"I have decided to take back my retirement decision in
national interest and also because I want to revive my career," Haider
told reporters in his hometown Lahore.
Zulqarnain fled Pakistan's team hotel in Dubai last November
during a one-day series against South Africa claiming he had received death
threats for refusing to take part in match fixing. He announced his retirement
after arriving in London where he applied for asylum in Britain.
However, he returned to Pakistan late last month after being
assured by the Pakistan's interior minister Rehman Malik that he would be safe.
The 25-year-old said he had since spoken to friends and
family members and decided to come out of retirement.
"The situation is also different now from when I went
to London," he said. "I want to play cricket again and now it is up
to the cricket board to decide when to clear me." Zulqarnain, who withdrew
his asylum application with the British Home Office, has yet to meet with
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials who terminated his contract soon after
he fled the team hotel and also held back his match fees.
The PCB said that since he had breached the terms of his
central contract Zulqarnain has to first respond to the notice sent to him last
year for leaving the team hotel and appear before its disciplinary committee.
Soon after he returned home police claimed to have busted a
gang of bookmakers in Sialkot who were behind the death threats to the
wicketkeeper who made his test debut last year in England, scoring 88 at
Edgbaston.
