Danish Kaneria, the maverick leg-spinner who spun webs around batsmen with his unorthodox quirky leg-spin action always kept batsmen guessing. Yet, his path to success was not easy due to the unwelcoming atmosphere in the Pakistan cricket dressing room.
In a candid revelation, the former Pakistani spinner shed light on the discrimination he faced during his time in the Pakistan team. Kaneria, who is one of the few non-Muslim cricketers to have represented Pakistan at the international level, disclosed that he encountered resistance from certain teammates, including Shahid Afridi, who attempted to persuade him to convert to Islam.
“Shahid Afridi and the other players troubled me a lot, they never used to eat food with me. They used to talk with me about the conversion but my religion is everything to me. Shahid Afridi was the main guy who tried forcing me to convert to Islam, but Inzamam-ul-Haq was the only person who supported me,” Kaneria said on Aaj Tak.
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The former spinner also touched upon the spot-fixing scandal that marred his career. He admitted to having met a bookie during his county stint but maintained his innocence regarding the charges against him. Kaneria expressed his disappointment with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), stating that he received insufficient support during this challenging period.
“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. They knew they couldn’t stop me when it comes to talent,” Kaneria said.
In addition to reflecting on his own experiences, Kaneria commented on Pakistan's underwhelming performance in the ongoing World Cup. He pointed out that team selection appeared to be influenced by friendships and personal relationships, which, in his view, contributed to the team's recent struggles in the tournament.
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“When the squad was announced, I was sure that this wasn’t a well-balanced team. The selections were based on friendships and personal relationships. I knew that this team would struggle in the World Cup,” Kaneria emphasised.
Danish Kaneria is Pakistan's top wicket-taker spinner in Test matches with 261 wickets. He faced a tarnished reputation due to a spot-fixing scandal in English county cricket in 2012, resulting in a lifetime ban from playing in England and Wales.
Kaneria was the second Hindu cricketer after Anil Dalpat to represent Pakistan. During his career, he managed to secure a 5-wicket haul against every Test-playing nation except England.