What is a man to do when he believes sinister forces are closing in on him? How does a man cope when bereft of all friends and allies? Who does a man turn to upon realizing that a system he has worked all his life to serve now stands completely impotent, if not complicit, in the face of such forces?

It’s not an easy decision. Many might like to think they would stand tall, fight back and bear the consequences.

Zulqarnain Haider ran. As far as his visa and finances would take him.

At the moment, it is too early to comment on the credibility of Haider’s motivations and claims. Pending a thorough investigation, anything said on the issue should be viewed as pure speculation.

Permit me to partake in conjecture then.

I choose not to believe that Haider’s actions were borne out of disingenuous motives because, frankly, that would be giving him too much credit. It is highly unlikely that Haider concocted an elaborate plan to use the current match-fixing crisis afflicting Pakistan cricket as a vehicle to facilitate his migration to the economically fairer shores of Great Britain. The success of such a dastardly plan would require Haider to be assured of his place in the team and it is a fact that he only made it into the playing 11 for the UAE tour due to Kamran Akmal’s surgery. It would also require Haider to be perfectly positioned to carry Pakistan to victory in a crunch game. Such malicious confidence and aforethought seems more befitting of a criminal mastermind of Lex Luthor proportions rather than Zulqarnain Haider, who at best, is a scrawny Dr. Evil.

It would appear more likely that Haider genuinely feared for his life. Whether we believe that fear was reasonable or justifiable are purely subjective judgments on our part. What matters is that in Haider’s mind the danger and insecurity posed was of a sufficient degree and plausibility to compel him to flee for his life. To the extent that he could not even trust his superiors in the PCB to ensure his protection.

And that is the point I wish to focus on. The troubling fact that a product of the PCB system felt that he could not count on that system to provide for his well-being.

What drove Haider to lose all faith in the PCB? Why did he believe that the PCB administration would be helpless in the face of such threats? Does the PCB instill a sense of foreboding rather than confidence in players who have the misfortune of landing in Haider’s position?

These are the questions which need to be addressed because if, say, an Asad Shafiq or a Shahzaib Hasan cannot trust their governing body to deter the encroachment of the Mazhar Majeeds of the world, then the PCB is effectively rendered as an institution devoid of legitimacy. Just as any state derives its legitimacy from the perception it inculcates in its citizens that they may give up their sovereign rights to the government in exchange for social order through the rule of law, the PCB is only a capable organisation insofar as it can convince its players that they should agree to be bound by the PCB’s regulations in exchange for the protection and stability afforded by an ethical and transparent system. If the PCB fails to establish this perception, it is rendered meaningless and its members can be expected to flee its confines as they look to other avenues to safeguard their interests.

Haider was one such player who did not believe in the PCB’s ability to protect his interests. He elected to take refuge in a system which he considered as possessing the requisite legitimacy to provide him a safe haven from the threats he encountered.

Hearing Haider’s words in his Geo News interview perhaps provided an indication of how deep the cancer of match-fixing has infiltrated our system. Haider alleges that his place in the team was under threat if he did not comply with the sinister demands. Suppose for a moment there is some truth in that statement. The credibility of such a threat presupposes that the maker possesses the requisite influence over team selection. Haider certainly believed the threat was credible.

After all, it has happened to him before.

He claimed he was sacked as captain of the Lahore Eagles in a domestic game against NBP because he refused to fix the match in NBP’s favour. Guess who was the star performer for NBP that day? The redoubtable Salman Butt who scored the major chunk of his runs against a bowler who hadn’t ever played for the Eagles before and hasn’t played since.

Smell a rat?

In his Geo News interview, Haider was also noncommittal on the reasons behind his exclusion from the England tour after scoring 88 in his debut test.

The plot thickens.

We should not fault Haider for making a seemingly reasonable decision in the circumstances. Perhaps we should instead question the PCB for fostering an environment of mistrust and uncertainty which would appear to preclude its players from taking a stand against corruption in the game. Certain senior players as well as the Federal Sports Minister have come down hard on Haider for his actions. Such critics probably subscribe to the age old adage that only a rat deserts a sinking ship. Personally, I completely sympathize with Haider’s decision because I’ve seen what becomes of those rats who stay on the ship.

Give Haider a break. In his mind, he did what he had to do. Let’s ask the PCB why he felt that he had no other choice.