KARACHI: Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider, who fled to London last year citing death threats from match-fixers, has said he will return home and cancel his application for asylum in Britain. Zulqarnain was reassured by a meeting with Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik in London last week, and will seek to resume his cricket career, he said. “After meeting with the interior minister and getting assurance of my and my family's safety in Pakistan, I have decided to return home on April 24,” Zulqarnain, 24, told Pakistani private TV channels. Zulqarnain fled the team hotel in Dubai on the morning of the fifth and final ODI against South Africa on Nov. 8, saying he had received death threats from unidentified people seeking to draw him into match-fixing. Delhi stuns Pune Pune Warriors captain Yuvraj Singh produced an impressive all-round performance, but failed to stop Delhi Daredevils from posting a thrilling three-wicket win in the Indian Premier League Sunday. Yuvraj top-scored with an unbeaten 66 to help Pune reach 187-5 before Delhi achieved the stiff target with four balls to spare. In another match, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets for their third victory in four games. Kolkata did not face any difficulty in chasing an 82-run target against Rajasthan, winning with more than six overs to spare. It was Rajasthan's second defeat in four matches. Kolkata fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji took three wickets, including that of in-form Australian opener Shane Watson (11), while left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan took two wickets off successive balls. Pune Warriors 187-5 (Yuvraj Singh 66 not out, J. Ryder 60, M. Manhas 20; S. Nadeem 2-39, A. Dinda 2-42). Delhi Daredevils 190-7 in 19.2 overs (D. Warner 46, V. Sehwag 37, V. Rao 31, A. Finch 25; Yuvraj Singh 4-29). Rajasthan Royals 81 in 15.2 overs (A. Menaria 21; L. Balaji 3-15, Shakib Al Hasan 2-21). Kolkata Knight Riders 85-2 in 13.5 overs (G. Gambhir 35 not out, M. Tiwary 30 not out).
