I will speak in detail later: Zulqarnain Haider

Dubai:

Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider, who went missing in Dubai on Monday, has resurfaced in London and said he will explain the reasons for his mysterious flight from the UAE later. Haider was scheduled to play the fifth ODI against South Africa but had disappeared from the Pakistan team's hotel on the morning of the game without informing the team management.

"I have come here [London] on my own expenses on a one month visa. I will be staying at a hotel on my own expenses," Haider told Geo, a leading Pakistani news channel, after reportedly spending nearly four hours with immigration authorities at Heathrow. "I will speak in detail on the reasons for my decision to leave Dubai and come to London later on."

The PCB's legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi said Haider was in breach of his contract but the board was "concerned about this whole situation." "He will definitely face an inquiry and disciplinary action whenever he contacts us," Rizvi said.

Rizvi was also quoted by the Guardian as saying that it was too early to involve all of Pakistani cricket. "This is just the act of one individual, and it's not a sensible act," he said. "Even he had threats against him, he should have informed the team security officer."

The drama began shortly before Pakistan were due to play South Africa in the deciding match of their ODI series, when it transpired that Haider had not travelled with the squad to the ground. The first indication that something was wrong came from a cryptic message left as a status update on the player's Facebook page. "Leaving Pakistan cricket because get bad msg fr 1 man fr lose the match in last game." The "last match" reference is possibly to the fourth ODI of the series, a closely-fought thriller in which Haider's unbeaten 19 took Pakistan to victory with one wicket and one ball to spare.

As the day wore on, the situation became more confusing. A TV reporter for Geo said that he had received a text message from Haider earlier on Monday in which the player asked for security for his family and indicated that he might fly to the UK. Television footage showed him arriving at Heathrow later in the day, confirming an earlier PCB statement that they had information he was on his way to the UK.

The PCB, which has set up an inquiry into the issue, said it was working with the ICC's anti-corruption unit following indications that his disappearance could be linked to his performance during the current ODI series against South Africa.