Afridi has no right to criticise India, Modi: Kaneria

KARACHI: Former leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has criticised cricketer-cum-philanthropist Shahid Afridi for pointing fingers at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's atrocities in occupied Kashmir and also maintaining friendships with Indian players such as Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh.

Afridi, earlier this month, as part of his DonateKaroNa campaign for COVID-19 relief activities, had asked his Indian counterparts for help, which they had swiftly given. Afridi's speech in Azad Kashmir was not appreciated in India.

However, days later, a video of Afridi had emerged where he was addressing a crowd in Azad Kashmir and calling out Indian oppression in the occupied part of the valley. Afridi's scathing remarks were not well-received by his cricket friends in India, with Harbhajan going as far as saying that he was "severing all ties" with Boom Boom. In a surprising turn of events, Afridi has also found someone bashing him from his own side of the border, with Kaneria questioning what right does he have to ask Indian cricketers for help when he is also out badmouthing their government.

“Shahid Afridi should think before speaking on any matter. If he wants to join politics then he should quit all ties with cricket. It is important to stay away from cricket if you are speaking like a politician. Speeches like these create a negative image of Pakistan cricket not only in India but also around the world,” Kaneria is quoted as saying by India TV.

He appealed for help from them and after getting the help he ended up saying things about their country and PM. What sort of friendship is this?

However, Kaneria, a convicted match-fixer who has a sizable resume of controversial remarks, rooted for dialogue and resumption of bilateral cricket between the two arch-rivals.

“Cricketing ties between the two countries should resume. India and Pakistan have some political tension between them, which the government of both countries should resolve with dialogue so that cricket can return," he said.