In an explosive revelation that has taken the cricketing sphere by storms, former Pakistani leg-spinner Danish Kaneria claimed facing religious discrimination during his tenure with the national team, particularly accusing Shahid Afridi for forcing him to convert to Islam.
Kaneria, who featured in 61 Test matches and 18 ODIs for Pakistan, snaring 261 and 15 wickets respectively, opened up on the unsettling experiences of prejudice stemming from his Hindu faith.
Speaking candidly in an exclusive interview with Aaj Tak, Kaneria shared, “My career was going really well, and I was playing County cricket as well. Inzamam-ul-Haq and Shoaib Akhtar were the only people who supported me. Shahid Afridi troubled me a lot. Afridi and others wouldn’t eat with me. Shahid Afridi tried forcing me to convert to Islam.”
Meanwhile former Pakistan skippr Shahid Afridi now finds himself in the midst of a storm, facing accusations of perpetuating religious bias. But Afridi wasn't the only concern for Kaneria. He felt that his faith played a role in the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) lukewarm support during the spot-fixing scandal he was entangled in. He disclosed, “I was charged with spot-fixing during my county stint. I admitted that I only met a bookie; that was about it. But they pressured me to accept the charges. The PCB didn’t support me because I am a Hindu. They were scared that if I continued to play, I would break their records.”
Amidst the allegations and experiences, Kaneria's pride in his Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) remains unshaken. He articulates a deep-seated reverence for his faith and a firm commitment to speak against injustices. “For me, my Sanatana Dharma is above everything. I am not saying anything wrong or making things up. I will raise my voice if anything wrong happens. There are a number of cases in Pakistan like these that have not even been reported. The situation is right in front of the whole world. I will always fight for my Hindu community,” Kaneria firmly stated.
Kaneria's statement came right ahead of Pakistan's big game against South Africa in Chennai on October 27. Pakistan continuing their nightmarish campaign in the ODI World Cup and are precariously placed at no.5 in the points table with just four points that they garnered after winning just two matches and losing back-to-back three ties.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Watch: Undefeated Team India receives grand welcome in Lucknow ahead of clash with defending champions England
Ben Stokes spotted using inhaler during training session in Bengaluru ahead of must-win World Cup clash vs Sri Lanka
