamam-ul-Haq and Shoaib Akhtar while playing for the Pakistan team.
“I was doing well in my career and was playing county cricket too. Inzamam-ul-Haq supported me a lot and was the only captain who did so. Alongside him, Shoaib Akhtar. Shahid Afridi and many other Pakistan players troubled me a lot and didn’t eat with me. Shahid Afridi was the main person telling me to convert, and he did a lot of times. Inzamam-ul-Haq never used to talk that way,” Kaneria said.
It has to be noted that Kaneria’s career officially ended in 2012 after he was banned for life by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The former Pakistani spinner was found guilty of spot-fixing.