Danish Kaneria questions PCB's decision to reduce Umar Akmal's ban to 18 months

Karachi: Former spinner Danish Kaneria has questioned the PCB's decision to reduce Umar Akmal's suspension to 18 months from three years, saying that zero-tolerance policy for corruption applies only on him and not others in Pakistan.

Kaneria, who has been trying get his life ban for spot-fixing lifted, said that PCB's decision to reduce Akmal's suspension for failing to report corrupt approaches, shows double standards and alleged that he was discriminated against because of his religion.

Independent adjudicator Faqir Mohammad Khokhar, in his order on Tuesday, said that the case against Akmal was proved to the hilt, but he reduced the sentence from three years to 18 months out of compassion.

Kaneria took to his official Twitter handle to express frustration over the life-ban."Zero Tolerance policy only applies on Danish Kaneria not on others, can anybody answer the reason why I get life ban, not others, Are policy applies only on cast, colour and powerful background. I am Hindu and proud of it that's my background and my dharam,'' he tweeted.

Kaneria is only the second Hindu to play Test cricket for Pakistan. He took 261 wickets in 61 Tests, before being banned by the ECB for life for spot-fixing in English county matches.

According to the spinner, he has suffered unimaginable and incomprehensible hardships, both professionally and personally, and continues to suffer, with each passing day. He also said that he wants to resume cricket activities to earn his livelihood. 

In June, he had appealed to the PCB to lift the life ban imposed on him. But, the PCB had said that it can't do much, since the punishment was handed to him by the ECB.

The leg-spinner was found guilty of spot-fixing alongside Mervyn Westfield, while playing for English county Essex against Durham in 2009. The PCB imposed the punishment on Kaneria, after he lost an appeal on the life ban slapped by the ECB in 2012.(UNI)