Zulqarnain's fearful wife looks to join husband in London

Wife says Zulqarnain's Facebook message prompted threatening phone calls.

KARACHI: The wife of Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider wants to join her husband in London as she fears for her children's safety after Haider said he would expose those taking bribes in Pakistan cricket.

Iqra Haider, flanked by her two small children, said on a private news channel that she was scared after getting threat calls from unknown callers.

"Soon after my husband said on his Facebook page yesterday he would expose these people, I started getting calls from unknown numbers where they told me they knew where my children studied or went and they would not remain safe," she said.

The wicketkeeper's wife, speaking on national television with her face and head covered by a veil and only her eyes visible, said she wanted to join her husband in London. "I don't feel safe any longer in Pakistan after these threats calls. I am afraid to even send my children out now, I want to be with my husband," she said.

Fixing matches

Haider caused a furore in Pakistan cricket when he left the national team earlier this month and fled Dubai for London where he has applied for asylum, saying he was under threat from people who wanted him to cooperate in fixing matches.

On Saturday he wrote on his Facebook page that he would soon expose people who had taken bribes. "All these people who are saying negative things about me... they should wait for five more days then I will show them my background and status. After five days I will show them their background and place and also those who don't take money and those who have taken money," Haider wrote on his page.

Sources close to the keeper, who has played just one test for his country, told Reuters he was likely to hold a press conference on Friday to carry out his Facebook threats.

The keeper's family have reported the threat calls to the police. In a related development the fact finding committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also submitted its report on the Zulqarnain incident to the board.

"The three member Fact Finding Committee formed by the PCB to establish the facts surrounding the incident of Zulqarnain Haider's disappearance from the Team Hotel in Dubai during the recent Pakistan vs South Africa series, held a meeting at PCB Headquarters today. The committee has finalised its report and submitted the same to PCB," the board said in a statement. "PCB has no further comments to make on this matter at this stage," it said.