Just hours before the 5th ODI against South Africa, Pakistan’s wicketkeeper batsman Zulqarnain Haider decided to leave the team without informing the management or any of his teammates. According to Zulqarnain, he was asked by the book-makers
to lose the 4th and the 5th ODI against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757, otherwise be ready to face the consequences and as a result, he ran away and decided to retire from international cricket.
Although the statements made by Zulaqarnain do not make a lot of sense but let us assume for a moment that the statements given by him are based on reality. It was a complete violation of the team discipline. He should have at least taken the team management
into confidence. For someone representing his country on such a huge stage, he should have behaved more sensibly.
The whole incident has many question marks about it. The biggest question of all is that why the bookies would contact a player who is new and does not even have a secure place in the team and by no means is a match-winner.
Pakistan was not depending on Zulqarnain Haider to win them any matches, he was slotted to bat at number 8 with the tail-enders and if anything he could do, it was to hold his end and support others, which he did in the 4th ODI which won Pakistan
the game.
Second question that comes into the mind is that how on earth the bookies knew before the game that Zulqarnain Haider will play the winning shots and he would be required to contribute at such a crucial part of the game. Had Abdul Razzaq or http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482
received those threats, it would have made a lot more sense as they have the ability to change the complexion of the match in a few overs.
There are reports that Zulqarnain Haider was told by the tour selection committee that he would be dropped from the playing eleven for the 4th and the 5th ODI and Umar Akmal would have taken over the gloves from him
to give more balance to the team. Daily Jang which is the top of the line Urdu newspaper in Pakistan revealed this in a report on its main page a few days back.
Zulqarnain Haider has made the whole incident more questionable by applying for asylum in United Kingdom. There are speculations that Zulqarnain Haider had realised that it would be very hard for him to retain his position in the side after
the series, especially with Kamran Akmal back in full fitness. He wanted to permanently settle in UK by taking advantage of the current controversy of spot-fixing for which 3 of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s major players are already suspended.
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