ISLAMABAD: Wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider was suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board Wednesday for abandoning the team in the United Arab Emirates before a match and fleeing to London. Haider, 24, quit the Pakistan team in Dubai and flew to Britain Monday, claiming he received threats and was offered money to lose matches against South Africa. After Haider left, Pakistan lost the fifth and deciding one-day international to lose the series. The PCB said in a statement that Haider violated the terms and conditions of his contract. It also said the board had been unable to contact the cricketer. In interviews with a Pakistani television station, Haider has made conflicting comments about retiring from cricket and seeking asylum in Britain. The alleged threats and match-fixing allegations are the latest setback for a Pakistan team already weighed down by accusations that three players were involved in a betting scandal during a test in England in August. Illegal betting on cricket matches is a multimillion dollar industry in South Asia. Betting syndicates stand to earn massive sums of money if they have “fixed” the result of the game, or moments in it, by paying players. The syndicates have also reportedly threatened players and their families who do not go along with them. Pakistan cricket authorities said it has formed a committee to examine his fleeing from the team hotel. Team manager Intikhab Alam, team security manager Khawaja Najam and PCB official Subhan Ahmed are the members of the fact-finding committee, a PCB press release said. Alam denied reports suggesting management had prior knowledge that wicketkeeper was leaving the team hotel or had received threats from unknown people. Alam said the team management was unaware of Haider's plans. “This is irresponsible to say that the management knew of Haider's plans to flee to London,” Alam said. Haider's father Raza told Geo TV that he had talked to his son. “I talked to him and have advised him to re-join the team in Dubai without any fears. Its Allah Almighty who decides our fate, so we must not get frightened by death threats.” Meanwhile, The International Cricket Council (ICC) has met Haider and said it would help the PCB in a probe into his sudden exit to Britain. “We have met with the player and we are engaged in following up with the PCB,” ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat told a news conference in Dubai Wednesday. “Clearly this is in the first instance a team matter for Pakistan cricket but the ICC is willing to provide assistance to the PCB and the player,” Lorgat said earlier on the governing body's website. “We understand his plight if reports are indeed true.” “We are very sympathetic to the issues that Pakistan cricket is challenged by and we are providing all the support we possibly can and will continue to do so,” Lorgat told reporters Wednesday. The ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit upheld the suspensions on Butt and Amir after the pair appealed. Asif withdrew his appeal in order to give his lawyers more time to prepare their case. The innocence or guilt of the three players, who have all denied wrongdoing, will be judged at an independent tribunal. Lorgat said the date of the tribunal had not yet been set. Pakistan will hope to put a series of on- and off-field problems behind them and build under new captain Misbah-ul-Haq when it plays the first Test against South Africa starting Friday. Pakistan's last Test against England at Lord's in August has been a subject of separate inquiries from Scotland Yard and the International Cricket Council (ICC) after a British newspaper report claimed several of its players accepted money from match-fixers. Misbah replaced Salman Butt as captain for the two-Test series, shifted to the United Arab Emirates after South Africa refused to tour Pakistan over security fears. Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi Stadiums will host a Test for the first time after becoming Pakistan's neutral venues since 2008 in the face of the security situation. Pakistan, led by Shahid Afridi, lost the preceding Twenty20 series 2-0 and five-match one-day series 3-2 – a result Misbah hopes will not affect the Test performance. “You always learn with time and experiences,” said Misbah, who will be Pakistan's fourth Test captain this year behind Mohammad Yousuf, Afridi and Salman. With regular wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal already not selected for the tour for fitness reasons, Pakistan had to call uncapped Adnan Akmal, the younger brother of Kamran and also retained opener Mohammad Hafeez for Tests. With Asif and Aamer missing in action, Pakistan's bowling attack will rely heavily on pacemen Umar Gul and Mohammad Sami – recalled after being ignored for the England tour.
