Pak runaway wicketkeeper Zulqarnain confirms hiring new lawyer

LONDON - Runaway Pakistani wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider, who is presently seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, has confirmed the change of his counsel in London.

Zulqarnain verified in a message on social networking site Facebook that he had hired a new lawyer, Geo News reports.

He also stated that he was satisfied with the new counsel, adding that the previous lawyer was not much aware of his case.

In November, 24-year-old Zulqarnain had rocked the cricket world by fleeing to London just hours before Pakistan were scheduled to play their ODI series decider against South Africa in Dubai. The wicketkeeper later revealed that he had taken this extreme step after receiving death threats from match-fixers, and was now seeking asylum in the UK.

Lask week, his brother Aqeel Haider had said that Zulqarnain’s application for asylum was still under process in the British Home Office.

“His stay has been extended in the United Kingdom by the authorities and he is living peacefully in London, waiting for a decision on his asylum. Right now he does not want to say anything on cricket until his asylum application is decided,” Aqeel said.

“He has also hired a new lawyer to represent him in the case and he is waiting for things to settle down before he can make a comeback to cricket,” he added.

Aqeel also said that so far no one from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had contacted the troubled wicketkeeper’s family in Lahore regarding the threatening calls that Zulqarnain’s wife was getting a few days back. (ANI)