Pakistan suspend Zulqarnain's contract

Pakistan's Cricket Board has suspended the contract of wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider after failing to make contact with him in the wake of his departure to England where he is seeking asylum.

"The contract of Zulqarnain Haider has been suspended for violating its terms and conditions," the PCB said in a statement.

The statement also said that the PCB had so far failed in its efforts to contact the player. The International Cricket Council (ICC) said it had met the wicketkeeper and would help the PCB in a probe into his sudden exit from Dubai where Pakistan were playing South Africa.

Zulqarnain, 24, flew to London this week and said on Tuesday he was seeking asylum because he feared for his safety after being ordered to co-operate with match-fixers.

He also announced his international retirement after saying he was approached by a person who asked him to fix the recent fourth and fifth one-day internationals against South Africa.

"We have met with the player and we are engaged in following up with the PCB," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat told a news conference in Dubai yesterday.

"Clearly this is, in the first instance, a team matter for Pakistan cricket but the ICC is willing to provide assistance to the PCB and the player," Lorgat said earlier on the governing body's website. "We understand his plight if reports are indeed true."

Zulqarnain, who hit the winning runs in the fourth one-day match on Friday, left the Pakistan team hotel shortly before the fifth game on Monday which was won by South Africa to clinch the series 3-2. He landed in London hours after leaving Dubai and spent almost four hours locked in discussions with immigration authorities.

Zulqarnain said yesterday he had met with United Kingdom immigration officials. "I had my first interview today over the asylum request I have made with UK authorities.

"They asked me routine questions during the interview. The next date for my interview is 10 December."

Speaking about his decision to leave, Zulqarnain said: "I was told to co-operate or I would face a lot of problems. This person approached me while I had gone out of the hotel for dinner.He told me, 'co-operate with us and you can make a lot of money.

"He said, 'if you don't co-operate you will no longer be part of the team and we can make life very difficult for you'."

Zulqarnain was a member of the Pakistan squad whose tour of England this year degenerated into chaos when Test captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were suspended following spot-fixing allegations.

A newspaper report said the trio had arranged for deliberate no-balls to be delivered in the fourth and final Test against England.

"We are very sympathetic to the issues that Pakistan cricket is challenged by and we are providing all the support we possibly can and will continue to do so," said Lorgat.

The ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit upheld the suspensions on Butt and Amir after the pair appealed. Asif withdrew his appeal in order to give his lawyers more time to prepare their case. The innocence or guilt of the three players, who have all denied wrongdoing, will be judged at an independent tribunal.