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Islamabad , August 30 (NIA): Members of a parliamentary committee on Monday alleged that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not helping Danish Kaneria to fight his case against a lifetime ban imposed by English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) “because he belongs to Hindu community”, Dawn reports.
“PCB is not providing financial and legal assistance to Kaneria because he is a Hindu by faith,” said Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) lawmaker Ramesh Kumar Vankvani at a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination.
Vankvani was of the view that Kaneria was being discriminated against and the PCB officials are not assisting him like they had helped other cricketers in the past.
Iqbal Muhammad Ali, member of the committee, said: “Kaneria has no money and cannot fight the case on his own.Kaneria has now himself said that he is being mistreated because he is a Hindu.”
Ali urged the PCB to provide legal and financial assistance to the leg spinner so that he can pursue his case against lifetime ban in the court.
Responding to Vankvani’s allegations, PCB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed said: “According to anti-corruption codes of International Cricket Council (ICC), PCB cannot provide any assistance to Kaneria.”
“If any cricket board imposes a ban on any player, all member countries of ICC are bound to follow and implement the decision,” Ahmed said.
He added that PCB did not provide any assistance to Muhammad Aamir, Muhammad Asif and Salman Butt when they were convicted.
Kaneria told Dawn that he is glad to hear that his case is being pursued at the parliamentary committee.
“I am thankful to the standing committee for raising the issue. I am grateful to Iqbal Muhammad Ali and Ramesh Kumar Vankvani for pursuing my case,” said Kaneria.
“It has given me a new hope to continue my career and represent Pakistan.”
Kaneria said that he had written several letters to parliamentarians in the past few months to pursue his case with the PCB. “I request Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to please look into it.”
Kaneria said Subhan Ahmed is speaking under pressure of the English Cricket Board and whatever Ahmed said before the NA standing committee was not completely true.
“I do not think there is any law that bars PCB from pursuing the case of any contractual player,” adding that he was under contract and “PCB is like father figure for players”.
“How can they just ignore my case, I have served Pakistan, I am a Pakistani national.”
Kaneria wondered how Subhan Ahmed can say that PCB did not support the spot fixing trio.”Didn’t Tafazzul Rizvi fight their case? Isn’t he a lawyer of PCB?” Kaneria asked.
“I was told that it’s my personal case, and PCB won’t support me.”
Kaneria further said that the PCB did fight for Amir in ICC. “Didn’t PCB violate ‘Zero tolerance policy’ for Amir?” he asked.
The leg-spin bowler was slapped a lifetime ban by the ECB which prevents him from playing in matches under their jurisdiction.
He filed an appeal against the ban but was rejected in July 2013.
According to Cricbuzz Kaneria initially took his time to come to terms with the tempo of international cricket but once he got a hang of it, Kaneria went on to become an essential cog in Pakistan’s bowling attack even in foreign conditions. His ODI career though was limited to 18 matches. He would have also flourished in ODIs had his captains encouraged him to attack rather than perform a ‘holding role’.
The emergence of Saeed Ajmal pushed him to the back burner. Later on, the English county stint happened and as did the expulsion.
Interesting Facts:
1. Danish Kaneria was only the second Hindu cricketer to play for Pakistan.
2. Apart from England, he bagged a 5-wicket haul against every Test playing nation.
