Pakistani cricketer Haider Ali was found not guilty in an alleged rape case in the UK. According to Geo News report Greater Manchester police informed that there was insufficient evidence to pursue the case. Early in August, Ali was taken into custody at Kent's Spitfire County Ground following a report to Greater Manchester Police alleging the 24-year-old batter had sexually assaulted someone.
Ali is scheduled to be released by the GMP and the UK's Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) due to a lack of evidence after being detained in the UK and given a provisional suspension by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Haider Ali cleared of Rape charges
After a British-Pakistani woman reported that Ali had assaulted her in a hotel in Manchester while the cricket player was there after a Pakistan Shaheens tour in mid-July, Ali was placed under investigation. According to reports, the two had first met on July 23, the day of the incident, in Manchester. The arrest in Kent occurred on the same day that they had reconnected in nearby Ashford on August 1st, and the report was submitted on August 4th.
The batter remained in the country and cooperated with the police investigation, claiming to know the woman who had made the report and denying any wrongdoing. Ali was freed on bail following the initial arrest, but he stayed in the UK throughout the process.
No official statement from PCB
Following the PCB's release of a statement verifying that Ali "received appropriate legal support to protect his rights throughout this process" in compliance with the board's player welfare and code of conduct, criminal law attorney Barrister Moeen Khan represented Ali during the proceedings. After the charges were dropped, Haider Ali was given the all-clear to leave the UK, according to police, who told Geo News that he had already picked up his passport from the authorities.
The PCB has not yet issued a statement regarding the situation. Ali made 35 T20I appearances for Pakistan in international cricket, the most recent of which was at the Asian Games in China in late 2023. He also made a few ODI appearances.
