Legal team part ways with untraceable Haider

Karachi:

Pakistan refugee wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider's problems deepened with his legal team now parting ways with him in London.

Natasha Malik, one of the lawyers whose firm was representing Zulqarnain said from London that they would no longer be representing the Pakistani player.

"The reason is simple we have tried unsuccessfully to get in touch with him for the past few days, left him messages and so on and yet he has not contacted us at all. He was supposed to come in for some important meetings pertaining to his asylum case with the UK authorities but he didn't show up for these meetings and in such circumstances we see no point in continuing to represent him any longer," she said.

Zulqarnain, who fled the team hotel in Dubai last month hours before the final ODI against South Africa to reach London and claim asylum, has issued a fresh threat to expose the corrupt in Pakistan cricket.

But since issuing the threat on his facebook page he has been untraceable by anyone with his London numbers also on an answering machine all the time.

UK authorities are also set to decide on his asylum application this week and sources said the legal firm A and D was fed up after the keeper failed to get in touch with them despite reminders.

"Zulqarnain is now in trouble and no one knows where he is because presently he is staying on a temporary one month visa in the UK which expires this week," one source added.

The wicketkeeper claims that he fled to London after being threatened by people who wanted him to fix matches of the one-day series against South Africa.

"I hate corruption and I can't stay silent for long," Haider said on Sunday.

"I just want the government to assure security for my family. All the people who are questioning my integrity and intention right now they will know the truth soon," he had said.

Haider's constant threats to "tell the truth" has also got the PCB officials worried who are wondering if a new pandora's box is going to be opened soon.

Sources said that PCB Chairman, Ijaz Butt had met with the board lawyers on Monday to discuss the Zulqarnain case and number of options were discussed in it including sending him a legal notice to respond to the board's charges of indiscipline.