Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria came into the spotlight once again as he appreciated the former fast bowler and team-mate, Shoaib Akhter, for his comments on Kaneria’s treatment on the Pakistan side as the only Hindu player.
Earlier in December, Shoaib claimed that the players in the Pakistan side used to refuse to eat food with Kaneria just because he was a Hindu. He also said that he was the only player, who used to support and help the leg-spinner.
“In my career, the number of times I have had to argue with people regarding the issues of Karachi, Punjab, Peshawar is outrageous. People used to ask questions like, ‘Why are you eating (with us) here?’ to Hindu players like Danish Kaneria. Akhtar said at a show titled “Game on Hai”.
“I used to reply to those players, ‘How would you feel if I took your food from your house and forced to make you eat outside?” he added.
The former fast bowler also insisted that he used to get furious whenever any team-mate used to discriminate him.
“I used to get very angry when anyone was discriminated against on the basis of region or religion. A Hindu born in Pakistan is entitled to represent his country. When that Hindu (Kaneria) won us the Test series against England (in 2005), I was upset with my teammates for mistreating him,” he said.
The statement came into the limelight once again after Kaneria asked for a Q/A session on his twitter handle. “A fan asked Shoaib Akhtar pulled u in headlines…How did u feel?”
The leg-spinner then appreciated his former team-mate, saying that his words are also as blunt as his bowling and revealed that he didn’t get any support from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“His words are also as blunt as his bowling. It is a fact that I didn’t get any support from PCB. They don’t want to even talk to me. I feel that I am being punished for being a player from the minority community in Pakistan. #AskDanish.”
His words are also as blunt as his bowling. It is a fact that I didn’t get any support from PCB. They don’t want to even talk to me. I feel that I am being punished for being a player from the minority community in Pakistan. #AskDanish https://t.co/DTliWzsEs8
— Danish Kaneria (@DanishKaneria61) January 30, 2020
