FunKingdom's Cricket Zone

Stay updated with the latest cricket news!!

The 24-year-old fled the team hotel in Dubai on the morning of the fifth and final one-day against South Africa on November 8, claiming he received death threats from unknown people to influence the results of matches.

After flying into London, Haider retired from international cricket and sought asylum in Britain.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) terminated his contract and formed a three-man committee, headed by team manager Intikhab Alam, to establish the facts surrounding Haider's disappearance.

The committee finalised and submitted its report to the PCB, the PCB said, declining to make any further comment on Monday.

Team security manager Khawaja Najam and PCB official Subhan Ahmed were the other two members of the committee.

On Sunday, Haider posted a message on Facebook, threatening to name several players in the next five days who took money to fix matches.

His family in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore have told local media that they received death threats.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said its anti-corruption staff met Haider in London and offered support to the former wicket-keeper.

Haider faces severe punishment for violating ICC ethics by not telling the council he was asked to influence match results for money.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt says the Board's decision on the Haider affair will be based on the committee's report.

Several former players criticised Haider for merely trying to get political asylum in Britain.

If Australia needed any convincing about England's resilience they were given a day-long example asAndrew Strauss and Alastair Cook hit magnificent centuries to give the visitors a golden chance to save the opening Test in Brisbane. The openers added 188 and when Strauss departed for 110, the challenge was taken up by Jonathan Trott, who helped Cook put on a further 121 for the second wicket. Cook ended unbeaten on 132 and England held a lead of 88 when bad light closed in.

While few expected England to fold in a heap - they rarely do these days - even fewer would have expected a stumps score of 1 for 309. However, inspired by their captain the tourists set about showing they'd learnt the lessons from their poor first innings and gave Australia a day of toil in the field to match what England had suffered on Saturday. There is still time for the home side to force something on the final day, but nothing in their bowling in this innings has suggested they have the firepower to succeed.

Strauss's 19th Test hundred, and fourth against Australia, arrived from 184 balls when he late cut Xavier Doherty and his aggression against spin was a key part of the innings. He knew England couldn't block their way to safety, and often used his feet to advance and loft down the ground. Strauss's century celebration was unusually emotional; it hadn't been the easiest start to the series after his first-morning failure and this was another example of England's spirit. The stage was set for him to make it a massive hundred, following Hussey's lead, but he was beaten in flight by Marcus North and couldn't regain his ground, stumped by Brad Haddin.

Cook reached his landmark with a rasping cut shortly after tea and this match has been an emphatic response from somebody who still had his fair share of doubters coming in to the tour. Shortly afterwards he gave a tough chance to Peter Siddle at fine leg off a top-edged pull, but Siddle couldn't quite hold on as he dived forward. Trott was also given a reprieve, on 34, when Michael Clarke's valiant attempt at point failed as the ball slipped out of his finger tips and this time Siddle was the bowler to suffer.

England's opening pair ticked off a few records along their way, including the visitors' highest stand at the Gabba and the best opening effort by any touring team in Brisbane. They also became England's most prolific first-wicket duo in Test cricket, although the record was diluted somewhat as they have played more than twice as many innings as the Jack Hobbs-Herbert Sutcliffe pairing they overtook. But that was a minor point in the bigger picture of England trying to claw their way back into the match, which they did with an impressively aggressive approach. The time-runs equation could be vital in the end.

Having survived a first-ball review yesterday evening, Strauss gave a commanding display, punctuated with his favourite cuts and drives. However, he was given a significant let-off on 69 when Mitchell Johnson, in the midst of a torrid match, spilled a relatively simple chance at mid-off when Strauss tried to loft Doherty down the ground. There was another moment of alarm when he misjudged a pull on 88 which looped over point then an edge flew between the slips to take him to 96, but Strauss will feel England were owed a little luck.

The clearest sign that Strauss's game was in top order came from his shots through cover, which were a hallmark of his dashing start to Test cricket back in 2004. He latched on to Ben Hilfenhaus and Shane Watson when they over-pitched, while waiting on the back foot for anything short. Though the ball was only 15 overs old when play resumed there was very little assistance for the quick bowlers and Johnson, who was the fourth option used by Ricky Ponting, resorted to trying a bouncer-attack at Strauss, but a slow pitch nullified the threat.

Cook showed the same application as he had in the first innings after an early alarm when he sliced a cut between third slip and gully. Most of his other 10 boundaries came out of the middle and he even showed the cover drive, which is rarely seen from him these days. Initially, Cook outscored his captain but normal service was resumed as he dug in but he never became flustered and ticked the scoreboard over. He hacked Doherty through midwicket then cut him for three to move to 97 but had to spend the tea interval sat two short of his hundred, although didn't have to wait long. It was the first time since 1938 that both England openers had hit Ashes hundreds in the same innings.

After Strauss's aggression towards spin brought his demise, Trott began in positive fashion, which meant the scoring didn't seize up. He carried England into the lead with an elegant cover-drive off the struggling Johnson and he ensured two set batsmen were ready to face the second new ball when it came at the beginning of the final session.

Once again a crucial period loomed but Cook and Trott were equal to the challenge. Hilfenhaus found some swing and there were the two tough chances, yet it wasn't quite the threat everyone expected. In a sign of desperation Ponting used up his last review when Trott padded up to Hilfenhaus, but the ball was easily missing off stump and Trott's fifty soon followed as he tucked into Johnson's wayward offerings. This Test has had too many twists to think the final day will be plain sailing, but if England can hold their nerve it will be another in their recent history of incredible rearguards.

Gary Kirsten, India's coach, will accompany the players who are to leave early for South Africa so they can acclimatise for the upcoming tour. Eric Simons, India's bowling coach, will take over the coaching duties for the final two one-dayers against New Zealand as Kirsten heads home.

"He [Kirsten] will leave early along with first bunch 8-10 players," a BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo. Among the players departing are captain MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Cheteshwar Pujara and Jaydev Unadkat. It is also likely that Suresh Raina will be rested for the final two one-day games of the New Zealand series, and will join the players who are departing early, after Dhoni publicly expressed concern about his workload during the third Test against New Zealand.

Kirsten and seven of the players will leave on December 6, while Dhoni and Harbhajan will join them two days later, with Raina also likely to leave on the same flight.

The players will initially train at Kirsten' cricket academy in Cape Town before moving to Johannesburg to join the rest of the squad, which will arrive in South Africa on December 12, two days after the New Zealand ODI series ends. The three-Test series begins at Centurion on December 16.

The Indian board had recently granted permission for some of the players to leave a week in advance, after Kirsten made a request for them to do so. The coach felt that in the absence of India not playing any warm-up matches before the first Test, it was imperative players be sent early to get used to the conditions. Kirsten had sent in his request earlier this year, stressing to the board that the players needed time to acclimatise and also adjust to the pitch conditions in South Africa. However, the board took months to consider the request, mostly because of any potential objections the broadcaster might raise about devaluing the New Zealand ODI series, before giving permission earlier this month.

"We have a lot of work still to do on the specifics of technique prior to the Test series. The players will need time to adjust their techniques to get comfortable with the conditions," Kirsten said. "The BCCI has approved the early departure of some our players to South Africa to have sufficient time to prepare properly for a very important series."

Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin wrote themselves a place in the history books with a monumental 307-run partnership as Australia took a firm grip on the opening Test in Brisbane. The mammoth stand was a record for any wicket at the Gabba and steered the home side towards a formidable lead of 221 as Hussey hit a career-best 195. Following hours of toil, Steven Finn provided England a late boost with a career-best six wickets, but it's a huge task for them to avoid beginning their Ashes defence with defeat.

Facing a tough hour, Andrew Strauss survived a huge appeal lbw first ball when he padded up to Ben Hilfenhaus and Ricky Ponting asked for a review but it had been correctly ruled to be heading over the stumps. However, it was a heart-in-mouth moment for Strauss, who was on a pair until he tucked a single to square leg. He and Alastair Cook fought hard to get through to the close, yet it's only the start of what has to be a huge rearguard and at least two batsmen need to follow the lead of Hussey and Haddin.

Their stand will go down in Ashes folklore and finished second to the 346 added by Don Bradman and Jack Fingleton in 1936-37 in Australian partnerships against England. Hussey played like the man who dominated world cricket for three years after his debut before the lean time that brought his career into doubt. He reached his 12th Test century off 197 balls and celebrated with a huge release of raw emotion. It meant consecutive Ashes hundreds after his futile 121 at The Oval in 2009, but this one has given his team a huge advantage and has put to bed any debate about his place in the team.

Haddin's innings was his finest at Test level because of the way he adjusted his game to weather an early barrage from the new ball before blossoming towards a 222-ball hundred, which he reached with a straight six off Graeme Swann. He was given a life on 63, with Australia just 39 ahead, when Cook spilled a tough chance and another on 113 when James Anderson dropped a top-edged pull as England's fielding showed a few cracks - a bit like the Gabba surface - before eventually being well caught at slip to end the visitors' 93-over wait for a wicket.

Finn then nipped in for a commendable six-wicket haul, but the pick of England's attack by a mile was Anderson, who somehow went wicketless during a brilliant morning burst in a period of play that is likely to define this Test. On 82, Hussey was given lbw by Aleem Dar, but instantly called for the review and was correctly reprieved as the ball had pitched outside leg stump. Then another shout, with the batsman on 85, was stone dead only for Dar to say not out as he heard two noises - which proved to be both pads - yet England had no reviews left themselves.

Anderson wore a rueful smile, and shared a few words with the batsmen, but continued to have the ball on a string with a succession of unplayable deliveries. The opening 10 overs of the day went for just 13 runs and the first boundary didn't arrive until Haddin drove Finn straight after 50 minutes play.

That was a signal for Haddin to play a few more shots, having had to battle against his natural instincts to repel the early barrage. He late cut Finn through gully then drove Anderson on the rise over mid-off as Australia closed in on England's disappointing 260. Anderson finished an eight-over spell at the cost of 14, but it was the perfect example of when statistics don't even tell half the story.

Haddin's aggression took Australia into the lead and Hussey moved through the 90s when he used his feet against Swann in the offspinner's opening over. Moments later, Hussey had his landmark and the ground went wild with similar ferocity as greeted Peter Siddle's opening-day hat-trick.

England's story of near-misses continued when Cook couldn't quite back-pedal under a high catch offered by Haddin as he drove aggressively at Paul Collingwood's first delivery. The importance of Haddin's innings can't be overstated because if the lower order had been exposed to the new ball England would have sensed their opportunity.

The pitch was still good for batting, but the widening cracks and hint of occasional balls disturbing the surface emphasised the importance of the lead. After lunch, the pair put their foot on England's throat with dominant batting as the visitors became increasingly forlorn. A problem for Strauss was that Swann remained below his best and was comfortably picked off by Hussey and Haddin.

They ticked off a host of records including the 276 added by Bradman and Lindsay Hassett against England in 1946 as the best stand on the ground, which was brought up with an inside edge past the stumps by Haddin off Anderson, and also into second place for Ashes sixth-wicket partnerships. After two wicketless sessions, thoughts turned to whether Australia would declare in the evening, but that decision was taken out of Ponting's hands as England showed resilience.

Swann pushed one across Haddin from around the wicket and Collingwood showed sharp reflexes, then Hussey was removed five short of a maiden Test double when he miscued a pull to deep midwicket. It had been a profitable shot throughout the innings and he left to another standing ovation.

Mitchell Johnson had been padded up all day and couldn't get off the mark during an uncomfortable 19-ball stay before he missed a drive and Siddle was early on a pull which he gloved to slip to give Finn his third five-wicket haul. Xavier Doherty (16) suggested he can provide useful runs down the order until handing Finn his sixth as the last five wickets fell for 31. England's bowlers did a good job against top and bottom of Australia's, but one magnificent partnership dominated the innings.