'Look at his own character'- Shahid Afridi breaks silence on Danish Kaneria's accusation

Former Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi, has broken his silence on the accusation made by former teammate Danish Kaneria. He accused Afridi of mistreating him during his playing days, calling him a "liar," "manipulator," and "characterless person" who did not want Kaneria in the national team. He further said that Afridi tortured him because of his faith and religious ideas and compelled him to convert to Islam.

In response, Afridi has denied the accusations. He, in fact, questioned Kaneria for not complaining about it earlier with the Pakistan Cricket Board or the department they played for together. He also stated that the accusations were made only "to get cheap fame and make money".

"Kaneria was like my younger brother and I played with him in the department for many years. If my attitude was bad then why he did not complain to the Pakistan Cricket Board or the department he was playing for. He is giving interviews to our enemy country which can incite religious sentiments," thenews.com.pk quoted Afridi saying.

"And the person saying all this, look at his own character," he added.

Danish Kaneria's blame on Shahid

While accusing Afridi, Kaneria called him a "characterless person" who was "jealous" of him. The leg spinner further stated that he ignored him and focused solely on his game. He said that he was proud to have represented Pakistan.

"He didn’t want me to be in the team. He was a liar; a manipulator because he’s a characterless person. However, my focus was only on cricket and I used to ignore all these tactics. Shahid Afridi was the only person who would go to other players and provoke them against me. I was performing well and he was jealous of me. I am proud that I played for Pakistan. I was grateful," he said.

Kaneria took 261 wickets for Pakistan in 61 Tests. He also appeared in 18 One-Day Internationals and took 15 wickets. He was suspended by the ECB in 2012 after being charged with spot-fixing in English County Championship matches in 2009.