Friday 18 December 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Chameera blitz rocks New Zealand

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HAMILTON (AFP) - Dushmantha Chameera spearheaded a four wicket blitz, which included the prized scalp of Kane Williamson, as Sri Lanka roared back into the second Test against New Zealand in Hamilton on Saturday.The home team slumped from 81-0 to 89-4 in a four-over burst, and by tea were struggling at 133-5 in reply to Sri Lankas first innings 292.The 20-year-old Chameera, bowling at up to 146 kilometres per hour (90.6 mph), destroyed the top order as he claimed the wickets of Williamson, Tom Latham and Ross Taylor.Rangana Herath chimed in to remove Martin Guptill for 50 before Brendon McCullum and Mitchell Santner briefly steadied the ship.They added 39 runs until Kusal Mendis took a one-handed catch at short leg to give Herath his second wicket, and McCullum was gone for 18. Not out at tea were Santner on 22 with BJ Watling yet to score.McCullum had previously been given out on 17 when caught on the boundary by Udara Jayasundera, but as the New Zealand skipper began to walk he was recalled when video replays showed the Nuwan Pradeep delivery was a no ball.Until Chameeras heroics early in the middle session, the day had belonged to New Zealand.They rolled Sri Lanka for 292 and progressed to 61-0 in reply at lunch.The pitch, which was a lush green at the start of the Test, was browning off -- in theory taking the advantage away from the bowlers.But Chameera, who was not used before lunch, relished the opportunity to attack the New Zealand batsmen after the interval, consistently bowling a short-pitched barrage.He struck for the first time in his second over, aiming for the hips, and Latham on 28 turned the ball straight to Dimuth Karunaratne at leg gully.In Chameeras next over, Williamson did not get the length he wanted trying to pull a short ball to the boundary and was caught by Suranga Lakmal at deep square leg for one.Herath then had Guptill caught at first slip by Angelo Mathews before a Chameera short ball angled away from Taylor who gloved it to Dinesh Chandimal for a duck.Chameera took three for 17 in his seven-over spell.Where New Zealand folded at the top, Sri Lanka made a bold start to the Test before crumbling when they reached 259-4.Their last six wickets fell for just 33 runs.Mathews, who passed the 4,000-run milestone during his innings, reached 77 before he was the first wicket to fall on day two, edging Tim Southee to a diving Latham at third slip.Chameera and Lakmal made four apiece and Pradeep was not out two.Southee finished with three for 63 while Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell took two wickets each.

Tennis: Federer says 'SABR' still part of arsenal

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - World number three Roger Federer on Friday said he will keep honing his chip-and-charge SABR tactic as he prepares for the 2016 season with a new coaching team.Short for Sneak Attack by Roger, it involves rushing towards the net at the moment of a second serve and chipping back the ball, shortening his opponents response time. The Swiss 17-time Grand Slam winner, who was in Singapore for the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), successfully employed it against Novak Djokovic at the Cincinnati final in August.I would love to keep trying it, now I have time to practise, so I am sure I will spend some time on that as well and see if... its something I should keep up, said the 34-year-old.I am happy that it kind of worked, it was fun and it was all over the news, I thought it was quite exciting for me personally, he said, giving credit to head coach Severin Luthi for the tactic.Federer enters the 2016 season with a new coaching team after replacing his idol Stefan Edberg with a new assistant coach, Croatian Ivan Ljubijic.Ill stay in touch with Stefan Edberg, hes been a wonderful guy, an incredible inspiration and motivation for me, said Federer.Unfortunately we wont be working together as much anymore but he said he would like to come around for some tournaments and well still be in touch, he added.Federer said earlier this month that Edberg had originally signed up as an assistant coach only for 2014.Federer, who shows no sign of retiring and hopes to win his first ever Olympics singles gold in Rio 2016, said he was happy playing in the IPTL and hoped to return next year.The IPTL, which was also played in Japan, The Philippines, India and Dubai, promotes a shortened, speeded-up version of the game that organisers say is more television friendly than the traditional format.

Football: Ronaldo meets Beirut bombings orphan

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MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo gave a warm welcome Friday at the clubs stadium to a little Lebanese boy who last month lost both parents in a Beirut attack that was claimed by the Islamic State group, the club said.Haidar, a three-year-old child who in November lost both of his parents in bombings in Beirut, saw his dream come true on Friday when he was given the opportunity to meet his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid said in a statement posted on its website.Ronaldo, wearing a suit and tie, could be seen in a picture posted on the club website giving the boy a hug. Haidar wore a Real Madrid jersey with his name on it and the Portuguese players number 7 on the back. He had received the jersey earlier as a gift from club president Florentino Perez, who also give him a brief tour of the clubs trophy room.Haidar will attend Real Madrids match against city rivals Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.Following the brutal attack in the Lebanese capital last month, the story of Haidar, photographed in a Real Madrid shirt after surviving the massacre, came to global attention, the statement said.And since then, the club had been ceaseless in its efforts to get in contact with him and arrange for his dream of meeting Cristiano, it added.The November 12 attack hit a busy shopping street in Burj al-Barajneh, a Beirut suburb where the Shiite movement Hezbollah is popular.A total of 44 people were killed.It was the largest Islamic State attack to have hit Lebanon, and among the deadliest bombings in the country in decades.

Football: Neymar in race to be fit for Club World Cup final

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YOKOHAMA (AFP) - Barcelona could welcome Neymar back from injury for this weekends Club World Cup final against River Plate after the Brazilian striker stepped up his training in Yokohama on Friday.The 23-year-old, who was rested for Thursdays 3-0 win over Guangzhou Evergrande as he recovers from a groin strain, performed some dribbling drills and light sprints and could yet play a part against River.Meanwhile, Lionel Messi, sidelined for the semi-final after coming down with a kidney complaint, skipped training, although Barca manager Luis Enrique refused to rule out his return for Sundays clash.I dont know if we will have Neymar and Messi for the final, Enrique told reporters. They dont know if they will be ready and neither do we, so well have to see. Messi, who reportedly went to hospital for tests after being diagnosed with renal colic, posted on his Facebook page: Its never fun to miss any game, but I hope to get better to be able to help in the final.With Messi and Neymar missing, Luis Suarez fired a hat-trick -- the first in the tournaments history -- to give Barca an easy win over Luiz Felipe Scolaris Chinese side.Luis is a sensational player, said Enrique. He is a killer inside the box and an essential member of the team. When you need a goal, he always comes up with one for you.Barcas players also gushed about Suarez after the former Liverpool forward scored with a classic poachers strike before halftime and followed that with a breath-taking volley five minutes after the break. He completed his treble from the penalty spot to give him 22 goals in 23 competitive matches this season.Luis has been a superb player for many years, said left-back Jordi Alba. But you can see that the way Barca plays suits him down to the ground.Dani Alves missed Fridays practice with a bruised foot, but his availability for Sundays final is not thought to be in doubt.European champions Barcelona are attempting to become the first side to win the Club World Cup three times.The Catalan giants beat Argentinas Estudiantes 2-1 in 2009 and thrashed Brazils Santos 4-0 two years later, when Neymar was on the losing side. River Plate, who struggled to beat Japans Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-0 in their semi-final in Osaka on Wednesday, enjoyed an afternoon shopping in Tokyo, stopping to sign autographs and pose for photos with Japanese fans.

Two death row convicts hanged in Sahiwal

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Two death row convicts were sent to the gallows in the Central Jail Sahiwal on early Saturday morning while execution of another death row prisoner in Vehari was postponed, Dunya News reported.According to details, two death row convicts were hanged in the Central Jail Sahiwal. Prisoner Zahoor Ahmad was executed for killing a man named Muhammad Ameen in 2002 over and old enmity while death row prisoner makhdum was hanged for murdering a man named Irfan during a robbery attempt.Also Read: Lahore: 8 death row convicts hanged in various citiesOn the other hand, execution of death row convicts Safdar was postponed in Vehari when mother of the victim pardoned him after the noose was tightened around his neck.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted the moratorium on the death penalty on December 17, 2014, a day after Taliban gunmen attacked a school in Peshawar and killed 134 students and 19 adults. The killings put pressure the government to do more to tackle the insurgency. Since then more than 300 death row prisoners, including terrorists and murderers have been hanged in various jails of the country.

Israeli troops kill three Palestinians in W.Bank, Gaza unrest

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JERUSALEM (AFP) - Two Palestinian drivers Friday tried but failed to run down Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank, with one attacker shot dead and the other wounded, Israeli officials said.Troops later shot dead another man in clashes at Sinjil village northeast of the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian health officials said, naming him as Nashat Asfour, 33.An army spokeswoman told AFP that troops came under attack by rock-throwing Palestinians there and after they ignored warning shots and calls to disperse a shot was fired at an instigator and a hit was identified. He was the third Palestinian killed on Friday, a traditional day of anti-occupation protest following weekly Muslim prayers. Near the village of Silwad, northwest of Ramallah, Mohammed Ayad, 20, was killed as he tried to steer his vehicle into a group of border police and soldiers entangled in a clash with Palestinians, police said.Police said Israeli forces took cover behind a concrete barrier, escaping injury.They opened fire at the terrorist... He was declared dead at the scene, it said in a statement.In the Gaza Strip, soldiers shot dead a Palestinian protester and wounded another 41 people during clashes along the border with Israel, the Palestinian health ministry said.Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Gazas Hamas rulers, said the dead man, Mahmud al-Agha, 20, was one of its members.Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP that 31 of the wounded were hit by live fire and the other 10 by rubber bullets.An Israeli army spokeswoman said troops opened fire during a violent riot by Palestinians close to the border fence, which is off-limits.A hundred rioters attempted to breach the buffer zone and damage the fence, she told AFP.In order to prevent an escalation of violence and threat of infiltration, forces stationed along the border fired towards main instigators... Hits were confirmed.In an unrelated event, the army said soldiers at the border discovered two bombs planted next to the fence, at the same spot where a charge was set off on Wednesday as a patrol passed by.A wave of violence since the start of October has claimed the lives of 123 on the Palestinian side, and 17 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean.Many of the Palestinians killed have been attackers, while others have been shot dead by Israeli security forces during clashes.Also Friday in the West Bank, a Palestinian driver tried unsuccessfully to run down Israeli security forces before he was shot, wounded and arrested, police said.A Palestinian terrorist... drove at speed toward police and soldiers in an attempt to ram them, before his vehicle hit a concrete pillar and he got out and ran toward them, shouting, police said.A guard fired at his lower body and wounded him, it said, adding that he was treated at the scene and placed under arrest.Police said the guards had first fired warning shots in the air and ordered the man to stop. The incident occurred at the Qalandiya checkpoint, near Ramallah and close to a refugee camp of the same name, where soldiers on Wednesday shot dead two Palestinians who tried to ram their cars into troops in separate attacks.An AFP journalist at the scene of the Qalandiya incident said the wounded Palestinian could be seen sitting on a stretcher as security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse journalists.The site is close to the family home of 14-year-old Hadeel Awwad, shot dead by an Israeli policeman after stabbing and wounding a man in a Jerusalem market last month.The officer has been placed under justice ministry investigation over a suspected breach of open-fire regulations -- the first such probe in the current wave of violence.Israeli authorities finally released her body on Friday to enable the family to bury her and ahead of the funeral young Palestinians hurled stones at soldiers, who responded by firing tear gas.In the southern West Bank, soldiers shot a Palestinian in the head, seriously wounding him, during clashes near the flashpoint city of Hebron, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.The wave of unrest has been fuelled by Palestinian frustration with Israeli occupation and lack of any progress in peace efforts, while international efforts to restore calm have so far failed.

Obama says Assad must go for peace in Syria

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama on Friday reaffirmed US insistence that Syrias President Bashar al-Assad step down, warning there can be no peace there without a legitimate government.I think that Assad is going to have to leave in order for the country to stop the blood(shed), for all the parties involved to be able to move forward in a nonsectarian way, Obama said at a year-end news conference.He has lost legitimacy in the eyes of the country.Obama spoke as US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a meeting of foreign ministers in New York to discuss a political settlement to the nearly five year-old war.A UN draft resolution was to be presented at the UN Security Council later in the day that calls for Syrian peace talks to begin in early January.Obama said Assads remaining in power, after having chosen to slaughter his people rather than pursue an inclusive political transition, is not feasible.As a consequence, our view has been that you cannot bring peace to Syria, you cannot get an end to the civil war unless you have a government that it is recognized as legitimate by a majority of that country. It will not happen, he said.He said Kerrys efforts in New York offered an opportunity, not to turn back the clock -- its going to be difficult to completely overcome the devastation thats happened in Syria already -- but to find a political transition that maintains the Syrian state, that recognizes a bunch of stakeholders inside of Syria and hopefully to initiate a ceasefire.He said such a ceasefire wont be perfect, but allows all the parties to turn on what should be our number one focus and that is destroying Daesh and its allies in the region.Daesh is an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group, the jihadist movement that now controls large parts of Syria and Iraq, and claimed responsibility for the terror attacks in Paris November 13.

Suspected Russia raids kill 46 civilians in north Syria: monitor

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Suspected Russian air strikes have killed 46 civilians, mostly women and children, in northern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday.Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said warplanes had bombarded Raqa, the Islamic State groups de facto Syrian capital, as well as the towns of Azaz and Al-Bab in Aleppo province, on Thursday. Six children and 11 women were among the dead, and dozens of people were wounded, the Britain-based monitor said. The toll in Raqa also included two rescue workers, according to Abdel Rahman, but he said no suspected militants were killed in the three areas hit. In the northwestern Idlib province, air raids on Jisr al-Shughur town probably by Russian planes killed at least 14 people -- seven children and seven women -- according to Abdel Rahman.The town is controlled by Islamist rebels.Russia has been conducting an intense air war on armed opposition groups throughout Syria for nearly three months. It has been criticised by the West and by rebels for targeting non-jihadist groups and incurring civilian casualties.The Observatory says it distinguishes between strikes carried out by Syrian, Russian and US-led coalition aircraft based on flight patterns indicating whether planes took off from inside the country, as well as the type of planes and ordnance used.It identifies those killed through its network of activists, hospital personnel and fighters on the ground.According to Abdel Rahman, Russian strikes since September 30 have left around 1,900 people dead, including more than 600 civilians. The toll includes 526 IS jihadists and 739 other rebels.More than 250,000 people have been killed in total since Syrias conflict erupted in 2011.

Pentagon chief in Afghanistan as violence escalates

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KABUL (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter arrived in Afghanistan Friday for meetings with military commanders, as the security situation deteriorates with a surge in Taliban attacks and the creeping emergence of the Islamic State group.The unannounced visit comes just days after a Pentagon report presented a grim portrait of the war that has inflicted a growing number of casualties on hard-pressed Afghan forces.(Carter) has landed in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said in a brief statement that offered no details on the purpose of his visit.Two Afghan security officials told AFP that Carter was set to meet Afghan military commanders and American troops at a US base near Jalalabad city in the eastern province of Nangarhar.The volatile province faces an emerging threat from loyalists of the Islamic State group, which is making gradual inroads in Afghanistan, challenging the Taliban on their own turf.The two officials said Afghanistans acting defence minister Masoom Stanekzai accompanied Carter on his surprise visit to Nangarhar, which comes after a brief stopover in Iraq.This month marks a year since the US- and NATO-led mission in Afghanistan transitioned into an Afghan-led operation, with allied nations assisting in training local forces.President Barack Obama in October announced that thousands of US troops will remain in Afghanistan past 2016, backpedalling on previous plans to shrink the force and acknowledging that Afghan forces are not ready to stand alone.The Taliban briefly captured the strategic northern city of Kunduz in September in their most spectacular victory in 14 years, dealing a stinging blow to Afghan forces as they battle the insurgents on multiple fronts.The Taliban have since then threatened several other provincial centres -- from Lashkar Gah in the south to Maimana in the northwest -- raising concerns that Afghanistan was on the brink of a security collapse.Fuelling those fears is a new Pentagon report released this week detailing a surge in Taliban attacks in the second half of 2015.Obama said the United States will maintain its current force of 9,800 in the country through 2016.After that the United States will leave a force of 5,500 troops in place to train Afghan forces and conduct counter-terrorism missions.Obamas decision recognised Afghan forces will require more time and assistance to develop into a capable, credible and independent force, the Pentagon report stated.The Taliban have stepped up attacks on government and foreign targets despite President Ashraf Ghanis diplomatic outreach to Pakistan aimed at reviving peace talks with the resurgent group.Pakistan, which wields considerable influence over the Taliban, hosted a milestone first round of peace negotiations in July.But the talks stalled when the Taliban belatedly confirmed the death of longtime leader Mullah Omar, sparking a power struggle within the movement.Western officials have also warned that the Islamic State group, attracting disaffected Taliban fighters, is an emerging threat in Afghanistans eastern badlands bordering Pakistan.

11 killed in Libya fighting between Ajdabiya residents, Qaeda

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BENGHAZI (AFP) - Eleven people have been killed in fighting in the eastern Libyan city of Ajdabiya between armed residents and fighters of Al-Qaeda affiliate Ansar al-Sharia, the Red Crescent said Friday.Witnesses said clashes had raged since Wednesday in the city, which is controlled by the internationally recognised government based in the east of the country.Red Crescent official Mansour Ati told AFP that civilians, including children, were among the dead, whose bodies had been taken to the citys hospital.It was not possible to say how many of the jihadists may have been killed, as Ansar al-Sharia does not take its casualties to the hospital.A hospital spokesman added that dozens of people had been wounded.Ajdabiya, 162 kilometres (100 miles) south of Benghazi, is located in a major oil-producing area. Since November, government personnel there have been targeted by a campaign of assassinations.The Islamic State jihadist group, which controls late dictator Moamer Kadhafis hometown of Sirte, 360 kilometres to the west, have been trying to extend their influence to Ajdabiya.UN envoy Martin Kobler issued a statement Friday in which he said attacks targeting civilians could be considered war crimes.The North African country has been riven by chaos and warfare since Kadhafis fall in a 2011 NATO-backed revolt.The United Nations has been brokering talks to create a unity government to end fighting.Libya has had rival administrations since August 2014, when the Islamist-backed Fajr Libya militia alliance overran Tripoli.

Ex-Pentagon chief hits out at former boss Obama

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Barack Obama lost international credibility when he decided against attacking Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2013, former US defense chief Chuck Hagel said in a damning appraisal of his former boss.In his first lengthy public remarks since being forced from the top Pentagon position in February, Hagel aired a series of gripes against Obama, including that leaders around the world lost confidence in the US president after he backed down from attacking Assad.In August 2013, Obama said publicly that Assads use of chemical weapons would be a red line.After the Syrian leader used the weapons against his own people anyway, Hagel finalized plans to launch cruise missiles against the Damascus regime.But the order to attack never came -- lawmakers did not support the action. Whether it was the right decision or not, history will determine that, Hagel said in interview with Foreign Policy magazine Friday.Theres no question in my mind that it hurt the credibility of the presidents word when this occurred.Hagel said the episode underscores the White Houses struggles on what to do in war-torn Syria. Officials would hold lengthy meetings on the subject that would often end with no decisions being made, he said.A senior Obama administration official told Foreign Policy that the president did not want to carry out a military operation without first getting congressional approval. Hagel also said he was subjected to backstabbing by the White House and was admonished for describing the Islamic State group as beyond anything weve ever seen after the jihadists rampaged through large parts of Syria and Iraq last year.I got accused of trying to hype something, overstate something, and make something more than it was, Hagel told Foreign Policy.I didnt know all of it, but I knew we were up against something here that we had never seen before. And in many ways, we were not prepared for it.Obama eventually pulled together a coalition that in August 2014 began carrying out air strikes against the IS group. The effort continues today, though Obama has pledged to intensify the raids and is increasing numbers of special operations forces on the ground.Hagel also said the White House routinely meddled in Pentagon matters. His immediate predecessors, Leon Panetta and Robert Gates, have also been critical of White House micromanagement.Hagels successor is Ashton Carter, Obamas fourth defense secretary.

Oil prices fall again as US rig count rises

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices fell for the third straight session Friday as a higher US drilling rig count added to gloom over a market glutted with petroleum.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for January delivery dropped 22 cents to $34.73 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, a fresh low since February 2009.In London, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in February fell 18 cents to $36.88 a barrel.The Baker Hughes US oil rig count showed an increase of 17 for the week ending December 18 to 541 rigs, a piece of data that stokes worry that production will stay high.Kyle Cooper of IAF Advisors said the gain in the drilling rigs should be seen in the context of the count already being very low compared with last years 1,536.But, Cooper said, the fundamentals still support the downtrend in oil prices.Oil prices have fallen from more than $100 a barrel in July 2014 due to high output from the US and key members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, which has not cut output in response to the rout.This weeks decision by the Federal Reserve to hike US interest rates has also pressured oil by lifting the dollar. A stronger greenback dents demand for dollar-denominated oil in international markets.

Dollar weakens vs yen after Bank of Japan's policy tweak

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar weakened Friday, losing ground against the yen after the Bank of Japans (BoJ) unexpected tweak of its monetary stimulus program.The Japanese central bank jolted markets with a new scheme supporting companies actively investing in the worlds number-three economy, stoking a brief surge in the Nikkei benchmark stock index and the dollar.Wrapping up their last meeting of the year, central bank policymakers added a new plan to boost their holdings in firms dedicated to capital investment and hiring.But they left a vast 80 trillion yen ($654 billion) annual asset-buying program unchanged.The yen dropped on the news but swiftly recovered.The near-immediate reversal that followed appeared to reflect markets realization that the annual monetary base expansion target was left unchanged at 80 trillion yen, meaning the overall size of stimulus was left unchanged, said Ilya Spivak, currency strategist at DailyFX.The dollar bought 121.26 yen around 2200 GMT, down from 122.60 yen at the same time Thursday.Overall, the dollar slipped back against other major currencies as the push from the Federal Reserves historic interest rate hike after nearly a decade Wednesday faded somewhat.With only two weeks to go before the end of the year we can safely say that 2015 has been a banner year for the US dollar, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management.The Federal Reserve breathed new life into the greenback this past week and now we look forward to further gains in 2016, she said.

Recalled Amir vows to respect Pakistan colours

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KARACHI (AFP) - Paceman Mohammad Amir promised to respect Pakistans green cap and shirt after being named for a national camp on Friday, the first step toward regaining his place in countrys team following a spot-fixing ban.The 23-year-old has shown impressive form in domestic matches as well as in the Bangladesh Premier League since his five-year ban was relaxed in April this year then completey lifted three months ago.On Friday cricket selectors cleared him for fitness training camp, which could pave the way for his inclusion in the national team. Amir was tipped as one of the most talented young fast bowlers when he was jailed in 2011 after admitting bowling no balls the previous summer against England at Lords in exchange for cash.His captain Salman Butt and fellow bowler Mohammad Asif were jailed for similar offences.Amir said he will do his best to prove he is a changed man.I promise that I will do my best to respect the prestige of the green cap and Pakistan shirt, he told AFP.At the time of his ban, which derailed his career, Amir was only 18. Legendary Pakistan fast bowler Imran Khan had described him as the hottest property in international cricket.Since his return, Amir has taken 22 wickets in four non first-class games, while his tally of wickets in the qualifying rounds of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy stood at 34.He then took nine wickets in two first class matches of Quaid-e-Azam trophy while scoring two half centuries.Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan and head coach Waqar Younis earlier this month hinted Amir could return to the national team after completing a rehabilitation programme following the lifting of his ban.The 26 players included for the fitness camp will be eligible for teams limited over series in New Zealand starting from January 15.The main objective of the camp is to improve the overall physical fitness of all players and to enhance the technical aspect of each players game and to prepare them for the upcoming international events, said a Pakistan Cricket Board press release.Pakistan will play three one-day and as many Twenty20 internationals on their tour of New Zealand. They then feature in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh followed by the World Twenty20 in India in March-April.Amirs return was opposed by some current players, including former Twenty20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez, who vowed not to share a dressing room with the tainted player.But Amir said he hoped he could win them over with my performances and with my acts.

Sri Lanka probes bid to fix West Indies Test

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COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lankan authorities are investigating a bid to bribe members of the national cricket team to under-perform in a recent Test to ensure a surprise victory for the West Indies, the government said Friday.Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera said a man linked to a bookmaker had offered wicketkeeper Kusal Perera and star bowler Rangana Herath tens of thousands of dollars to engineer a Sri Lankan batting collapse at a Test in Galle in October, which the hosts went on to win emphatically.They wanted Sri Lanka to get out early for a very low score. This is a match Sri Lanka was expected to win, but if they lost, the bookie would have made a lot of money, Jayasekera told AFP.The minister said some 10 million rupees (around $70,000) had been offered to the players to lose the match. Police had mounted a search for the suspect who was said to have approached the two players.After Kusal turned down the offer, the man approached Herath who also rejected the offer and alerted the authorities, he said.We have started a police inquiry in addition to an anti-corruption probe by Sri Lanka Cricket, Jayasekera added, in reference to the national cricket board.Sri Lanka beat the tourists from the Caribbean by an innings and six runs after veteran left-arm spinner Herath took 10 wickets in the match on the countrys south coast.The West Indies, who have never won a Test match in Sri Lanka and went on to lose the two-match series 2-0, were rank outsiders for the showdown in Galle where the home team have a particularly strong record.Jayasekera also suggested that Pereras recent failure in a doping test during the ongoing tour of New Zealand may have been linked to his raising the alarm over the match-fixing attempt.It is possible that something was slipped into his food or his urine sample was tampered with to get this result, Jayasekera said of Perera, who was sent back to Sri Lanka after failing the doping test.We are doing our best to defend him, the minister added.Ashley de Silva, the chief executive of Sri Lanka Cricket, said the board could not discuss the case in line with International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption regulations.Because of the anti-corruption regulations, we cannot say anything, de Silva told AFP.However a source on the board confirmed that the organisation was conducting its own investigation into the claims.The two players brought this to our notice, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.Although betting is illegal in most of the cricket-mad Indian subcontinent, there is no shortage of backstreet bookmakers -- many of whom have links to the underworld.Ronnie Flanagan, who heads the ICCs anti-corrruption unit, recently acknowledged match fixing would never be eradicated even though a string of international stars have been exposed as in the pay of bookmakers. Although no big-name Sri Lankan player has ever been convicted of corruption, several former stars have made allegations of either match fixing or spot-fixing, when players deliberately bowl or field badly to give away a set number of runs.Former skipper Hashan Tillakaratne dropped a bombshell in May 2011 when he claimed he had been an eye-witness to match-fixing by fellow players since 1992. Tillakaratne never disclosed any names.Two Sri Lankan umpires were banned in 2013 after an Indian television station claimed they were willing to make favourable decisions during matches for cash.
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