Cricket: Zulqarnain fails to turn up for PCB hearing

Discarded keeper at large; faces total ban from the sport.

KARACHI: Fleeing the team hotel in the UAE was not the last disappearing act that Zulqarnain Haider produced – the out-of-favour wicket-keeper failed to turn up for a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hearing into allegations he levied on Kamran Akmal and cannot be traced now.

The board asked Zulqarnain to provide evidence supporting his claims against Kamran who made his national comeback in Sharjah after spending over a year on the sidelines. However, Zulqarnain, who was given till yesterday to respond, has failed to contact the board.

“We haven’t received anything from him till now,” a PCB spokesperson told The Express Tribune. “We sent him a letter but he hasn’t responded. Now, the board’s security department will pursue the matter since the deadline has passed.”

Strict ban on the cards

Meanwhile, an official close to the board’s legal advisory said that Zulqarnain could be barred from playing cricket at all levels in a similar manner to the spot-fixing trio.

“Under the anti-corruption law, failure to report when asked is a serious offence,” said the official. “There is a possibility of a ban against him from playing cricket at all levels, including domestic events.  The top PCB officials are unhappy because his comments are damaging Pakistan cricket. This time he will not escape a harsh ban because he failed to prove the allegations he levied against a teammate.”

Zulqarnain was handed a Rs500,000 fine for his disappearance act in the UAE and was allowed to play domestic cricket upon his return from the UK. He was recently included in a group of cricketers given counselling after he was deemed ‘mentally ill’ by various PCB officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st, 2012.