Cricket is considered the favourite among Pakistanis, and the present generation in Pakistan has only witnessed Muslim cricketers representing Pakistan in cricket. According to the census of 2023, Hindus constitute 2.17 per cent of the population of Pakistan. Only seven non-Muslim cricket players have been selected for the Pakistan cricket team.
The seven non-Muslim cricketers are Danish Kaneria, Wallis Mathias, Sohail Fazal, Duncan Sharpe, Anil Dalpat, Yousuf Youhana, and Antao D’Souza. There have only been two Hindu cricketers representing Pakistan – Anil Dalpat and his cousin Danish Kaneria.
A Hindu Cricketer Has Played for Pakistan
While both have been noted for getting selected for the Pakistani cricket team, it cannot be denied that they were discriminated against because they were Hindus. They received abuse and were denied basic respect that other players were afforded. This should never have been a matter of concern in the first place since they were all representing one country.
Anil Dalpat Sonavaria
Anil Dalpat Sonavaria is a former Pakistan cricketer and coach, and the first Hindu cricketer to play for Pakistan. He played as a wicket-keeper for Pakistan in the Test and ODI formats. Anil made his debut in the test match against England at Karachi in March 1984. He was a replacement for the wicket-keeper Wasim Bari.
Anil kept well to Abdul Qadri’s spin bowling and narrowly won the match by three wickets. In his last Test match against New Zealand in 1985, he smashed his highest Test run of 52. Between 1984 and 1986, Anil played 9 Tests and 15 ODIs for Pakistan.
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After retiring from cricket in 1986, he shifted to Canada and became a coach. Later on, he went from being a cricket coach to a businessman.
Danish Kaneria
Danish Kaneria is the only other Hindu cricketer, besides Anil Dalpat, to play for Pakistan. Unlike Anil, Danish international career lasted for 10 years from 2000 to 2010. Similarly to his cousin, he made his international debut in a Test against England at Faisalabad.
Danish is a leg spinner whose best bowling spell of 7/77 against Bangladesh during the 2002 Pakistan tour of Bangladesh. Danish is more commonly known for his five-wicket hauls in the Test format. Danish has played 61 test matches, bringing in fifteen 5-wicket hauls. Whereas he played just 18 ODIs, taking 15 wickets.
He played county cricket for Essex between 2004 and 2010. In 2010, Danish was accused of match fixing in the 2009 NatWest Pro40 match. He was acquitted of those charges but was convicted in 2012 during the trial of Mervyn Westfield for spot-fixing. Consequently, the ECB banned him from playing any cricket in their jurisdiction for life.
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In October 2018, Danish admitted to spot-fixing, stating that he was unaware that he was meeting a fixer. Although he is yet to officially announce retirement, his international cricket career effectively ended in 2010. The very last time he was in the public eye was March 2025, when he spoke on the “Plight of minorities in Pakistan”. He said he faced discrimination that destroyed his career and that he was denied equal respect or value in Pakistan.