'I faced discrimination, my career was destroyed' - Danish Kaneria exposes Pakistan cricket

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has once again turned heads with his shocking revelation about the treatment he got during his playing days in the country. Danish Kaneria said that he faced severe discrimination throughout his career and that ruined his career.

Speaking at a gathering focused on minority issues in Pakistan, Kaneria was one of the few Hindu cricketers to have represented the team at the highest level. However, the former Indian spinner was never given the same respect and opportunities as his teammates.

Danish Kaneria calls out Pakistan for discrimination against minorities

Speaking in a Congressional briefing on the "Plight of Minorities in Pakistan," Kaneria shed light on the struggles and discrimination faced by non-Muslim athletes and citizens in the country. During the event, Kaneria urged the international communities, especially the US, to take notice and address the ongoing discrimination of minorities in the country.

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Danish Kaneria was quoted as saying by ANI: “Today, we all gathered here and expressed how we all faced discrimination and raised our voices. I also faced discrimination in Pakistan, and my career was destroyed. I did not get equal values and respect in Pakistan.”

Kaneria further added, “All the people who came here spoke against discrimination on how Pakistan treated them. So, the main aim was to spread awareness among everyone, especially in the US, on how people suffer and the problems that exist in Pakistan and take action against it.”

Danish Kaneria's career highlight

Notably, Danish Kaneria represented Pakistan in 61 Test matches and was the second Hindu cricketer to represent Pakistan, following his cousin, former wicketkeeper Anil Dalpat. The leg-spinner had an impressive record in Test cricket. His best Test figures in an innings were 7/77, while his best match performance was 12/94, both against Bangladesh.

The former Pakistani spinner claimed 15 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket and twice took 10 or more wickets in a match. In ODI cricket, Kaneria played 18 matches, with his best figures of 3/31 coming against New Zealand during the Bank Alfalah Cup in 2003.

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However, his career took a dark turn when he was banned for life by the England Cricket Board (ECB) over spot-fixing allegations. His appeal was rejected in 2013, and a decade ago, the ECB sought to recover a hefty sum of £250,000 from him with the help of Pakistani authorities. Additionally, Kaneria also played 206 first-class games, 167 List A matches, and 65 T20s.

Kamran Akmal urges Pakistan to play for the country

Recently, Kamran Akmal has expressed his disappointment over the Pakistan team’s performance. He said that Pakistan’s reputation can only be restored through their impactful performance. His remarks come after Pakistan’s embarrassing campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Pakistan ended their campaign without a single win, having lost their first two group matches against India and New Zealand, while their final game against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain.

Kamran Akmal said on his YouTube channel, “Our reputation will only come back when you start to win and play good cricket. If you play only for yourself, no one will have respect for you. Not the players, not Pakistan, and neither the PCB.”