Former Pakistan spin bowler Danish Kaneria confirmed that the comments made by his ex-teammate Shoaib Akhtar about the spinner facing discrimination over his faith are true, and that his life is not in good shape following the match-fixing allegations against him.
Kaneria, only the second Hindu to play for Pakistan cricket after his maternal uncle Anil Dalpat, also urged the prime minister and former cricketer Imran Khan to get him “out of this mess”. Dalpat was a wicket-keeper for Pakistan in the 1980s.
“I saw the interview of Shoaib Akhtar and I thank him for telling the truth. I am grateful to players who supported me regardless of my religious beliefs,” Kaneria said. He added that he did not have the courage to speak about the discrimination he faced during his playing days, and with Akhtar's revelations, he would be able to publicly name cricketers who did not even like talking to him, much less give credit for his performances.
Akhtar had revealed in an interview on a PTV show called Game On Hai that many Pakistani players did not want Kaneria to be in the team because he was Hindu. He also said that there were some teammates who even refused to eat with Kaneria because he was not of the same religion as them.
Kaneria played for Pakistan during the 2000-2010 period, having taken 261 wickets in 62 Tests. He was suspended from international cricket in 2012 for match-fixing allegations. The leg-spinner said he tried to get the matter sorted, but to no avail.
“My life is not in a good shape,” he said. “I have I approached many to get the matter resolved but have not received any help from anyone.” He sought support and help from PM Imran Khan and other cricket administrators to get him out of the mess. He asked people to help him out.
