Several Twitter users praised the former pacer for his support to Kanaria, who was the highest wicket-taker spinner for his country.
#DanishKaneria trended on Twitter with 22.3K tweets in the wake of Shoaib Akhtar's comments on a TV show named 'Game On Hai' with former cricketers Rashid Latif and Asim Kamal on treatment meted out to him did the rounds on social media.
One Twitter user reacted: "Danish Kaneria must have faced a lot... how can someone do this to an international player?"
"Disappointed, when I read about the plight of Danish Kaneria. He was ill-treated," said another user.
One user commented: "Sad to hear this: Danish Kaneria, a Pakistani cricketer, was mistreated because he is a Hindu. Pakistan can't even allow non-Muslim to become President & they lecture us on secularism."
A tweet read: "If an international cricketer like Kaneria is treated so badly for being a Hindu in Pakistan, one can only imagine the plight of ordinary non-Muslims in our Islamic neighbourhood. And if the Citizenship (Amendment) Act gives them refuge in India, why should Muslims, Congress and Communists oppose it?"
One user in reply said: "For every Danish Kaneria, there is a Shoaib Akthar to take care of them. Rather than crying for Pakistani Danish, cry for Indian Kafeel Khan."
Shoaib Akhtar had spoken about bias of Pakistani players against members of a particular community.
Danish, only the second cricketer from the minority community on Pakistan team, was banned for life by the England and Wales Cricket Board on spot-fixing charges.
( With inputs from IANS )