Daily Times

KARACHI: Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has said that “India is not an enemy”, instead those who try to influence others through religion are. The statement comes in response to former cricketer Shahid Afridi’s anti-India statement. Afridi rejected allegations levelled by Kaneria that he mistreated him for being Hindu and pressurised him to convert to Islam, saying that the latter “is giving interviews to our enemy country which can incite religious sentiments.” Taking to Twitter, Kaneria said: “India is not our enemy. Our enemies are those who instigate people in the name of religion.” He also criticised Afridi by suggesting him not to interview with any Indian channel if he sees India as an enemy.

“If you consider India as your enemy, then don’t ever go to any Indian media channel,” Kaneria wrote while mentioning Afridi in his Tweet. Kaneria claimed “when I raised my voice against forced conversion, I was threatened that my career would be destroyed.” The sixer king recently broke silence over Kaneria’s allegations, saying that he himself was trying to fully understand the religion at the time to which the former player is referring. Criticising the former leg-spinner, the 42-year-old said that Kaneria defamed the country’s name by spot-fixing and ended his career himself. “He is accusing me to get cheap fame and money,” added Afridi. Afridi said that Kaneria was like a brother to him and he always supported him. “Why is he placing allegations against me now? Why did he not complain to the Pakistan Cricket Board and Habib Bank Limited about my behaviour towards him at that time?” asked the cricketer, adding that everyone knows about “his character”. He said that Kaneria did spot-fixing in England and was convicted there. Former league spinner Kaneria is facing a ban for his involvement in a spot-fixing case.