Danish Kaneria claims his career was destroyed, voices against Discrimination in Pakistan

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has once again spoken out about the discrimination he faced during his career, stating that his treatment in Pakistan forced him to seek refuge in the United States.

Speaking at a Congressional briefing in Washington, DC, on the "plight of minorities in Pakistan," Kaneria joined others in highlighting the challenges faced by religious minorities.

Kaneria, Pakistan's last Hindu cricketer who has represented the national team, has raised his voice against the discrimination he faced as a minority in his country during Ohis playing days. And the former player says he was treated with disrespect and seeked refuge in the USA for that.

"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," Kaneria told ANI.

"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 Pakistan spinner added.

Kaneria, who played 61 Tests for Pakistan, is the country's second Hindu cricketer after Anil Dalpat. In 2023, he alleged that former teammate Shahid Afridi repeatedly pressured him to convert to Islam and that many players refused to eat with him. He credited Inzamam-ul-Haq as the only captain who supported him.

"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," Kaneria said to Aaj Tak.