Pakistani wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider confirmed on Wednesday that he is retiring from international cricket and is seeking political asylum in Britain after receiving death threats for refusing to fix one-day matches against South Africa.
Speaking at a news conference in London, Haider said he doesn’t know if his teammates or officials were also offered money to throw matches in the Dubai series but claimed his life and that of his family were threatened.
“I just felt very nervous that he gave me threats,” Haider said. “I don’t know who he was. I didn’t meet before that person.”
“He said, ‘If you work with us, we will give you a lot of money. If you go back home, we will kill you and your family also,’” the wicketkeeper said.
Haider, who quit the Pakistan team in the United Arab Emirates and flew to Britain on Monday, defended his decision not to inform officials. He was suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) earlier on Wednesday for abandoning the team.
“It was a crucial time for me, so I don’t want to tell these things to my management,” he said. “If your family was threatened, you would think like me. At that time, I just had the pressure on me and I didn’t want any problems for the Pakistan team or officials.”
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat confirmed his organization had “met with the player and is following up with the PCB.”
The PCB said it had been unable to contact Haider.
Former Test captain Imran Khan, said he was disappointed with Haider.
“It will be clear in the coming days what was behind this incident, but this is a shameful thing for our country,” Imran told GEO news channel.
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