Zulqarnain Haider Wants To Make ComeBack To Pakistan Cricket Team

According to sources, former Pakistan wicketkeeper, Zulqarnain Haider, is eyeing a comeback to Pakistan’s cricket team, and is going to meet Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Ijaz Butt.

Haider will have a detailed discussion with the chairman to explain his flight from Dubai during a One Day International (ODI) series against South Africa in November, 2010.

He has been intending to meet the PCB boss, since he returned home in April, 2011.

Earlier, Haider said “When I meet Ijaz Butt [PCB chairman] I will share with him too. I think no one will put his future on line and there were some reasons when I left the team and went to Britain".

The wicketkeeper, who was in self-imposed exile, returned to Pakistan after security assurances were given by the Government of Pakistan.

Haider was happy on his return, as he had met Interior Minister, Rehman Malik, and the Sports Minister, and they provided him with foolproof security.
On reaching Pakistan, Haider went to the office of Pakistan’s Interior minister in the protection of security personnel after arriving at Islamabad airport. He also talked to the media in Malik’s office after meeting the minister.

On November 8, 2010, he went missing from his hotel room in Dubai before the start of the fifth and final One Day International against the Proteas. 

According to him, he received death threats from anonymous people, who forced him, to get involved in match fixing with them. Haider decided to fly to the United Kingdom for his own safety, and applied for asylum on the basis of security when he arrived there.

Soon after, Haider also announced his retirement from international cricket. The PCB suspended his central contract and formulated a fact-finding committee to look into the matter.    

The committee took feedback from the national team's support staff regarding the exiled wicketkeeper. The support staff called Haider a “weak” person because of his complex personality.    

The fact-finding committee also talked to the wicketkeeper on the phone for his side of the story but did not find any conclusive evidence to advise PCB to take any action against him.