World Cup squads: Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal ignored by Pakistan

January 7, 2015

Shoaib Malik

Karachi, Jan 7: Senior players Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal were ignored while fast bowler Sohail Khan made a comeback after nearly three years in wilderness in Pakistan's 15-member squad for the ODI World Cup in Australia and New Zealand starting on February 14.

The six member selection committee, after intense deliberations with captain Misbah-ul-Haq and head coach Waqar Younis in Karachi, decided not to repose confidence in stalwarts such as Malik and Akmal who have been in prime form this domestic season.

Instead the selectors have put their confidence in a bunch of young players to spearhead Pakistan's campaign in the World Cup.

Among the 15, batsmen Sohaib Maqsood and Haris Sohail and bowlers Junaid Khan, Muhammad Irfan, Sohail Khan, Ehsan Adil and Yasir Shah have yet to play in Australia or New Zealand.

"We have picked a balanced squad without any personal likes or dislikes and we considered all options without any grouses," chief selector, Moin Khan told at a news conference at the national stadium.

He said the selectors had decided to lay faith in the youngsters keeping in mind the conditions, climate, opposition and travel schedule of the team in the World Cup.

Sohail Khan, a right-arm fast bowler, has appeared in just two Tests and five One-day internationals and his last appearance for Pakistan was in Zimbabwe in 2011 but he has been in outstanding form this domestic season for Port Qasim Authority.

"There was a close tie between Sohail and the experienced Muhammad Sami as the selectors felt the team required an out and out fast bowler for the conditions in Australia and New Zealand," one selector said.

Sohail took six wickets in a match of the ongoing Pentangular Cup on Tuesday in Karachi.

Moin said the selectors had decided to go with a battery of pace bowlers while the spin department would be headed by experienced allrounder Shahid Afridi. .

"We have picked leg spinner, Yasir Shah because he has lots of potential," Moin said.

Shah had just played a single ODI also in 2011 in Zimbabwe but was outstanding against Australia and New Zealand in the recent Test series in the UAE taking 27 wickets.

It is after a long time that Pakistan will go into a major ODI event with two leg-spinners.

"This is the best possible squad from the available resources, and the selectors believe it has the requisite talent and skill-set to recapture the World Cup Down Under after 22 years", Moin said.

Moin said Pakistan would miss the bowling of Saeed Ajmal and Muhammad Hafeez due to suspensions on them for suspect actions but the available resources were also adequate for the event.

Shah ended with 27 wickets in the five Tests against Australia and New Zealand recently in the UAE.

Moin said Hafeez could still be cleared to bowl in the World Cup as he is still working hard on correcting his action and there was one month left before the World Cup.

"We have time as we play two ODIs in New Zealand before the World Cup," he added.

Hafeez has made the squad as a specialist opener in the final squad.

"We have picked only two specialist openers while wicketkeeper, Sarfaraz Ahmed will be the reserve opener when required," Moin added.

Pakistan's qualifying group includes India, West Indies, South Africa, Ireland, Zimbabwe and UAE.

Pakistan World Cup squad: Muhammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (Capt), Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Junaid Khan, Muhammad Irfan, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz, Ehsan Adil and Yasir Shah

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News Network
January 10,2020

New Delhi, Jan 10: Injured Assam archer Shivangini Gohain underwent a critical surgery at the AIIMS. Dr. Deepak Gupta, professor of Pediatric neurosurgery at AIIMS, revealed about the delicate nature of the procedure and said there was no room for error.

"It was touching vertebral artery which supplies blood to the brain stem. The arrow was 0.5 cm in front of the spinal cord and the child could have become quadriplegic if someone tried to pull it out," Gupta said.

According to doctors, the arrow accidentally went inside the body damaging the shoulder bone, part of the neck, spinal cord and left lung.

Dr Gupta said, "Now the patient is fine. We had planned the surgery in a very unique way. Last whole night, our team was doing the planning and plotting to conduct this complex surgery. About 15 cm part of the arrow was inside the body which has entered through shoulder bone and affected neck, spinal cord and left lung".

"We started the surgery in the morning at 6 am which lasted for three and a half hours. We have successfully removed the arrow. The patient is stable now and shifted to ICU for observation," he added

Shivangini Gohain, the 12-year-old Assam archer who was impaled by an arrow shot accidentally at the SAI centre in Dibrugarh, was training unsupervised and the mishap was a result of negligence by the local coach and officials, the state's archery association has said.

The child was training at the Dakha Devi Rasiwasia College at Chabua, which serves as an extension centre under the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Centre in Guwahati when the incident took place on Wednesday.

She was airlifted to Delhi on Thursday night and admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre. Pulin Das, a joint secretary of Assam Archery Association and executive member of the state Olympic association said the injury to the school girl from the Deodhai village, which is 3km from Chabua, happened as the trainees were practising without any coach and other officials.

“There is a SAI contractual coach Marcy and he has left for the Khelo India Games in Guwahati. He didn't instruct the trainees to stop the camp for some time nor did the college principal, who acted as administrator of the extension centre, looked after the practice,” Das said on Friday.

The extension centre has 11 trainees, six boys and five girls, and they were training under SAI contractual coach A C Marcy from Nagaland, who is in Guwahati for the Khelo India Youth Games.

“The training ground itself is in very bad shape, it was not even a dedicated ground for archery training, some play football, cricket and other sports on that ground. But the worst part is that the SAI coach did not give instructions to stop the camp for a while and the archers were training without any supervision,” he added Das said Gohain was struck by an arrow shot by boys doing practice for compound event. The arrow remained stuck for more more than a day before she was airlifted to New Delhi on Thursday night.

“There was nobody to look after the archers, they were training on their own though their parents were outside the ground. An arrow shot by a boy trainee who was doing compound event practice hit her on the shoulder,” the official said.

Gohain's father Brinchi Gohain was outside the practice area and with no official of the college and SAI coming for help, she was taken to Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh, 33km from Chabua.

“She could reach the AMC in Dribugarh only on Thursday morning. There, the doctors told her parents to take her to a more reputed hospital like AIIMS in Delhi. With help from people close to the local Member of Parliament and Assam CM himself, she was taken by air ambulance to Delhi.

“I was told that she had a very tough time as the arrow remained stuck for more than a day. She is a strong-willed girl and she fought. Her father must be a daily wage labourer and he was distraught also.”

The SAI said that it will bear all the expenses of her treatment. The Assam Archery Association has contributed Rs 20,000 towards her treatment.

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News Network
May 9,2020

May 9: Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar has donated an undisclosed amount to financially help 4,000 underprivileged people, including children from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) schools, amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tendulkar made the donation to the Hi5 Foundation, a non-profit organisation based out of Mumbai.

“Best wishes to team Hi5 for your efforts in supporting families of daily wage earners,” Tendulkar tweeted.

The organisation, through a tweet, thanked Tendulkar for doing his bit for the needy.

“Thanks @sachin_rt for proving once again that #sports encourages compassion! Your generous donation towards our #COVID19 fund enables us to financially aid 4000 underprivileged people, including children from @mybmc schools. Our budding sportspersons thank you, Little Master!”

The legendary batsman had earlier contributed Rs 25 lakh each to Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the country’s fight against COVID-19. Tendulkar had earlier pledged to bear the cost of feeding 5,000 people for a month in a couple of areas in Mumbai.

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News Network
March 27,2020

New Delhi, Mar 27: Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Friday donated Rs 50 lakh to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far claimed 17 Indian lives and wreaked havoc globally.

Tendulkar's donation is so far the biggest contribution among India's leading sportspersons, some of whom have pledged their salaries while a few others have donated medical equipment to fight the dreaded outbreak, which has caused more than 24,000 deaths globally.

"Sachin Tendulkar decided to contribute Rs 25 lakh each to Prime Minister's Relief Fund and Chief Minister's Relief Fund in his bid to join the fight against COVID-19. It was his decision that he wanted to contribute to both funds," a source privy to the development, told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Tendulkar has been associated with a lot of charity work and there has been umpteen times, he has taken up social causes, helped people, which has never been brought to public notice.

Among other prominent cricketers, the Pathan brothers -- Irfan and Yusuf -- donated 4000 face masks to Baroda police and health department while Mahendra Singh Dhoni, through a Pune based NGO, made a contribution of Rs 1 lakh.

Among athletes from other disciplines, wrestler Bajrang Punia and sprinter Hima Das are some of the prominent names to have donated their salaries in the battle against the dreaded virus which has led to a 21-day national lockdown.

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