‘Panic-stricken’ Pak wicketkeeper announces retirement from international cricket

KARACHI - Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider, who had mysteriously disappeared from Dubai and later resurfaced in London, has announced his decision to bow out from international cricket.

Haider declared this decision through a telephonic talk to Geo News, and added that he was writing to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in this regard.

The player confirmed that he was receiving threats from an unknown person, and thus he decided to leave Dubai immediately and went to London, where he is seeking asylum.

On his arrival in England, Haider had said that he had come on his own expenses there.

“I have come here on my own expenses on a one month visa. I will be staying at a hotel on my own expenses,” Haider had told a private news channel after spending nearly four hours with immigration authorities at Heathrow Airport.

“I will speak in detail on the reasons for my decision to leave Dubai and come to London later on,” he had added.

Panic-stricken Haider told Heathrow officials that he feared for his life after bent bookies vowed to murder him unless he agreed to rig international matches.

Earlier, the wicketkeeper had quietly slipped out of the Grand Hyatt in Dubai early on Monday morning and boarded a London-bound flight. The player did not even discuss his plans with any of his team officials or fellow teammates.

On the morning of Pakistan’s final ODI match against South Africa, a message on Haider’s Facebook wall read: “leaving Pakistan cricket because get bad msg fr 1 man fr lose the match in last game.” just hours before the final one-day international against South Africa in Dubai. (ANI)