Danish Kaneria calls out 'extremist' Shahid Afridi: 'he tried to persuade me to convert to Islam'

Danish Kaneria called out  Shahid Afridi's "extremist views" after the former Pakistan captain accused India of wrongfully blaming Pakistan for the Pahalgam terrorist attack. After 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by terrorists at Pahalgam's Baisaran meadows on Tuesday, Afridi said India killed its citizens and put the blame on Pakistan. He asked why no soldier was present to defend the tourists as the terrorists put non-Muslim individuals to the sword.

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"Islam teaches us peace and Pakistan never supports such kinds of acts... The terrorists continued to kill people in Pahalgam for an hour, and not a single Indian soldier out of 8 lakhs showed up. But when they did, they blamed Pakistan," Afridi was quoted  as saying while talking to Pakistani media recently. 

 

"India carries out terrorism itself, kills its own people, and then puts the blame on Pakistan," he was quoted as saying.

 

While the former all-rounder's comments kicked up a row on social media, his former teammate Kaneria came forward and criticised Afridi over his "extremist views." Afridi shouldn't be given television space in India, the former spinner said, before accusing the 48-year-old of having forced him to convert to Islam. The former national team captain even refused to have food with him because he was a non-Muslim, Kaneria further alleged. 

 

"He has consistently aligned himself with extremist views. In my opinion, he should not be given a platform on Indian television or within the country. Additionally, he tried to persuade me to convert to Islam and declined to share a meal with me, which I found deeply disrespectful," Danish Kaneria claimed on X on Monday. He made the revelations while sharing a video clip of Afridi's controversial anti-India rhetoric before the camera.

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Leggie Kaneria, only the second Hindu to represent Pakistan, played 61 and 18 ODIs for Pakistan Tests. An ardent critic of Pakistan government, the 44-year-old had reportedly said recently that, “I am a Hindu — a proud one. As a Hindu, I served and played for the nation where I was born, because no matter where Hindus live in the world, they remain loyal and devoted to their country. The people of Pakistan gave me love, but its rulers treated me no differently than they have treated my Hindu brothers and sisters since Partition,” he said.

 

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