KARACHI, (Reuters) – The family of Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider have told police they have received threatening calls after the player said he would expose people involved in corruption in Pakistan cricket.
“Zulqarnain’s wife got three calls today, two from an unknown number and one from a number in Greece in which the caller speaking in Urdu threatened her of dire consequences if Zulqarnain said anything about anyone,” Aqeel Haider, the player’s brother, told Reuters.
He said the calls came after Zulqarnain said on his Facebook page yesterday that he would soon expose people who had taken bribes.
“All these people who are saying negative things about me…they should wait for five more days then I will show them my background and status. After five days I will show them their background and place and also those who don’t take money and those who have taken money,” Haider wrote on his page.
The wicketkeeper left the national team earlier this month and fled Dubai for London where he has applied for asylum, saying he was under threat from people who wanted him to cooperate in fixing matches.
Zulqarnain was a member of the Pakistan squad whose tour of England this year degenerated into chaos when test captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were suspended following spot-fixing allegations.