Danish Kaneria calls Shahid Afridi ‘characterless’, admits being mistreated by Pakistan team for being Hindu

Speaking to news agency IANS, Danish Kaneria said that it was then Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi who was against him and that the former all-rounder was 'liar and manipulator'. 

Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has once again come down heavily on his ex-teammate Shahid Afridi, accusing him of mistreatment towards him during his cricketing days in the Pakistan team, and requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to lift the life ban imposed on him in 2013 after he was found guilty of spot-fixing. Last year, Shoaib Akhtar – on a Pakistan channel – made a shocking revelation that the Pakistan team was unfair to Kaneria because he was a Hindu.

Speaking to news agency IANS on Thursday (April 28), Kaneria said that it was then Pakistan skipper Afridi who was against him. “Shoaib Akhtar was the first person to talk about my problem in public. Hats off to him for saying it (how I was mistreated in the team because of being a Hindu). However, he was later pressured by several authorities. He then stopped talking about it. But yes, it did happen to me. I was always degraded by Shahid Afridi. We used to play together for the same department, he used to keep me on the bench and didn’t let me play the one-day tournament.

“He didn’t want me to be in the team. He was a liar, manipulator... because he’s a characterless person. However, my focus was only on cricket and I used to ignore all these tactics. Shahid Afridi was the only person who would go to other players and provoke them against me. I was performing well and he was jealous of me. I am proud that I played for Pakistan. I was grateful,” Kaneria told IANS.

The former cricketer said he could have played a lot more than the 18 ODIs he featured in had it not been for Afridi. The Karachi-born player also said that he was never involved in any kind of spot-fixing.

“Some false allegations were levelled against me (of spot-fixing). My name was joined with the person involved in the case. He was a friend of other Pakistani cricketers as well, including Afridi. But I don’t know why I was targeted. I just want to request the PCB to lift the ban so that I can do my work.