Dubai: Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider sensationally left the team hotel Monday, the day of the deciding match of the Cool & Cool Cup between his team and South Africa, and flew to London.
"This morning, Pakistan team wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider left the team hotel without informing any member of the Pakistan team management. Zulqarnain was in possession of his passport at the time he left [the] hotel, which he had taken from the Pakistan team management [the] previous evening for personal use," a statement from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in the evening.
The PCB added that it had informed Dubai Police and also notified the International Cricket Council's Anti Corruption Unit, and other concerned authorities.
"The information shared with PCB by local authorities indicates that Mr Haider has left the UAE for [the] United Kingdom. A full inquiry will be held into the circumstances surrounding this incident and no further comments will be made until the facts are known," the statement said.
According to reports from Pakistan, Haider sent an SMS to his family in Lahore saying that he was taking Emirates flight EK 029 to London. Pakistan police, meanwhile, are shadowing Haider's family in Lahore.
Sources in the Pakistan team said Haider asked for his passport, stating that he wanted to purchase a SIM card. Before going missing, Haider had posted a cryptic message on his Facebook page, stating: "Leaving Pakistan cricket because get bad msg fr 1 am fr lose the match in last game." This has fuelled speculation that he may have fled the hotel following threats from bookies, who may have lost money following Pakistan's exciting victory in the fourth one-day match.
Umar Akmal was asked to keep wicket in Haider's absence on Monday. Surprisingly, Mohammad Yousuf, who had been expected to play only in Tests, was also named in the team.
