'Shahid Afridi Told Me To Convert, My Career Was Destroyed': Pakistan's Hindu Cricketer Danish Kaneria On Discrimination

Last Updated:March 13, 2025, 08:14 IST

Raising concerns over the plight of minorities in Pakistan, Danish Kaneria said, "We have faced discrimination, and today, we raised our voices against it.”

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria said his career was destroyed due to discrimination at a Congressional briefing in Washington. Raising concerns over the plight of minorities in Pakistan, Danish Kaneria said, as per news agency ANI, “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 said, “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."

Danish Kaneria, who played 61 Tests for Pakistan, is the second Hindu cricketer to represent the country’s team. He also said that Shahid Afridi repeatedly pressured him to convert to Islam.

He said, “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."

Pakistan

News world 'Shahid Afridi Told Me To Convert, My Career Was Destroyed': Pakistan's Hindu Cricketer Danish Kaneria On Discrimination