PCB allows Haider Ali to play after revoking suspension

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lifted the provisional suspension on national team batter Haider Ali, allowing him to rejoin the Green Shirts.

Haider had not represented Pakistan since being cleared in September of an alleged rape case in Manchester. According to an official PCB notification, the board has now issued him a No Objection Certificate (NOC), enabling him to resume his professional career.

The 31-year-old batter is set to return to competitive cricket by participating in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), beginning on December 26.

Haider Ali, who has played 35 T20Is and two ODIs for Pakistan, had been suspended after a British woman filed rape charges against him while he was in England with the national squad. The suspension remained in place pending the investigation’s outcome. On September 25, Manchester police closed the case, stating that there was insufficient evidence to pursue it in court.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Haider was arrested in Beckenham, where Pakistan Shaheens were playing the final game of their five-match tour. The alleged incident took place on July 23 in Manchester, between the first two matches of the series. In the UK, rape carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.