I fled from match-fixers, says Pakistan keeper

Zulqarnain Haider

KARACHI, (Reuters) – Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain  Haider quit international cricket today saying he feared  for his safety after being ordered to cooperate with  match-fixers during the recent one-day series with South Africa.
Zulqarnain, 24, who said he had fled the team hotel before  the start of the fifth one-dayer yesterday in Dubai and reached  London hours later, told the Geo News channel he felt unable to  continue in the Pakistan team after being approached by a person  who asked him to fix the fourth and fifth one-dayers.
“I have decided it is best for me to retire from  international cricket since my family and I are constantly  getting threats,” he said.
“It is best for me to step down because I can’t play in  these circumstances. But I would like to continue to play  domestic cricket.”
Zulqarnain, who scored an unbeaten 19 and hit the winning  runs in the fourth one-dayer on Friday, left the team hotel  hours before the fifth one-day match eventually won by South  Africa who took the series 3-2.
He landed in London hours after leaving Dubai and spent  almost four hours locked in discussions with immigration  authorities before finally emerging from Heathrow airport.
“I was told to cooperate or I would face lot of problems,”  Zulqarnain said.
“This person approached me while I had gone out of the hotel  for dinner. He told me cooperate with us and you can make a lot  of money.
“He said, ‘If you don’t cooperate you will no longer be part  of the team and we can make life very difficult for you’.”
Zulqarnain said he had not yet decided whether to seek  political asylum in Britain.
“I have not thought about this, I don’t even have enough  money to hire a lawyer, my only concern now is the security of  my family in Lahore,” he said.
Zulqarnain, who has played just one test and four ODIs, said  he had gone to London because he felt safe there and knew that  in Britain the law protected those in the right.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said yesterday the player  had not informed them he was planning to leave the hotel nor had  he told them the reason for his sudden decision.
“I was not confident enough to speak to the team management  about it because I didn’t want to get my other team mates into  trouble,” Zulqarnain said.

Zulqarnain  Haider
Zulqarnain Haider