Conversion pressure, discrimination: What cricketer Danish Kaneria faced in Pakistan
What's the story
Former Pakistani cricketer, Danish Kaneria, has alleged that Shahid Afridi pressurized him to convert to Islam several times during his playing career. Kaneria made the shocking revelation at a Congressional briefing in Washington, DC, where he spoke about the status of minorities in Pakistan. The leg-spinner said he was unhappy with the respect he got in Pakistan, and discrimination forced him to move to the United States.
Discrimination
Kaneria's experiences of discrimination and lack of respect
Kaneria, who played for Pakistan in 61 Tests between 2000 and 2010, spoke at the briefing. He said, "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." The former leg-spinner added he faced a lot of discrimination during his career which forced him to leave for the US.
Team dynamics
Support and pressure from teammates
In an interview with Aaj Tak from 2023, Kaneria revealed that only former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq stood by him throughout his career. He alleged that Afridi and others pressurized him for Islam conversion. "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," Kaneria said, adding that Afridi often pushed him to convert.
Career end
Kaneria's career and allegations of spot-fixing
Kaneria enjoyed a successful career with 261 Test wickets at an economy of 3.07, including 15 five-wicket hauls. However, his career went downhill in 2012 when he was banned for life by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over spot-fixing charges. Despite the allegations, he is Pakistan's highest wicket-taker among spinners in the longest format.
Information
Over 1,000 First-Class wickets
Kaneria has a staggering 1,024 wickets from 206 First-Class matches at an average of 26.16. The tally includes an economy rate of 2.98. Kaneria also has 262 wickets to his name in List A cricket.