Lahore, Nov. 10: Support shrunk for troubled Pakistan cricketer Zulqarnain Haider in his own nation as the PCB on Wednesday suspended his contract and the government refused to support his efforts of seeking asylum in the UK after sensationally deserting the team in Dubai.
The PCB constituted a three-member committee to look into the incident of his fleeing from Dubai to London after claiming to have received death threats from match-fixers. The wicket-keeper mysteriously left for London hours before the fifth one-dayer against South Africa without informing either the Board or the team management. He is now seeking asylum in United Kingdom, claiming that he received death threats during the series from match-fixers.
A PCB statement also mentioned that the Board is trying to get in touch with Haider but attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the government took a hard stand against Haider, who announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday. “We don’t support his actions and believe he should have come to us if he was under threat from anyone,” Pakistan Sports Minister Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani said.
“If he is such a weak and scared person he should not have played cricket in the first place, particularly not for the national team. This is not way for a member of the national team to behave or for even a professional cricketer to behave,” Jakhrani said.