The Pakistan cricket Board is considering releasing the suspended payment of controversial wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider, reported ESPN on Tuesday.
The PCB had held up all payments of Zulqarnain last year after he fled the Pakistan team hotel in Dubai last November during the one-day series against South Africa.
The wicketkeeper had requested the interior minister Rehman Malik to help him in his case. Haider landed up in London seeking asylum after he claimed that an unknown person had threatened him with dire consequences for not cooperating in fixing the one-day series against South Africa.
The keeper returned home in late April from London after withdrawing his asylum application with the British home office and after getting reassurances from Malik that he would be provided full security and safety in Pakistan.
“When Zulqarnain met with Rehman Malik he requested him to ask the PCB to release his payments from last year’s series in England and in the UAE,” one source said.
“Malik recently during his meeting with the PCB Chairman, Ijaz Butt told him that the board should consider helping out Zulqarnain as since he was not playing any cricket because of his case and was facing a financial crisis,” the source said.
The board held up all payments to Zulqarnain after they held an inhouse inquiry into the entire episode and declared that the keeper had violated the team code of conduct by leaving the team hotel without permission of the team management.
The board has now formed a disciplinary committee to probe the case and record the statement of Zulqarnain who recently responded to the notice sent to him by the inhouse committee last year.
“The keeper is saying he is ready to face all consequences but the board should release him some payments as he is also not getting any help from his department who sacked him after he reached London,” the source said.
The PCB has said that it would only take a decision on whether to allow Zulqarnain back into cricket after the disciplinary committee completes its proceedings.
