Pak team’s morale “pretty good” despite wicketkeeper Haider’s sudden exit: Waqar

DUBAI - The Pakistan cricket team’s morale is “pretty good” despite the chaos and controversies surrounding it, and the sudden departure of wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider to England, the team’s coach Waqar Younis has said.

“Morale is pretty good. What happened in the last four, months five months, it’s not ideal, not what we want, but we are all professional,” the Daily Times quoted Younis, as saying in a news conference in Dubai on Thursday- the day before the start of a two-Test series against South Africa.

“If we deliver the goods tomorrow we stand a good chance. We’ve got a fairly good side,” the coach added.

Earlier on Monday morning, Haider had quietly slipped out of the Grand Hyatt in Dubai and boarded a London-bound flight. The player had not even discussed 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.

Announcing his sudden decision to bow out from international cricket, the wicketkeeper told a news channel that he was receiving threats from an unknown person, and thus he decided to leave Dubai immediately and went to London, where he is now seeking asylum. (ANI)