Zulqarnain Haider reverses retirement decision

KARACHI: Five months after announcing his retirement, former wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider has reversed his decision saying he is available to play at every level.

"I have decided to take back my retirement decision in national interest and also because I want to revive my career," Haider told reporters in his hometown Lahore.

Zulqarnain fled Pakistan's team hotel in Dubai last November during a one-day series against South Africa claiming he had received death threats for refusing to take part in match fixing. He announced his retirement after arriving in London where he applied for asylum in Britain.

However, he returned to Pakistan late last month after being being assured by the interior minister Rehman Malik that he would be safe.

The 25-year-old said he had since spoken to friends and family members and decided to come out of retirement.

"The situation is also different now from when I went to London," he said. "I want to play cricket again and now it is up to the cricket board to decide when to clear me."

Zulqarnain, who withdrew his asylum application with the British Home Office, has yet to meet with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials who terminated his contract soon after he fled the team hotel and also held back his match fees.

The PCB said that since he had breached the terms of his central contract Zulqarnain has to first respond to the notice sent to him last year for leaving the team hotel and appear before its disciplinary committee.

Soon after he returned home police claimed to have busted a gang of bookmakers in Sialkot who were behind the death threats to the wicketkeeper who made his test debut last year in England, scoring 88 at Edgbaston.