London, Nov. 9: Pakistan cricketer Zulqarnain Haider, who went missing from Dubai, has decided to retire from international cricket.
Haider, who arrived in London on Monday evening, told Geo News: “I received death threats to lose the fourth and fifth one-day internationals against South Africa, but I could not compromise the dignity of my country.”
“I would rather flee away than sell out the dignity and respect of my motherland. I have decided it is best for me to retire from international cricket since my family and I are constantly getting threats,” the 24-year-old wicketkeeper 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,” he said. Haider was under detention in a hotel at Heathrow Airport, but he has left the airport now, sources told this newspaper.
He has not contacted the Pakistan high commission as yet.
Pakistan high commissioner Wajed Shamsul Hasan told this newspaper on Tuesday that the cricketer had not been in touch with the high commission at all since landing in London.
“He is supposed to be in a detention centre,” Hasan said, but added that there was no official notification on this from the UK Border Agency.
Haider, according to Hasan, will not be easily able to claim asylum in Britain.
Asked if the high commission would provide security to Haider, if he asks for it, Hasan said, “We are nobody to provide security in the UK. We will request the UK government to help us out over his security, if he seeks it.”
Haider has not 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, adding that he had fled to London because he felt safe here and knew that in Britain the law protected those in the right.
Without naming the source of his threats, Haider said he was approached by bookies. “I was told to cooperate or I would face lot of problems. 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,’” he explained.