By Sreelata S. Yellamrazu
A day after the Pakistan cricketer disappeared from Dubai, he resurfaced only to declare he could no longer play cricket for Pakistan even as the ICC is willing to lend a hand in trying to unearth the truth.
Zulqarnain Haider made himself unavailable for Pakistan cricket by announcing his retirement from Pakistan cricket a day after he mysteriously went missing from the hotel room in Dubai ahead of the fifth ODI against South Africa. Amidst agony and anger with the Pakistan Cricket Board, Haider spoke out about the death threats he had received the concerns for his family that forced the twenty-four year old wicket keeper batsman to make this crucial decision after landing at the Heathrow airport in London.
Making the decision a day after he decided not to disclose the contact with an alleged bookie / match fixer, Haider would have found himself in trouble with the Pakistan cricket officials anyway for not approaching him regarding the matter. But obviously the cricketer has been too shaken up and perhaps untrusting of any of the officials present with the Pakistan team which in itself should raise questions.
The ICC has, however, chosen to take a softer stance towards the cricketer offering him assistance provided he comes to the ICC and asks for help while the matter is naturally within the jurisdiction with the PCB which is reportedly conducting an investigation in the matters that led to Haider fleeing Dubai in the first place.
Haider’s decision puts Pakistan in a fix because if his claims are proven true, it would be a blow for Pakistan cricket which has been trying hard to shake off the allegations that have trailed them in the course of Pakistan’s tour of England as three Pakistan cricketers – Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer – continue to fight the suspension imposed by the ICC pending investigations into spot fixing.
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