The former Pakistani spinner, Danish Kaneria, was subject to persistent discrimination within his own cricket team. This mistreatment, targeted at the Hindu cricketer, significantly impacted his career. The issue escalated to the point where President Pervez Musharraf had to intervene to protect Kaneria. The details of this intervention were revealed by Kaneria himself during a recent interview.
In a podcast, Kaneria detailed the behavior of his teammates, recalling that former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi often caused him distress through religious mockery and disparaging remarks. Kaneria explained that the team atmosphere was such that some players actively worked against his inclusion in matches.
Kaneria stated that then-President Musharraf personally addressed the team, warning them that anyone found harassing Kaneria would face serious consequences. Kaneria believed that the animosity stemmed from his teammates’ fear that he would achieve greater success and break records if he played more frequently, as he was already one of the top wicket-takers in Test cricket at the time.
Over a decade-long career, Kaneria played 61 Test matches for Pakistan, taking 261 wickets. He is the leading wicket-taking spinner for Pakistan in Test cricket and holds the fourth position overall. He also took 15 wickets in 18 ODI matches.