Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider is reported to be at Dubai airport and preparing to fly to the United Kingdom. Sources in the PCB confirmed his presence at the airport a couple of hours after saying he was missing from the team currently playing the deciding ODI against South Africa at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The PCB had begun an inquiry into the matter and informed the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit as well as local security officials of Haider's disappearance.
"He is missing and we found this out in the morning when getting ready to come to the stadium," Nadeem Sarwar, PCB's general manager of media, told ESPNcricinfo. "He did not say anything to the team management about this at all. We have initiated inquiries into the matter."






A cryptic message left as a status update on the player's Facebook page said: "leaving pakistan cricket because get bad msg fr 1 man fr lose the match in last game." The last match that his Facebook status seems to refer to is the fourth ODI of the series, another closely-fought thriller, in which Haider's unbeaten 19 took Pakistan to victory with one wicket and one ball to spare.
Raza Haider, Zulqarnain's brother, said the wicketkeeper had reportedly received threats. "I spoke to Zulqarnain after the fourth ODI and he told me he had received some kind of threats after that game, but he gave no details," Raza said.
A TV reporter for Geo, a leading Pakistani news channel, said that he had received a text message from Haider earlier on Monday in which the player asked for security for his family and indicated that he might fly to the UK. The channel reported one of its correspondents receiving a text message from Haider asking for security for his family in Lahore.
In Lahore, senior superintendent of police Rana Faisal said security had been provided for Haider's family. "We have deployed a dozen police officials at Haider's residence, so that they can be guarded properly if there is any threat," he said.
The passports of players are generally kept with management officials but Sarwar said Haider had requested for his last night. "He took his passport from us last night on the pretext of needing it for something," Sarwar said. "It is normal practice for he could have needed it for any number of things."
Other PCB officials were unavailable for comment on the reasons for Haider's non-arrival. Team manager Intikhab Alam said: "I can't make much comment on this, but I can only confirm that Haider did not come with the team to the ground and we are looking for him."
Haider's career has not lacked incident. He was one of three Pakistani players arrested in Abu Dhabi on charges of possessing alcohol in 2006. The players, on tour with Pakistan A team, were later released. Though Haider had played a Twenty20 international for Pakistan - against South Africa - in 2006-07, he made his Test debut only earlier this year.
He replaced Kamran Akmal for the second Test against England this summer, and made a fighting, widely-lauded 88 in the second innings. He picked up a finger injury during the game and flew back soon after, missing the rest of the tour. He did indicate at the time that he was unhappy at being sent back so quickly, though the issue did not go much further. He was selected again for the current series and has figured in the headlines again, on and off the field. Haider was fined by the PCB on Sunday for breaking team curfew during the ODI series against South Africa.
As a result of the confusion, Pakistan announced their XI for the final game early and made three changes; Umar Akmal, Shahzaib Hasan and surprisingly, Mohammad Yousuf, came into the side. Akmal will, in all likelihood, take over Haider's role. Yousuf only arrived in Dubai yesterday, after recovering from an abductor strain, and wasn't expected to take part in the ODIs at all.

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