I am suffering because I am a Hindu, a minority in Pakistan : Danish Kaneria

Pakistan’s most successful spinner Danish Kaneria, who has been given life ban for spot-fixing, is currently seeking support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to grant him one last hearing.

In a telephonic interview with MidDay from his Karachi residence, Kaneria said that his father died due to cancer in April 2013, a week after he lost his England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) appeal. He had to pay 100,000 GBP (approx Rs 96 lakhs) to the board and also lost his job with Habib Bank.

On asking for help from BCCI, Kaneria said, “I am living on my last savings. I do not know how long I will survive. I can even teach young Indians the art of spin, can’t I? Why can’t they call me? I am one of them.”

Currently, there is no positive hope for Kaneria after he lost three appeals against his life ban for spot-fixing while playing in the English county for Essex, who have solid evidence against him. After all that has transpired, Kaneria still claims his innocence and feels the BCCI is his only hope as he has no authority to do anything further in Pakistan. He added, “Everything else has dried up for me in Pakistan, I seem to have no takers for my appeals from the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board). I am dying.”

The 35-year-old former Pakistan cricketer also spoke about the discrimination he faced because of being a Hindu in Pakistan and quipped, “It is because I am a Hindu, a minority in Pakistan. It is because I refused to admit my involvement in spot-fixing when the ECB charged me. I want to be heard, is it very difficult to hear me out?”

After, ECB and PCB, the International Cricket Council (ICC) have also denied to listen to his plea and their chief executive Dave Richardson has made it clear by saying it acted on the decision taken by ECB and it will stay for life. In return, Kaneria said, “I told him he was biased, many have been pardoned, why not me?”

Kaneria also gave the example of Mohammad Amir’s case, who was found guilty in the spot-fixing and reacted on the bias of ECB by quoting, “The Scotland Yard found no evidence on me, the ECB reacted on the basis on confessions made by one cricketer. Look at the way PCB has handled Mohammad Amir’s case. What about me? Isn’t that unfair?”

Talking on his involvement in the spot-fixing issue, which he straightaway denies, he mentioned that Amir acknowledged his guilt because he was involved and added, “He did because he was involved, I didn’t because I was not, I was not, I was not. It’s almost like punishing me for introducing Mervyn Westfield to Anu Bhatt (an Indian businessman suspected of involvement in illegal cricket betting).”

Looking at the present situation, Kaneria cannot contribute anything to the game in Pakistan or anywhere. He wants help from BCCI, and says, “Only BCCI can save me. Anurag Thakur (secretary) should consider my case and urge Shashank Manohar (president) to speak to the ICC. Lift the ban, help me get an honourable exit,” concludes Kaneria.

Source : Criclife