Pakistan to impose stiff penalties on Zulqarnain Haider

Pakistan's discarded wicketkeeper-batsman, Zulqarnain Haider faces stiff penalties under the anti-corruption code as he failed to respond to the Pakistan Cricket Board's notice after he made allegations against the national team keeper, Kamran Akmal and others.

Haider was asked by the board to furnish evidence to substantiate the allegations he made recently on his facebook account against Akmal and other players, but a PCB official informed PTI that the cricketer has failed to respond to the notice by the deadline, August 30th.

"The notice was sent to him under the anti-corruption code followed by us. The board will now take the next logical and legal step in this matter, which could include penalties under the code," the official said.

Instead of responding to the PCB notice, Haider had posted another message on his facebook page, claiming that he had already provided all evidence and details to the board when he faced the disciplinary committee last year and yet the board did nothing on what he had given them.

Haider, who played one Test against England in 2010 scoring 88 runs at Edgbaston and later in a One-day series against South Africa, claimed that Akmal was included in the Pakistan team recently despite not getting any clearance from the ICC for his alleged involvement in corruption.

Haider also threatened to blow the lid off corruption in the Pakistan team if the board didn't produce the ICC clearance of Akmal.

"Basically under the anti-corruption code if any player makes allegations publicly then he has to substantiate those or inform the board on the basis of circumstantial evidence," a source said.

The source also said the PCB was now planning to impose stiff penalties on Haider under the anti-corruption code, which could include a ban on his playing domestic cricket.

Haider was pardoned and fined by the PCB last year and was given permission to resume his first class career following the case of fleding the national team hotel in Dubai in November 2010 during a series against South Africa when he claimed that he had received life threats by a bookmaker for not fixing matches in that series.

He had fled to England where he sought asylum but in early 2011 returned to Pakistan on the assurances of the interior minister.