Haider fined for abandoning the team

LAHORE: Pakistan on Friday fined runaway wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider $5,800 and put him on a year's probation for abandoning the team in Dubai over alleged death threats.

The 25-year-old created a stir in Pakistan cricket by fleeing the team hotel and flying to London last November, saying he had received death threats from unknown people to fix a one-day match in the series against South Africa.

He applied for political asylum in Britain and announced his retirement from international cricket. But after getting safety assurances from the Pakistani government, Haider returned home in April and reneged on his retirement.

On Friday, he appeared before a three-member disciplinary committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

"Haider accepted and apologised for his mistake in leaving the team and after his apology the committee fined him 500,000 rupees ($5,800) and he will remain under observation for one year," said head of the committee Sultan Rana.

On Thursday, the PCB fined former captain Shahid Afridi 4.5 million rupees ($53,000) over a breach of contract by announcing his retirement from international cricket and levelling allegations against the PCB.

Like Afridi, Haider acknowledged that he had erred.

"I accept I made a mistake," Haider told reporters after the verdict. "But I did what I thought to be correct at that time. With the passage of time I realised my mistake and will not do the same thing again."

Haider hoped to stage a comeback.

"It is up to the PCB and the selection committee to select me, but I will do my best to regain my place in the team," said Haider, who made his Test debut on last year's tour of England which was marred by a spot-fixing scandal.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011