Haider wants his career back

Retired keeper makes another u-turn, takes back retirement.

KARACHI:

Pakistan wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider, who controversially fled to London last year, has said that he wants to return to the sport from his self-imposed retirement.

Haider, who fled after claiming to have received death threats to fix a one-day match during Pakistan’s series against South Africa in the UAE, took back his political asylum application in Britain before returning home.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) formed a three-man committee to look into Haider’s disappearance but found no clear motives, calling him ‘mentally ill’.

But Haider said yesterday that he wanted to play for Pakistan once again. “I have decided to abandon retirement and will soon meet PCB officials once I get clearance to go out of my home,” said Haider.

Since his return last month, the PCB said they are waiting for him to reply to key questions sent while he was in London.

“The committee wanted clarification from Haider and he will be given an opportunity to meet PCB officials only after he sends his reply,” said a PCB spokesman last month.

Haider said he can still play domestic cricket. “I didn’t retire from first-class cricket, so I can still play for my department,” said Haider who made his international debut in 2007 and has played three Twenty20s, four One-Day Internationals and a Test.

He made a solid 88 against England on his Test debut last year before being sent home after suffering a finger injury.



Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2011.