Pakistan cricket team is considered one of the best teams in the world but few Hindu and Christian cricketers have faced discrimination because of religion and Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar also claimed that Danish Kaneria was mistreated by some Pakistani cricketers as he is Hindu. Today, we are going to highlight such cricketers who have played for Pakistan but at the same time had faced humiliation during their cricket career.
Wallis Mathias:
Former Pakistani player Wallis Mathiaswas was the first non-Muslim to play international cricket for Pakistan. He played 21 Test matches throughout his career and scored 783 runs. Wallis was regarded as one of the best fielders and holds the record for taking 22 catches in Test Cricket. Mathias made only three half-centuries in his career. Mathias had faced discrimination for being Hindu.
Duncan Sharpe:
Duncan Sharpe was an Anglo-Pakistani, who could play only three Tests for Pakistan in the late 1950s. Sharpe was a middle-order batsman who scored 134 runs at an average above 22. Later on, he was not taken in the team by selectors. After being disappointed, he decided to settle down in Australia. There, Sir Don Bradman got him a job and gradually developed his skills and became a foreman of parks and gardens in Melbourne.
Antao D’Souza:
Antao D’Souza is a Pakistani Canadian former cricketer who played six Test matches for Pakistan. He scored 76 runs in those six Tests, and his batting average was more than their highest scores in the format. He was the second Christian from four Christians to play Test cricket for Pakistan D’Souza also got to play international cricket for Pakistan, after Wallis Mathias. D’Souza.
Anil Dalpat:
Anil Dalpat was the first Hindu cricketer who played for Pakistan. Dalpat was a lower-order batsman and wicket-keeper. Anil Dalpat is a cousin of the troubled Danish Kaneria. Dalpat’s career did not last long and shocked many in the early 1990s when he blamed Imran Khan for his short career.
Sohail Fazal:
Former Pakistani cricketer Sohail Fazal, who had a very short international career for Pakistan. Fazal was one of the few Christians to have played for Pakistan. He played only two One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and scored 56 runs.
Danish Kaneria:
Danish Kaneria was Pakistan’s second Hindu cricketer after Dalpat. The spinner has played 61 Tests for Pakistan and took 261 Test wickets. He played 18 ODIs and bagged 15 wickets with an average over 45. Recently, Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar revealed harassment faced by Danish Kaneria for being Hindu. In his video, he said that his teammate Danish Kaneria had faced discrimination just because he was Hindu. He said that Pakistani cricketers refused to eat food with Kaneria. Shoaib Akhtar is regarded as the fastest bowler in the world.
Yousuf Youhana (now Mohammad Yousuf):
One of the best batsmen in Pakistan’s cricketing history, Yousuf Youhana (now Mohammad Yousuf) played all formats of cricket. He has been a former captain of Tests and ODIs. In late 2005, Yousuf converted to Islam. Yousuf had seen the highs and lows. Despite he emerged as one of the most prominent batsmen.
