13 May 2011

Haider wants to play cricket again

7:53 am on 13 May 2011

The Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider, who controversially fled to London last year, says he wants to return to cricket from self-imposed retirement.

The 25-year-old claimed he received death threats from unknown people to fix a one-day match during Pakistan's series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates and subsequently applied for political asylum in Britain.

He announced that he was retiring from international cricket and threatened to name Pakistani players involved in match-fixing.

But instead he returned home last month after the Pakistani government guaranteed he and his family would be safe.

The Pakistan Cricket Board formed a three-man committee to look into Haider's disappearance but found no clear motives, calling him "mentally ill".

Haider now says he wants to play again and will meet with the PCB.

Haider, who made his international debut in 2007, has so far played three Twenty20s, four one-days and a Test for Pakistan.