Zulqarnain likely to face domestic cricket ban

Discarded Team Pakistan`s wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider faces a ban from playing domestic cricket after a latest round of accusations against fellow keeper Kamran Akmal, a source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said. “The legal department in the board is having a look at Zulqarnain’s message on his Facebook account and his subsequent comments in the media on Kamran Akmal,” the PCB source said. “In all likelihood, the board will be issuing a show cause notice to Haider through its disciplinary committee to explain his position even though he is not a contracted player with them,” he said. Haider, who is considered a “loose canon” by the board, was previously banned from representing Pakistan and taking part in domestic cricket after he fled the ODI series against South Africa in UAE for London claiming he had received death threats following the fourth match between the two sides. He made similar comments in the media, targeting Akmal specifically. The PCB subsequently removed Haider’s ban after his return to Pakistan but him in on a probation watch list. The board had also arranged for a sports psychologist to hold counselling sessions with Haider last month. Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shahzad and Mohammad Aamer were the other players selected for the counselling sessions with Dr Maqbool Babri. Haider in his latest outburst on Wednesday threatened to make revelations about corruption in the Pakistan team after claiming that Akmal was not cleared by the ICC for selection in the national team. The selectors recalled Akmal for the series against Australia and the Twenty20 World Cup after seeking clearance from the board because of the suspicions surrounding his links to bookmakers. Akmal made a comeback to the national team after a torrid performance in the 2011 World Cup.

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