The Pakistan Cricket Board disciplinary committee handed former runaway wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider Rs500,000 fine and put him on one year probation after he was pleaded guilty during a hearing of the committee here on Friday.
Haider appeared before the committee to physically reply to the questions sort by the disciplinary committee and apologised for abandoning the team and fleeing to London from Dubai.
The committee was headed by Sultan Rana, head of PCB’s domestic cricket operations and includes board members, Colonel Waseem Ahmed (security manager) and Khawaja Owais.
Haider deserted the team last year in Dubai during the Pakistan-South Africa one-day series, fleeing to London after claiming to have received threatening messages from an unknown source. He subsequently announced his retirement and sought asylum in England. He returned to Pakistan on April 25, after Interior Minister Rehman Malik assured him of proper security.
In a long awaited hearing Zulqarnain tried to convince the disciplinary committee that his decision to desert the national team in Dubai and flee to London, where he sought asylum, was justified as he was under threat from alleged match-fixers.
The PCB, however, has told Zulqarnain to face disciplinary proceedings for violating his central contract.
Zulqarnain claims in the media regarding involvement of the other national cricketers in the match-fixing also upset the board. Although the PCB released partial payment to Zulqarnain of his match fees and other payments on humanitarian grounds, but refused to clear him to play domestic cricket despite repeated pleas.
Meanwhile, like Afridi, Haider acknowledged that he had erred.
“I accept I made a mistake,” Haider told reporters after the verdict. “But I did what I thought to be correct at that time. With the passage of time I realised my mistake and will not do the same thing again.”
Haider hoped to stage a comeback. “It is up to the PCB and the selection committee to select me, but I will do my best to regain my place in the team,” said Haider, who made his Test debut on last year’s tour of England, which was marred by a spot-fixing scandal.
The PCB said in a statement that Haider had sought a light punishment.
“Haider had requested that minimum punishment be awarded to him on compassionate grounds keeping in view the ailment of his father (who is suffering from cancer),” the PCB said in a statement.
“Haider also admitted he has no proof of any wrongdoing against any player or official of the PCB and withdrew all the allegations (of fixing),” the statement added.
Haider had threatened to name a number of players involved in match-fixing on his page on the social networking website Facebook.
