Pakistan cricketer arrives in UK after Dubai no-show

Pakistan cricket faces a new crisis after wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider turned up in London after leaving the team camp in Dubai without permission.

The 24-year-old was earlier feared missing ahead of Monday's deciding one-day international against South Africa.

Haider's brother told the BBC that the cricketer had fled because he and his family had received death threats.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which has is trying to clean up cricket in Pakistan, has launched an inquiry.

"He will definitely face an inquiry and disciplinary action whenever he contacts us. But we are concerned about this whole situation," said PCB legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi.

Facebook messages

A message posted on Haider's Facebook page said he had been sent messages asking him to lose Friday's one-day match against South Africa.

In an unbeaten 19, he hit the winning runs as Pakistan levelled the five-match series 2-2 in the fourth one-dayer.

But on Monday South Africa won the final one-day international against Pakistan to claim the series 3-2.

Haider was replaced as wicketkeeper for Monday's game by Umar Akmal, the brother of Kamran Akal, whose performance behind the stumps in the Sydney Test against Australia earlier this year is at the heart of an ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit investigation.

The PCB confirmed that it had passed details of Zulqarnain's disappearance to the ACSU.

"I have come here on my own expenses on a one-month visa," said Haider after arriving at Heathrow. "I will be staying at a hotel on my own expense."

Haider's disappearance is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the team.

Three other Pakistan cricketers are still under investigation after they were accused in August of taking part in a spot-fixing scam during a match in London.
Curfew breach

The International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit has been made aware of the case and may wish to speak to Haider.

Haider was fined 12,000 rupees ($140; £86) on Sunday after allegedly breaking curfew hours imposed by the team management along with fellow players Shahzaib Hasan and Abdur Rehman.

Team manager Intikhab Alam told the BBC's Islamabad bureau that Haider had asked for his passport on Sunday night, saying he needed it to get a SIM card for his mobile phone.

The BBC's Shoaib Syed Hasan in Karachi says that the wicketkeeper's absence at the start of the final ODI sent shockwaves through the team.

Haider's older brother Aqeel, who lives in Lahore, said the wicketkeeper had received messages on his mobile phone threatening to kill him and target his family after the one-dayer against South Africa.

Haider's brother says the PCB knew of the threats and accused it of doing nothing about them.

He has now demanded a government inquiry into the matter.

'Full inquiry'

A PCB statement said: "Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider left the team hotel without informing any member of the Pakistan team management.

"The PCB has informed Dubai police of the incident and also has brought it into the notice of the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit."

The statement said a "full inquiry will be held into the circumstances surrounding this incident and no further comments will be made until the facts are known".

On Sunday the ICC said it had been impressed by the progress the PCB had made in working on an anti-corruption code.

Italy defeat US to retain Fed Cup title

Holders Italy won their third Fed Cup in five years with a comprehensive 3-1 victory over the United States.

Flavia Pennetta secured the decisive point, beating Coco Vandeweghe 6-1 6-2 in San Diego, meaning the final doubles rubber need not be played.

Italy had opened up a 2-0 lead after Pennetta and French Open champion Francesca Schiavone won their opening singles matches on Saturday.

Melanie Oudin beat Schiavone 6-3 6-1 on Sunday to pick up America's point.

That result kept a relatively inexperienced US team, who were without the injured Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, in the match.

Oudin, who had only been scheduled to play in the doubles, took on Schiavone as American number one Bethanie Mattek-Sands was forced to withdraw through illness.

The 19-year-old Oudin had never taken a set off her Italian opponent in two prior meetings but she took advantage of Schiavone's poor serving to give the US team hope of avenging their defeat by Italy in last year's final of the Fed Cup.

However, Pennetta proved too strong for 18-year-old world number 114 Vandeweghe in the final singles match.

The American did break serve in the opening game of the tie, but she went on to make 27 unforced errors in the set as Pennetta upped her game to take the next six games.

"She was just too nervous after like the second game, when I won in 14 or 15 minutes, a really long game," said Pennetta.

"But then I started to play really aggressive. I was really consistent. I didn't make a lot of mistakes, I was moving her a lot."

Schiavone and Pennetta won their opening singles matches on Saturday to put the Italians into a commanding position.

Schiavone beat Vandeweghe 6-2 6-4 in the opening rubber in San Diego while Pennetta saved a set point before defeating American number one Mattek-Sands 7-6 6-2.

"A team like that in five years to win three Fed Cups and one final is a great team, a fantastic team," stated Italian captain Corrado Barazzutti.

Abdul Razzaq century stuns South Africa in one-dayer

Abdul Razzaq hit a sensational 109 not out from 72 balls with 10 sixes as Pakistan staged an astonishing recovery to beat South Africa in Abu Dhabi.

Chasing 287 to level up the five-match one-day series at 1-1, Pakistan needed an improbable 53 from the last 24 balls with three wickets standing.

Razzaq attacked Albie Morkel and Charl Langeveldt with brutal efficiency.

And the winning hit came off the penultimate ball when Morkel was crashed through the covers for four.

Pakistan had performed poorly in the 2-0 Twenty20 series defeat to the same opponents and were then swept to one side in the first ODI.

In this game, Colin Ingram fired his second century in only his fourth ODI innings as South Africa put up 286-8, before Pakistan struggled to 70-4 in the 19th over. A familiar script appeared to be writing itself.

The first suggestions that there might be a surprise ending came when Shahid Afridi hammered a rapid 49, though it was the stand between Fawad Alam (48) and Razzaq - batting at seven in the order - that really began to make South Africa wonder.

When Alam became Langeveldt's 100th ODI victim in the 42nd over, slicing a catch to extra cover to end an 81-run stand from 12.3 overs, the momentum was lost for a while.

Razzaq, who joined a select group of eight men to have hit at least 10 sixes in an ODI innings, went ballistic in the 47th over, which began with a required run rate in an excess of 13.

Three sixes were pummelled off Langeveldt (3-75), and although a succession of tail-enders were run out in the process Razzaq managed to retain enough of the strike to keep his team in with a hope.

The next two overs went for a combined 19, leaving 11 wanted from the last set of six balls, and crucially Razzaq was facing.

He went to 99 from the second ball with his ninth six, hit the next one way over deep mid-wicket to go to 105 and could afford a dot ball before carving the winning strike from Morkel's fifth.

ICC upholds Pakistan suspensions

The International Cricket Council has upheld the provisional suspensions of Pakistan duo Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir after turning down their appeals.

The duo, along with Mohammad Asif who withdrew his appeal, were suspended while the ICC investigated spot-fixing claims from their tour of England.

ICC code of conduct head Michael Beloff said: "I've dismissed the application.

"All three players accordingly are still, for the time being, unable to participate in cricketing activities."

Butt, who was Test captain during the summer tour of England and bowlers Amir and Asif were questioned by British police following allegations published in the News of the World newspaper at the end of August about the final Test against England at Lord's.

It was claimed Asif and Amir deliberately bowled no-balls at pre-arranged times during the Test, with Butt also said to be involved, in return for money from a bookmaker's "middle man".

Fellow seamer Wahab Riaz was also questioned by police, whose investigation - separate from the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit's (ACSU) own investigation - remains ongoing, although no criminal charges have yet been brought.

Caroline Wozniacki suffers shock WTA Championships loss

World number one Caroline Wozniacki suffered a shock straight-sets defeat by Samantha Stosur at the WTA Championships in Doha on Wednesday.

Wozniacki lost 6-4 6-3 in her second Maroon Group game as she missed out on the chance to confirm her status as the season-ending world number one.

Vera Zvonareva won her second match to move closer to the semi-finals as she kept her world number one hopes alive.

And Kim Clisters made a winning return with victory over Jelena Jankovic.

In the first match of the night, second seed Zvonareva was not at her best but still managed to record a 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 victory over Belarussian Victoria Azarenka in the White Group.

Zvonareva recovered from 2-0, 4-2 and 5-4 down in the first set, winning the tie-breaker with the help of an ace and several other big serves.

In the second set, she was behind 2-0 and 3-1 before winning 6-4 against a visibly frustrated Azarenka.

The Russian's win kept alive her slim hopes of overtaking Wozniacki as the season-ending world number one.

Zvonareva must win her last match in the group stage and then make it to the final if she is to have any chance of toppling Wozniacki.

Elsewhere in the White Group on Wednesday, Belgium's Clisters beat Serbia's Jankovic 6-2 6-3.

Clijsters had not competed since retaining her US Open title six weeks ago in New York but made a satisfactory start to her bid to win back the WTA Championships title she last won seven years ago.

There were few obvious signs of discomfort from the foot which still has a small wound from the operation last month to remove a mole, though Clijsters' tally of double faults did creep to a surprisingly high total of 10.

But the Belgian hit the ball well from the forehand side and struck 25 winners altogether, and on the big points she played well.

"It was my first match back, and I was happy - not with everything but I'll take that, and take the positive things into the next match," said Clijsters.

"I need to be a little more consistent and deliver fewer double faults, but I will try to be better tomorrow [Thursday]."

Wednesday's action ended with Stosur stunning Wozniacki.

Australian Stosur had too much pace and power for baseline battler Wozniacki, who needs one more win in Doha to secure the year-end number one ranking.

Stosur opened her Maroon Group campaign on Tuesday with a straight sets win over French Open champion Francesca Schiavone and she produced another dominant display at the Khalifa Tennis Complex.

The first set went on serve until the 10th game when Stosur's relentless pressure paid off. With Wozniacki's serve lacking her customary zip, Stosur pressed home the advantage and forced the Dane into a weak lob that she put away to win 6-4.

In the second set, Stosur continued to take the game to Wozniacki, who began to show signs of frustration.

The Australian broke to go 3-1 up and with Wozniacki finding Stosur's serve too hot to handle the crowd sensed an upset.

The Danish 20-year-old had a glimmer of hope at 3-5 when Stosur double faulted twice, but the Australian held her nerve and closed out the set for the win.

South Africa seal series victory over Pakistan

South Africa completed a 2-0 series win in the Twenty20 internationals against Pakistan after cruising to a six-wicket win in the second game in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan, who turned in a poor batting display in the opening game when they set 120, were equally poor on Wednesday in managing to set 121 for victory.

Juan Theron took 4-27 for South Africa who eased to victory in 18.4 overs.

The Proteas cruised for most of the response with Graeme Smith (38) and Colin Ingram (32) top scoring.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Pakistan's innings bore similarities to the first six-wicket defeat and they had to rely on newly appointed Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq (33) to see them to a respectable total.

At one stage Pakistan were 39-5, but Misbah and Abdul Razzaq's (25) 45-run stand helped them edge over 100 in the 18th over.

Misbah was eventually out in the last over when Theron claimed three wickets from the final four balls to leave the hosts at 120-9.

Pakistan needed early wickets, but got none as Smith and Loots Bosman (11) put on 38, before skipper Shahid Afridi came in and struck immediately.

Afridi should then have taken the wicket of Smith in the ninth over, but Umar Akmal spilt a regulation chance at long-off.

AB de Villiers also fell for 11, before Afridi ended his miserly spell with 1-13.

There was a little more pressure when Smith was stumped with 53 still needed from 40.

But JP Duminy (22 not out) along with rookie Ingram took them to their sixth consecutive T20 win.

"We didn't get teams out in Twenty20 previously and to get Pakistan out twice on two days was nice," said South Africa captain Johan Botha.

"Theron bowled superbly and all the guys deserved this win."

Pakistan's captain blamed poor batting for the series loss.

"We needed good starts but that didn't come in both the matches," said Afridi.

"My own performance was not up to the mark so we have to sit down and plan to improve our batting which is struggling."

The two teams now play the first of five one-day internationals in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Third seed Jelena Jankovic knocked out of China Open

Third seed Jelena Jankovic crashed out of the China Open after being beaten by Serbian compatriot Bojana Jovanovski at the second-round stage in Beijing.

Jankovic lost 6-4 2-6 2-6 but paid tribute to her Fed Cup team-mate, saying: "It was a tough game. My opponent played really well.

"She was very solid off the baseline and she really gave me a hard time."

"I think she's doing very well and she's improving. I'm happy for her," added the world number six.

Last year's runner-up, Polish sixth seed Angela Radwanska, also made an early exit, beaten by Angelique Kerber.

The unseeded German twice fought back from 5-4 down to record a 5-7 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 victory.

Vera Zvonareva was made to work for her win over former world number one Dinara Safina in the first round, eventually going through 6-4 7-6 (8-6).

Wimbledon and US Open finalist Zvonareva said: "Dinara is a great player. It is very difficult to expect to play your best tennis in the first match of a tournament."

Danish world number two Caroline Wozniacki is the top seed in Beijing and is just two victories away from taking the top spot in the WTA rankings.

Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova went out on Sunday, as did Australian fourth seed Sam Stosur.

The Russian 10th seed was beaten 6-3 2-6 6-3 by Italy's Roberta Vinci, while Stosur suffered a 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 defeat by Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova.