New Delhi: Pakistan’s powerful performance in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023, albeit a disappointing loss against Team India in Narendra Modi Stadium, has its fans excited & delighted and they have high hopes of being a strong contender for the trophy.
Amidst all the frenzy & fury of World Cup tournament, former Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria is hogging attention on social media and making heads turn with his swipe at Pakistan wicket-keeper & batter Mohammed Rizwan.
Kaneria took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “next time dedicate your victory to humanity. Almighty never supports cruelty.”
Next time dedicate your victory to humanity. The almighty never supports cruelty. #IndvsPak
— Danish Kaneria (@DanishKaneria61) October 15, 2023
Mohammad Rizwan had dedicated the team’s victory against New Zealand to ‘fellow brothers & sisters in Gaza strip’, thereby drawing strong public criticism & rebuke for mixing religion with cricket.
After registering World Cup’s biggest chase of 345 runs with Mohammad Rizwan hitting ton, he wrote on X, “This was for our brother & sisters in Gaza. Credit goes to the whole team. Thankful to people of Hyderabad for great hospitality.”
2014 video shows Pak player ‘coaxing Lankan player to convert’
In subsequent tweets, former Pakistani spinner shared a video depicting how Pakistani players resort to religious propaganda while participating in the cricket events.
Kaneria shared a video from 2014 on his timeline, which shows a Pakistani player in conversation with Sri Lanka batsman Tilakratane Dilshan and the former coaxing latter to convert to Islam as this will secure him a place in the heaven.
Be it the dressing room, the playground or the dining table, this happened to me every day. pic.twitter.com/vdv5NpBKxq
— Danish Kaneria (@DanishKaneria61) October 15, 2023
“If you non-Muslim and you turn Muslim, no matter whatever you do in life… straight to heaven,” Pakistani player could be heart telling Dilshan in the viral video.
A smiling Dilshan says something, following which Pak player says, “Then be ready for the fire.”
While sharing the video, former Pak spinner claimed that he was subjected to such secondary treatment every another day, from dressing room to dining table.
Who is Dinesh Kateria? How Shoaib Akhtar supported him
Dinesh Kaneria was the only second Hindu player to play for Team Pakistan. His cousin Anil Dalpat was the first to feature in Pak cricket team as wicketkeeper.
Kaneria played for Pakistan from 2000 to 2010, however, got axed from the team over spot fixing allegations. He was banned for life for alleged spot-fixing in 2009 English country cricket match.
Kaneria though denied the charges but in 2018 made an ‘honest’ admission about his role in the scandal.
Earlier also, Danesh Kaneria claimed that he was subject to religious taunts & discrimination in the Pakistani team, a charge that PCB outrightly denied. The former Pak cricketer got support from pacer Shoaib Akhtar in 2019 who backed his charges and told media that Kaneria suffered humiliation & discrimination in the team for practicing Hinduism.
Akhtar revealed that rest of Pak players refused to dine with him, because of his religious identity.
