At a Congressional briefing in Washington, Danish Kaneria, the former Pakistani cricketer, made explosive revelations about the discrimination he faced throughout his career. Speaking about the treatment of minorities in Pakistan, he asserted that his journey in cricket was cut short due to religious bias. “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,” he stated, as reported by a news agency.
Kaneria, who remains only the second Hindu cricketer to have played for Pakistan, expressed deep disappointment over the lack of respect and fair treatment he received in his home country. “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.”
The former leg-spinner, who played 61 Test matches for Pakistan, also accused fellow cricketer Shahid Afridi of persistently pressuring him to convert to Islam. “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.”
His shocking statements have once again ignited discussions about the challenges faced by religious minorities in Pakistan, not just in cricket but in various walks of life. Kaneria’s words serve as a powerful reminder of the discrimination that continues to plague sports and society, urging authorities to take notice and act.
