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Zulqarnain, deserving youngster will represent again ……?
April 22, 2011
Zulqarnain Haisder, a 25 years old guy having a good looking and smart personality showing wonderful talent in his last appearance of Pakistan Cricket Team against host England comes in the second biggest cricket controversy for Pakistan’s cricket in last few years.
If wee see the history of Pakistan Cricket in last one decade, Pakistan cricket was full of accidents and controversy either the death of Bob Woolmer during 2007 cricket world cup, ball tempering and match fixing scandals, night discos or drug using issues the players careless attitude make big problems for Pakistani cricket. In last few years’ Pakistani young cricketers like Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar, Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, Muhammad Asif and also Zulqarnain Haider also the part for cricket controversy.
Zulqarnain, a tall and lanky wicketkeeper from Lahore showing some good performance in the domestic cricket however, after making his maiden century a broken thumb ruled out him from whole series and the young wicket keeper accept the decision but the saga starts when he fled the one-day series against South Africa in UAE for London on November 08, 2010 without telling anyone of PCB management or team mate claiming he had received death threats following the fourth ODI which he helped win against South Africa. These steps make several violations of his player’s contract and the board’s code of ethics for players of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Before his announcement to returning back home Zulqarnain Haider met with Interior Minister Senator Rehman Malik at his London residence and brief them all the history about why he took this worst decision to left Pakistani team as well as his concerns.
The meeting was very fruitful, as Interior Minister not only assured him to provide full security in Lahore as well as he talked with the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt and skipper Shahid Khan Afridi and take on board all of them on Zalquarnain issue.
After getting the guarantee from Senator Rehman Malik there is no need for him to continue with his asylum application, and would withdraw his application for asylum in Britain. A letter written by Haider to the United Kingdom home secretary, Theresa May, outlined his decision to withdraw his asylum claim and thanked Scotland Yard for its efforts.
The application was still being processed when Haider announced he would be returning to Pakistan. In order to formally withdraw the application, he will have to fill in and return a 'Withdrawal of Asylum & Human Rights Claim' form. The asylum application will not be treated as withdrawn until the form signed by the applicant is received by the UK Border Agency
Zulqarnain also announced his date to returning home on April 25th as that will be emotional moment when Pakistani wicket keeper will meet his family after six months. This will also give them good hope to face all the inquiry committees from the PCB or any agency under controlled by Interior Ministry.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt is doing their best to provide the some good contracts to the players as well as to bring back international cricket to Pakistan. In these days he looks so busy for the revival of cricket series between archrivals of Pakistan and India after the successful talks of Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani with his Indian counterpart Dr. Manmohn Singh during the Pak-India cricket world cup semifinal in India.
When team management wants to bring a new wicketkeeper in the national squad so I think this is good chance to Zulqarnain Haisder after his return to appear Pakistan Cricket Board disciplinary and told them the reality that’s the only way young wicketkeeper can again wear the green shirt and represent Pakistan.
I personally know very well to Zulqarnain Haider since 1998 when I was also playing cricket and he took part in the Under-15 World Cup in England in the summer of 2000 at the age of 13 and only six months after his mother's death from cancer. His mother's dying wish had been that one of her four sons should travel abroad. During my whole cricket carrier I had never seen to Zulqarnain to look so worry and depressed when he was leaving national cricket team from United Arab Emirates.
But he took good step to returning back their country. This step may again open the doors for him as he would get some chance again because wicket keeper Kamran Akmal is on fire now and new players are getting chance but players should obey the discipline and respect of the country.
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