ICC Offers Pakistan Help

The International Cricket Council has offered to help the Pakistan Cricket Board regarding accusations made by wicketkeeper Zulquarnain Haider about threats to his life. 

Haider has gone undercover after fleeing Dubai because he had refused to fix the next Pakistani match against South Africa. The controversy once again throws light on the whole process of sports betting and its manipulation by corrupt third parties. 

Haroon Lorgat, chief executive of the ICC, announced the organisations willingness to assist Pakistan but emphasised that primarily it was a team matter. “We understand his plight if reports are indeed true, but we can only help if he is willing to engage with us,” said Lorgat. 

Haider suddenly disappeared before he was due to take the to pitch in the final one-day match against South Africa and is reported to have applied for asylum in Britain amid fears for his life. 

The 24 year-old said a man approached him as he left for a dinner engagement, and told him to cooperate and make a lot of money for himself or things could be made very difficult for him. 

Intikhab Alam, the Pakistan cricket team manager said that Haider had not spoken to him about any of this and he did not know what was going on in the matter. This is just the latest scandal to affect the Pakistan team after a summer of match-fixing and bet rigging allegations during their recent tour of England.