The Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to reduce Umar Akmal’s three-year ban to 18 months hasn’t gone down well with Danish Kaneria. The former spinner has opined that his pleas are being ignored due to background and religion. Kaneria is only the second Hindu to represent Pakistan. His uncle Anil Dalpat was the first Hindu to play Test cricket for Pakistan.
Kaneria has often appealed against his ban. Responding to the 39-year-old earlier this month, PCB had asked him to approach England Cricket Board. Kaneria was banned by the ECB for spot-fixing while he was playing for Essex.
“Zero Tolerance policy only apply on Danish kaneria not on others, can anybody answer the reason why I get life ban not others, Are policy applies only on cast, colour and powerfull background. I am Hindu and proud of it that’s my background and my dharam,” Kaneria wrote on Twitter.
PCB’s decision to reduce Akmal’s ban did surprise many as he had accepted being approached by the bookies ahead of this year’s PSL and as per Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, he neither showed any remorse nor he sought any apology for his actions. As a result, the PCB banned him for three years.
Akmal isn’t satisfied with PCB reducing his ban by 18 months and is planning to challenge the board’s decision. “I am thankful to the judge for listening to my lawyers properly. I will decide about the remaining sentence and try to get it reduced further. For now I am not satisfied and will consult my lawyers and family how to take this ahead. There are many players before me who made mistakes and just look at what they got and what I got. So all I say right now is thank you very much,” he said
Akmal will be allowed to make a comeback to competitive cricket in October 2021.
