/ 9 November 2010

Pakistan cricketer Haider ‘told to cooperate’ by fixers

Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider claimed on Tuesday that he had been told to cooperate with match-fixers during the one-day series against South Africa that ended on Monday in Dubai.

Haider who fled the team hotel in Dubai on Monday and reached London hours later told Geo News channel that he was approached by a person who asked him to fix the fourth and fifth one-dayers

“I was told to cooperate or I would face lot of problems,” Haider said from London.

Haider mysteriously fled the team hotel hours before the fifth and final one-day match eventually won by South Africa who took the series 3-2.

Arthur denies match-fixing claims
Meanwhile, former SA coach Mickey Arthur denied on Monday suggesting a one-day international against Pakistan in 2007 was fixed, saying his comments were taken out of context.

“There is absolutely no foundation to this story whatsoever. Quite simply, my comments were taken completely out of context and I have never accused anybody of anything illegal,” Arthur was quoted as saying by Reuters.

“I had absolutely no first-hand experience of anything suspicious, let alone match-fixing, in my five years of international cricket,” he said.

The Pakistan Cricket Board served a legal notice on Arthur after News24 quoted him as saying he had “strong suspicions” of match-fixing.

Pakistan collapsed dramatically to lose the fifth and decisive ODI against South Africa in Lahore three years ago. — Reuters