Abdul Razzaq takes on Shoaib Akhtar's claims of Danish Kaneria facing discrimination

Abdul Razzaq has come forward and said that his former Pakistan team-mate Danish Kaneria did not face religious discrimination during his playing days in the dressing room. It was the 'Rawalpindi Express' Shoaib Akhtar who had bought this incident to light last month and now, Razzaq has come out and claimed that it was not the case.

While speaking to a Pakistani cricket website, Abdul Razzaq said that this whole matter seemed to have been created out of thin air and there is no truth in whatever Danish Kaneria has said because he would never have gone on to represent Pakistan in the first place had prime importance been given to religion.

The former all-rounder also mentioned that the banned spinner was a key part of the national team irrespective of his background. Razzaq also added that the veteran spinner was always respected both on and off the field by his team-mates and therefore, the question of him being ill-treated in the national team on the basis of his religion does not arise at all. 

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'Even the ICC did not help me': Kaneria 

Earlier, banned spinner Danish Kaneria went on to say that the International Cricket Council (ICC) showed no keen interest to help him when he was in dire need of getting his ban removed.

''Personally, I had requested ICC and had also sent them e-mails and ICC had replied to me that I being a Pakistani cricketer I have Pakistan Cricket Board and it is their responsibility plead your case as it is a matter of the domestic cricket in England and no player can come forward and plead their case personally in ICC and despite so many requests, I did not get any reply. 

The veteran spinner also went on to say that he has been leading a miserable life and that he has been unemployed for 10 years.

'' I have asked for help from the people of my country, my board and from all corners since all these years but nobody helped me. I was handed a ban and I accepted it and I did everything possible. Meanwhile, there were people who were banned and still made a comeback and took retirement from Test cricket and put the country aside in order to play league cricket but I have never done that.

Does anyone have any idea about how I have been treated? I have been unemployed for 10 years. I did not have a job. Who has helped me? I have a family as well. Who will help me?'' 

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