Danish Kaneria is a former Pakistani cricketer who played for the national team from 2000 to 2010. He was known for his leg-spin bowling, which made him an important part of Pakistan’s bowling attack during his career. However, his career was marred by controversy, and he was banned from cricket for his involvement in spot-fixing.
Kaneria was born on 16 December 1980 in Karachi, Pakistan. He started playing cricket at an early age and quickly developed a talent for bowling leg-spin. He made his first-class debut for Karachi Whites in 1998 and soon attracted the attention of the national selectors. He made his Test debut for Pakistan against England in 2000, and made his ODI debut soon after in the same year.
Kaneria quickly established himself as a key player for Pakistan, especially in Test cricket. He was known for his ability to swing the ball quickly and deceive the batsmen with his variations. He took 261 wickets in 61 Tests at an average of 34.79, making him the second highest wicket-taker for Pakistan in Test cricket.
Despite his success on the field, Kaneria’s career was not without controversy. In 2008, he was accused of involvement in spot-fixing during a county match for Essex against Durham. He was banned from playing cricket in England for life, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) also banned him for life from all cricket-related activities.
Kaneria maintained his innocence and appealed against the ban. However, his appeal was unsuccessful, and he was unable to clear his name. He continued to deny any involvement in spot-fixing and in 2020 he released a video on social media in which he appealed to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to let him play domestic cricket and help him earn a livelihood for his family. ,
