Runaway wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider may still become part of Pakistan’s Test team for the upcoming series against Zimbabwe. The PCB on Friday cleared Zulqarnain for national duty after he was slapped with a fine of Rs 500,000. The fine was imposed on Haider for violating the PCB’s code of conduct when he fled to London from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year without informing the team management. Haider appeared before a PCB disciplinary committee here on Friday. The committee carried out a hearing for two hours before announcing its decision.
“None of Haider’s claims were proved,” PCB’s legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi said. “The committee decided to fine him but now he is cleared for national duty,” he added. The national selection committee will decide whether he is good enough to win back his place in the Pakistan team for its next international assignment — the tour of Zimbabwe later this summer. Haider hoped that national selectors will give him another chance.
“I am ready to give my best for Pakistan and hope that the selectors will consider me.”Haider left the national team’s hotel during the one-day series against South Africa in the UAE last November and flew to London, seeking asylum in Britain. He said he got death threats from match-fixers. However, he returned home in April after assurances from the Interior Minister Rehman Malik over his security.
