“Faced Discrimination In Pakistan”: Country’s Highest Wicket-Taking Spinner Danish Kaneria Says ‘Career Destroyed’

Former Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria has alleged that he faced huge discrimination in Pakistan and his career was destroyed. Kaneria said he did not get equal values and respect in Pakistan. He had participated in the Congressional Briefing on ‘Plight of minorities in Pakistan’ on Wednesday (local time). Speaking to ANI, on the sidelines of the event, Kaneria said, “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, respect in Pakistan…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 US, on how people suffer and the problems that exist in Pakistan and take action against it.”

Kaneria had played 61 Tests for Pakistan and is only the second Hindu to feature in the Pakistani cricket team after Anil Dalpat. With 261 scalps in 61 matches, Kaneria is Pakistan’s highest wicket-taking spinners.

#WATCH | Washington, DC | On the Congressional Briefing on ‘plight of minorities in Pakistan’, Danish Kaneria, the last Hindu cricketer to play for Pakistan internationally, says, “Today, we discussed how we had to go through discrimination. And we raised our voices against all… pic.twitter.com/elCcqtpbbI

— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2025

Indian-American US Congressman Shri Thanedar also attended the event and urged the US to condemn ‘human rights violations’ in Pakistan against Hindu minorities and demand quick actions against Pakistan to ensure that these atrocities stop.

Speaking to ANI, Thanedar said that he is attending the conference to support the Hindus amid their struggle against atrocities in Pakistan. He urged the US State Department to impose sanctions against Pakistan until these atrocities stop.

“Hindu Action is having this conference in Rayburn House Office Building of the US Congress and I’m here to support the Hindus and their struggle to get human rights, their struggle to stop the atrocities that are happening in Pakistan on the Hindu minorities. Many girls are being coerced to convert their religion. There has been kidnapping that has happened of Hindu people and I am here to demand that the State Department take action, economic actions, sanctions against Pakistan until these atrocities stop,” Thanedar said.

“We ask that US State Department demand that we strongly condemn these. United States strongly condemn these human rights violations in Pakistan against the Hindu minorities and quick action be taken, not just words but also quick action as far as economic sanctions against Pakistan to ensure that these atrocities stop,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)