Thursday 26 December 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Pakistan, Sri Lanka 5th ODI today

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ABU DHABI (Dunya News) – Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in the fifth and final ODI in Abu Dhabi today (Friday) Shahid Afridi has returned to Pakistan early due to personal reasons, but in any case, Pakistan may be tempted to trial young players in the dead rubber.The match will start at 04:00 pm (PST). The Green Shirts are leading the five-match series 3-1.

Faisalabad: Boiler explosion kills 3 labourers

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FAISALABAD (Dunya News) - According to details, the boiler of a textile factory situated at the Sargodha Road in Faisalabad exploded with a big bang, killing two labourers on the spot and injuring 13 other, three of them critically.The explosion was so severe that part of the factory collapsed.Rescue teams reached the area and rescured the labourers trapped under the debris. The injured were rush to nearby hospital where another injured succumbed to his wounds.

Obama signs defence, budget bills into law

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KAILUA (AFP) - President Barack Obama Thursday signed into law the compromise US budget bill recently negotiated by feuding lawmakers and a massive defense bill that takes a step toward ultimate closure of Guantanamo.After signing the legislation while vacationing in Hawaii with his family, Obama praised the National Defense Authorization Act for allowing accelerated repatriation of detainees from the US naval facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.I am encouraged that this act provides the executive greater flexibility to transfer Guantanamo detainees abroad, and look forward to working with the Congress to take the additional steps needed to close the facility, Obama said in a statement.The new law still forbids transfer of Guantanamo detainees to the United States, a restriction Obama opposes.He said the continued operation of the facility weakens our national security by draining resources, damaging our relationships with key allies and partners and emboldening violent extremists.The bill assures $552.1 billion in military spending, as well as $80.7 billion for overseas contingency operations, namely the war in Afghanistan.It allows for a one-percent raise for military personnel and requires reforms in the way the Pentagon handles some sexual assaults in the military.The broader budget agreement also signed by the president lays out top-line spending limits for 2014 and 2015, and erases $63 billion in arbitrary spending cuts that were to take effect January 1.Critically, it reduces the threat of a government shutdown after January 15, the date by which Democrats and Republicans from both chambers will have to craft a series of spending bills under the new limit.Failure to do so would risk another shutdown like the one that paralyzed Washington for 16 days in October, but this months modest deal makes it far easier for lawmakers to negotiate appropriations.The bill increases the $967 billion cap for 2013 spending to $1.012 trillion next year and $1.014 trillion in 2015, and reduces the deficit by about $23 billion over 10 years.

US sending missiles, drones to Iraq: official

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States is sending Iraq dozens of missiles and surveillance drones to help combat a recent surge there in Al-Qaeda-backed violence, a State Department official said Thursday.The official confirmed a New York Times report about the weapons shipment. The daily said 75 Hellfire missiles were purchased by Iraq and delivered by Washington last week.The State Department official confirmed the recent delivery of Hellfire missiles and an upcoming delivery of Scan Eagles -- reconnaissance drones that are a smaller version of the larger Predator drones that once were frequently flown over Iraq. The United States is committed to supporting Iraq in its fight against terrorism, the official added, saying that the effort aims to strengthen their capabilities to combat this threat.The official added: We remain committed to supporting the government of Iraq in meeting its defense needs in the face of these challenges.Officials in Washington said the support is being sent under the strategic framework agreement between Iraq and the United States.Administration sources told the Times that the weapons delivery comes as the Iraqis had virtually run out of Hellfire missiles.The weapons shipments are being delivered as Baghdad confronts the worst wave of Islamic militant violence in half a decade.On Wednesday, at least 44 people were killed in attacks across the country, including the bombing of a market near a church in Baghdad.The country is seeing the worst bloodletting since 2008, when it was just emerging from a brutal period of sectarian killings.Militants frequently attack places where crowds gather, including markets, cafes and mosques, in an effort to cause maximum casualties.Experts say widespread discontent among Iraq's minority Sunni Arab community is a major factor fueling the surge in unrest.More than 6,700 people have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of 2013, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.

29 killed in Thailand bus accident: police

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BANGKOK (AFP) - At least 29 people were killed and four badly injured when a bus plunged into a deep ravine in northeast Thailand, police said Friday.The accident occurred around midnight Thursday-Friday in Lom Sak district, Phetchabun province while the bus was en route to the northern province of Chiang Rai.We suspect the bus driver fell asleep, Major General Sukit Samana, police commander of Phetchabun province, told AFP.We found 28 bodies in the ravine, which is about 30 metres (100 feet) deep. And one died at the hospital, he said. Four others were in a critical condition.The eyewitness who informed the police said the bus went very fast before it plunged into the ravine, he said.The bus, which was carrying 40 passengers, was completely destroyed in the accident.The accident occurred as millions of Thai motorists are expected to travel during the New Year holidays.Deadly road accidents are common in Thailand.At least 20 people were killed in October when a tour bus carrying elderly Buddhist devotees plunged into a ravine in northeast Thailand.A recent report by the World Health Organization said the country saw some 38.1 road deaths per 100,000 of population, compared to an average of 18.5 in Southeast Asia as a whole.

At least 40 Civilians killed in attack in east DR Congo: NGO

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KINSHASA (AFP) - At least 40 civilians have been killed in an attack on a village in the restive east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a non-governmental organisation said on Thursday.Up to this morning we have found more than 40 bodies, all of them civilians, in the latrines, Teddy Kataliko, the head of civil society in the Beni region where the attack took place on Wednesday, told AFP.Teams from the Red Cross and the police are searching to see if they find other victims. Kataliko said dozens of people were left seriously wounded by the attack, which has been blamed on Ugandan rebels.The attack took place in the town of Kamango before dawn, with the civil society blaming it on the Islamist Ugandan rebel group ADF-Nalu, one of the oldest but least-known armed groups operating in the mineral-rich DR Congo. The UN's special force in DR Congo used helicopters on Wednesday to fire on the rebels and help government troops retake Kamango after the attack.ADF-Nalu stands for Allied Democratic Forces-National Army for the Liberation of Uganda and is considered the only Islamist organisation in the region.In July the Congolese army battled the ADF-Nalu rebels to take control of the Kamango region, but the fighting had sent tens of thousands of people fleeing for safety in neighbouring Uganda.MONUSCO, the United Nations' thousands-strong force in DR Congo, strongly condemned the attacks and said that it will be using all its aerial and ground assets available to protect the civilians.It would also reinforce its presence in the area in order to prevent ADF-Nalu fighters from reaching other towns.The mission is determined to fulfill its mandate of tracking down and neutralising all armed groups elements that spread fear and desolation among innocent civilians, it said in a statement published Thursday.MONUSCO includes a 3,000-strong intervention brigade specially authorised to go after armed groups ravaging the country. There are another 17,000 peacekeepers mobilised in the overall mission.The mission helped bring down the M23 rebel movement last month, which was suspected of receiving support from Rwanda and Uganda, something both countries deny.

At least 44 killed in Brazil's flooding and landslides

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BRASILIA (AFP) - At least 44 people have died and more than 60,000 have been left homeless following torrential rain in southeast Brazil over the past few weeks, officials said Thursday.In Espirito Santo state, Civil Defense officials reported a total of 27 fatalities, including eight Thursday, in what they described as the worst rains in 90 years.They said 61,379 people were forced to leave their homes.We are going to have to rebuild the state, said Governor Renato Casagrande amid extensive flooding and damage to bridges and roads.In neighboring Minas Gerais state, where the downpours began in October and have worsened in the past few days, authorities reported 17 deaths and said 4,150 people were forced to evacuate their homes.A 56-year-old woman died on Wednesday in a landslide that buried her house in Juiz de Fora, 278 kilometers (173 miles) from Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais.Last week, a family of six, including a seven-year-old child, died when a mudslide swept away their home in Sardoa, in the eastern part of the state.A total of 79 towns were affected across Minas Gerais and a state of alert was declared in in 26 of them.Tuesday, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff flew over flood-hit areas of Espirito Santo and pledged federal aid to the victims.In early December, a storm also left 16 people dead and flattened more than 200 houses in the city of Lajedinho in the northeastern state of Bahia.

Football: Arsenal, United enjoy Boxing Day comebacks

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LONDON (AFP) - Arsenal returned to the Premier League summit on Thursday after Theo Walcott scored twice as Arsene Wenger's side came from behind to win 3-1 at West Ham United.Arsenal spurned several first-half chances at Upton Park and they were punished early in the second period when Carlton Cole put the hosts in front after Wojciech Szczesny spilled a shot from Kevin Nolan.However, Walcott struck twice in three minutes to turn the game around, squeezing a low shot past West Ham goalkeeper Adrian in the 68th minute and then heading home a cross from substitute Lukas Podolski.Podolski was making his first appearance since August after a hamstring injury and he marked his comeback with a goal in the 79th minute, drilling home from Olivier Giroud's lay-off.We couldn't take our chances in the first half and we responded very well in the second half, in the end winning the game in a convincing way, said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.I am proud of the character of this team because they are always focused and try to do well.Victory sent Arsenal three points above former leaders Liverpool, who visit fourth-place Manchester City later on Thursday, while West Ham slumped to second-bottom.Chelsea also leapfrogged Liverpool, moving up to second place by beating Swansea City 1-0 in one of the day's 10 traditional Boxing Day fixtures.Belgian winger Eden Hazard scored the game's only goal in the 29th minute at Stamford Bridge, cutting in from the left in familiar fashion before letting fly with a low drive that squeezed beneath Gerhard Tremmel.With the three points and clean sheet, I am satisfied, said Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.But we had so many chances that you have to score at least once and create a more comfortable situation for yourselves.Everton's hopes of making further ground on the Champions League contenders were thwarted, however, as they crashed to a 1-0 defeat at home to bottom club Sunderland.Ki Sung-yueng scored the game's only goal from the penalty spot in the 25th minute, after Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard was sent off for a foul on the South Korea international.It was Sunderland's first away win since April and left Gus Poyet's men three points from safety.Manchester United doggedly overturned a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 against Hull City at the KC Stadium and register their fifth consecutive win in all competitions.Early goals from James Chester and David Meyler gave Hull a 2-0 lead, only for Chris Smalling and Wayne Rooney to bring United level before half an hour had been played.Rooney's goal, a sumptuous volley, was his 150th for the club in the top flight and he contributed to the winner in the 66th minute by pressuring Chester, a one-time United youth player, to put through his own goal.To be two down and come back to win is a great result, United manager David Moyes told the BBC.There's a long way to go in the league and we have to keep picking up points. I believe we can be in the mix and challenge whoever is near the top.Newcastle United closed to within two points of the Champions League places by coming from behind to overwhelm nine-man Stoke City 5-1 at St James' Park.Stoke took the lead through Oussama Assaidi, but they had Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson sent off, allowing Newcastle to prevail through a Loic Remy brace and goals from Yoan Gouffran, Yohan Cabaye and Papiss Cisse.Tottenham Hotspur's new permanent head coach Tim Sherwood saw his side draw 1-1 at home to West Bromwich Albion, for whom Jonas Olsson cancelled out Christian Eriksen's 36th-minute free-kick.Southampton, meanwhile, ended a run of six games without victory by winning 3-0 at Cardiff City through a Jay Rodriguez brace and a Rickie Lambert strike.Scott Parker scored a stunning 87th-minute winner as Fulham won 2-1 at Norwich City, but they remain in the bottom three due to Crystal Palace's 1-0 win at Aston Villa, which lifted Tony Pulis's men out of the drop zone.

Football: Liverpool toppled at Man City's citadel

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MANCHESTER (AFP) - Alvaro Negredos ninth goal in nine home games saw Manchester City continue their peerless home form as they beat Liverpool 2-1 in a gripping Premier League encounter on Thursday.Vincent Kompany and Negredo were Citys goalscorers as they responded to Philippe Coutinhos opener to maintain the divisions only perfect home record and move their team, ominously, into second place in the table.Liverpool, meanwhile, fell from first place to fourth, but they trail new leaders Arsenal by only three points.Having weathered a characteristically strong start to the game from the hosts, Liverpool stunned Manuel Pellegrinis men by taking the lead after 24 minutes.Moments earlier, Luis Suarez had played Raheem Sterling clean through on goal, only for the winger to be judged offside -- incorrectly, as replays would show.But eventually the opening goal arrived, thanks to a clever touch from Suarez, who steered Jordan Hendersons pass forward for Sterling.The young winger rounded goalkeeper Joe Hart before Coutinho took over and calmly planted the ball into the open goal.This was a true test of Citys title pretentions and their invincibility at home, where they had collected every available league point to date this season and, sure enough, within seven minutes, they were level.Kompany was the source, the big defender rising powerfully to meet a David Silva corner with a precise headed finish that covering Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen could only help into his own net.Liverpool continued to impress -- far more than fellow title hopefuls Arsenal or Manchester United, who had been brutally swept aside by City at the Etihad Stadium -- but on the stroke of half-time, City went in front.Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was at fault, badly misjudging Negredos mis-timed shot after the City forward got on the end of a slick counter-attack involving Samir Nasri and Jesus Navas.It was the culmination of a thrilling first half, which opened with Navas almost heading City into the lead after just five minutes, meeting Aleksandar Kolarovs left-wing cross with a superb effort that scraped the upright.But Liverpool, and Suarez in particular, are playing with the confidence and verve of a team that even their cautious manager Brendan Rodgers now admits may have a chance of winning the title in 2014.In the 13th minute, Suarez came close to adding to his recent avalanche of goals when he headed down and just wide from Coutinhos corner.Before the interval, Liverpool strung together the move of the match involving Sterling and Suarez, who set up Coutinho for a shot that drew a brilliant stop from Hart.Liverpool opened the second half in similarly ambitious mode as Suarez laid the ball off for Henderson to poke a shot just over from the edge of the penalty area.And the Uruguay international then showed superb close control to collect Aly Cissokhos lofted through ball and elude his marker before testing Hart at his near post.Liverpool came close to levelling in a 50th-minute scramble when Hart repelled Sterlings lofted pass with his leg as Henderson almost connected.Kolarov gifted the rebound to Suarez, who appeared to have turned it into the open net, only for the ball to hit Henderson, who was offside.Thereafter, an entertaining game did not disappoint. Negredo, with a chip and a header, tested Mignolet, while Henderson worked Hart at the other end with an audacious back-heel.Suarez sped down the left after 72 minutes and delivered a perfect centre for Sterling, but his team mates shot from inside the six-yard box cleared the bar by some distance.

Tennis: Murray shrugs off defeat in UAE return

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Andy Murray's return to action after a three-month injury lay-off ended in a straight sets defeat to France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Mudabala World Tennis Championship on Thursday.The Wimbledon champion and world number four went down 7-5, 6-3 to 10th-ranked Tsonga on the opening day of the three-day exhibition tournament.The courts here are very fast and you have to react quickly, said 26-year-old Murray, who underwent back surgery in September.Jo was sharper than me today, he served very well.It's always good fun here. It's great preparation for the season as you have to play against the best in the world.I have played some of my best tennis in the Middle East.Murray said he was happy with his performance and admitted it will take time to return to peak form.I moved well in the first set, especially once I got into the rallies, he told The National newspaper.I didn't feel slow at all. In the second I slowed down slightly, but that's something that is going to get better by playing matches. I can't expect to feel great for long periods of matches straightaway.But it was a good workout. You want to play your best, but you need to be realistic and patient. I will play better tomorrow than I did today.I was hitting the ball OK, moving well for the most part. Moving is the most important thing. I just need to be able to do it for a longer period. I just felt like I hadn't played a match for a while.Tsonga went into the match with an 8-1 career deficit in competitive matches.Even though Thursday's clash was an exhibition meeting, the 28-year-old Frenchman was happy to have secured a rare triumph.It's not often I take two sets off Andy, even in practice, said the Frenchman who has been plagued in recent months by knee trouble.I want to give my best in 2014 and perform better than before.The Mubabala Championship continues on Friday with world number one Rafael Nadal facing fellow Spaniard David Ferrer who beat Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka 7-5, 6-1 on Thursday.Tsonga will face world number two Novak Djokovic.

Nadal not interested in celebrity coaching

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Rafael Nadal has no intention of joining the dizzying coaching merry-go-round which has seen Novak Djokovic hire Boris Becker in just one of a raft of changes ahead of the 2014 season.World number one Nadal has been coached by his uncle Toni since childhood and its a partnership which has brought 13 Grand Slam titles.Djokovic, meanwhile, stunned the sport by hiring Becker, one of a host of former Grand Slam winners from the 1980s and 1990s to be handed new leases of life over the winter.Roger Federer has been hitting with Stefan Edberg, Richard Gasquet has taken on Sergi Bruguera, Marin Cilic has renewed his partnership with Goran Ivanisevic while Kei Nishikori signed up Michael Chang.Undoubtedly, they were moves inspired by Andy Murrays success with Ivan Lendl which has yielded the 2012 US Open title and 2013 Wimbledon triumph.It is great to have a great champion in tour games as they bring great charisma to the game. It will be great to have Ivan and Boris around this season. It is a good thing and will do positive things to the tour, Nadal told the Gulf News.However, I will stick to my team. I always feel when I play bad, it is my fault and when Im winning Im doing the right things. I had success in my career with the same team.I had good and worst moments with the same team. I understand if anything goes wrong, nobody is responsible more than me.Nadal begins his season on Friday when he faces compatriot David Ferrer, who has just split with his long-time coach Javier Piles, at the Mudabala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi.World number two Djokovic takes on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

6th death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto today

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – The 6th death anniversary of former Prime Minister (PM) Benazir Bhutto will be observed today (Friday) with reverence all over the country.Special prayers will be held in mosques for the departed soul of the charismatic leader and first woman Prime Minister of Muslim world and progress and prosperity of Pakistan.Pakistan People’s Party has finalized arrangements for the main function in this regard at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.Sindh government has announced a public holiday on the day.Quran Khawani would also be held for eternal peace of Shaheed-e-Jamhoriat. Special congregations will be held in small and major towns to pay rich tributes to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto for her meritorious service for the nation.Several other activities have been planned to pay tribute to Benazir Bhutto on her death anniversary throughout the country.Senior leaders of Pakistan people's Party (PPP), members National and provincial assemblies and office bearers of the party and the followers of Benazir Bhutto will participate in these events.Patron-in-Chief of PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will address the public meeting in connection with 6th death anniversary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. Co-Chairman of PPP Asif Ali Zardari, party's central leaders and all provincial presidents will also address the public meeting.They will pay homage to their Shaheed leaders for the great sacrifices of their lives which were made only for the well -being of the downtrodden people and restoration of democracy in the country.In Rawalpindi, the local leadership of all PPP wings and a large number of workers will visit the memorial site at Liaquat Bagh to pay homage and offer fateha for their charismatic leader, who was assassinated on December 27, 2007.The PPP has decided to organize a big public meeting on December 27, at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh to pay tribute to the great leader in recognition of her life-long struggle for the cause of democracy and protection of the rights of people.

Pakistan to raise drone issue at UN Human Rights Council

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ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan on Thursday said it would raise the issue of US drone strikes inside its territory at the United Nations Human Rights Council.We will go to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva if the drone strikes continue Tasneem Aslam, the spokeswoman for the ministry of foreign affairs said in a weekly news conference.The UN General Assembly passed a resolution on December 18 2013 calling on states using drone strikes as a counter-terrorism measure to comply with their obligations under international law and the UN Charter.But in the latest US missile strike after the UN resolution, at least three people were killed late on Wednesday night in Miranshah in Pakistan's northwestern tribal district of North Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan.Pakistan's foreign ministry condemned the fresh attack, terming it a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity.Ties between the US and Pakistan have been seriously strained over US drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal belt as well as over sanctuaries for Afghan Taliban insurgents inside its borders.But human rights groups and Pakistani politicians say the missile attacks have killed innocent civilians and are a breach of sovereignty.President Barack Obama has defended the drone strikes as an effective, lawful tool used with restraint to target suspected Al-Qaeda militants.In recent weeks, activists opposed to the drone raids forcibly searched trucks in northwest Pakistan in a campaign to disrupt NATO supply routes through the Torkham gate border crossing. The club-wielding protesters have prompted US officials to halt the shipments to protect the truck drivers.Last month a US drone attack on a seminary linked to the feared Haqqani militant network in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the northwest killed at least six people.The attack, which militant sources said killed the Haqqanis' spiritual leader along with five others, was extremely unusual as it was mounted outside Pakistan's lawless tribal areas on the Afghan border.

Asia Cup organisers mull Bangladesh switch

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DHAKA (AFP) - Organisers of cricket's Asia Cup will hold talks next month to decide whether to move February's tournament out of violence-plagued Bangladesh, a top official said on Thursday.Asian Cricket Council chief executive Syed Ashraful Haque said the council would meet in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on January 4 to discuss alternative venues in light of the growing unrest in Bangladesh.As of now the Asia Cup will be held in Bangladesh as scheduled, Haque told AFP.However, if the participating countries see that the security situation in Bangladesh prevailing at that time is not convenient for that, the question of shifting the venue arises.The alternative venue, as prevalent in every international tournament, will be decided in our meeting on January 4, Haque added.India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are due to take part in the 50-over one-day tournament from February 24 to March 7.All the matches are scheduled to take place in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, which has badly hit by violent protests and strikes in the build-up to a general election on January 5.Bangladesh is also due to host the Twenty20 World Cup from March 16 to April 6, although the president of the national cricket board has admitted the violence could prevent the tournament from going ahead as planned.The danger posed to teams was underlined earlier this month when a small bomb exploded outside the hotel of the West Indies Under-19 team in the port city of Chittagong, prompting them to cut short their tour.Haque, who was previously the Bangladesh board's general secretary, said postponing the event was not an option because the cricketing calendar was so crowded. It was therefore essential to decide on a possible alternative venue.We cannot let the slot of Asia Cup go away, so we have to keep an alternative venue ready, he said. Bangladesh is also scheduled to host the Sri Lanka team for a bilateral series from January 24 to February 22.

Watson suffers another injury setback

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Injury-jinxed Shane Watson limped off the field on the opening day of the fourth Ashes Test on Thursday in yet another setback for the Australian all-rounder.Watson, 32, who has fought an ongoing battle with injuries during his 50-Test career, failed to complete his seventh over late in the middle session and left the Melbourne Cricket Ground.A Cricket Australia spokesman said: Shane Watson has some right groin pain and is being assessed by the medical staff on when he can return to the field.Watson returned to the ground late in the day after physio treatment and fielded at slip. Hamstring and calf injuries have been common for the former vice-captain -- he missed the 2006-07 Ashes campaign with hamstring trouble -- and there has always been a question over how to balance his workload as an all-rounder.Watson, who has been criticised for a poor conversion rate in Tests with four centuries from 21 half-centuries, hit a quickfire 103 from 108 balls with 11 fours and five sixes in the second innings of the third Ashes Test in Perth before Christmas.
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