Thursday, June 11, 2009 LONDON: All-rounder Abdul Razzaq was on Wednesday given the all-clear to replace injured Yasir Arafat in Pakistan's World Twenty20 squad, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed. The 29-year-old Razzaq cut his ties with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) earlier this month and was cleared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to play for the national team.Fast bowler Arafat suffered a hamstring injury during Pakistan's 48-run defeat against England in their opening match on Sunday. Razzaq, who played 46 Tests and 231 one-day internationals for Pakistan, joined the unofficial ICL as a protest against his omission from the squad selected for the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007. The PCB barred all the 23 players who signed for the rebel league from domestic and international cricket as the ICL was not recognised by the ICC and Board of Control for Cricket in India. However, all but two of Pakistan's ICL players had their bans suspended by the Sindh High Court in February this year. Razzaq said he was delighted at the prospect of playing for Pakistan again. "I am very happy and if given a chance I will do my very best for the country," he said.The ICC said in statement that confirmation was conveyed to the PCB on behalf of the event technical committee. "The ICC has confirmed the event technical committee of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 has approved Abdul Razzaq as a replacement player for Yasir Arafat in Pakistan's squad for the tournament," said the statement. Pakistan's next match of the tournament is on Friday against Sri Lanka at Lord's.
Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...
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