JOHANNESBURG: The sixth edition of the second biggest mega event, the ICC Champions Trophy, will begin from September 22 here in South Africa.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2009 was officially launched in front of a host of champions from a range of other sports at a local hotel in Johannesburg.

Addressing at the ceremony, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said the event would be a showcase of the very best one-day cricket has to offer.

””This ICC Champions Trophy is quite different and more exciting compared to all the ones that went before,”” Lorgat said.

For the first time, the ICC Champions Trophy will feature only the top eight-ranked sides in the world in the only global multi-team 50-over-a-side tournament between the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean and the next edition of that event, in the Asian sub-continent in two years” time.

The winner will receive two million dollars, the runner-up will earn one million dollars with the two beaten semi-finalists taking home $400,000 each. Those teams that finish third in their groups will each win $100,000.

Those teams-Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, hosts South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies- have been divided into two pools of four, with the top two from each pool progressing to the semi-finals stage.

The action begins on September 22 with the Proteas in action against Sri Lanka in a day-night encounter at Centurion and it will end with a day-night final at the same venue on October 5

Holder Australia begins the defence of its ICC CT crown on September 26 against the West Indies in a repeat of the 2006 final at The Wanderers, Johannesburg while arch-rival India-Pakistan will go head-to-head in a day-night encounter at Centurion.

The ICC Champions Trophy began life as the ICC Knock-Out in 1998 and was played every two years through to 2006, changing its name for the 2002 edition.

The sides to have won the event are South Africa (in Bangladesh, 1998), New Zealand (Kenya, 2000), India and Sri Lanka (joint winners after the final was washed out in Sri Lanka, 2002), the West Indies (England, 2004) and Australia (India, 2006).

The Champions Trophy was to be played in Pakistan last year but it was shifted to South Africa due to security concerns.

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KAKUL: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani early Friday assured the nation that we would preserve our Azadi (independence) with ho

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Karachi

A technical committee had been formed which would identify the particular areas in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) where rainwater sti

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani called up Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, PML-Q President Ch. Shujaat Hussain, ANP President Asfandyar Wali and Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and congratulated them on Independence Day of Pakistan.

While talking to Mian Nawaz Sharif, both leaders expressed their firm resolve for repealing 17th amendment, sections 58-2(b) and all other clauses which are contrary to the spirit of 1973 constitution.

During his talk with Asfandyar Wali, the Prime Minister felicitated him over the holding of Independence Day celebrations in Swat and other areas of Malakand in a befitting manner.

While felicitating Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry over the independence of judiciary, the Prime Minister hoped that it would greatly help and go a long way in providing speedy justice to the people of Pakistan.

The Prime Minister also telephoned JUI (F) Chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman, MQM Quaid, Altaf Hussain and Munir Khan Aurakazai, MNA and congratulated them on Independence Day.

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Pakistan News

QUETTA: A powerful explosion has been heard at Jinnah road of Quetta near Salim complex, Geo News reported Friday.

Police are ascertaining the nature of blast.

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Karachi

The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has ?special relations? with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and party chief Altaf Hussain,

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Rawalpindi

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has finally launched an operation against ?qabza groups? to get vacated its illegally gra

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LONDON: Five Pakistani men arrested in a British anti-terrorism operation but never charged have been refused bail because they had exchanged a series of coded emails, officials said.

The five were among 12 men, mostly students, arrested in high profile counter-terrorism raids across northwest England in April but never formally charged with any criminal offence because of insufficent evidence.

They are being detained while the government tries to deport them and were refused bail at their hearing last month, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), which deals with such cases, revealed on Friday.

A series of seven emails exchanged between Shoaib Khan, 27, and an associate alleged to be an al Qaeda operative detailed a ”nikah” or wedding which the British Security Service said “most likely” referred to an intended attack.

The emails also included girls” names such as ”Nadia” which might refer to ingredients used in an explosive device, the ruling said.

Khan’’s lawyer said the emails referred to girls, though not by their own names, that Khan hoped to marry in April 2009. Final interpretation of the emails will be addressed at a hearing next year.

The five Pakistanis, who will remain in custody until that hearing, have not been linked to anyone arrested with explosives, and no explosives have been found, SIAC said.

Several hundred officers took part in the raids, which had to be hurriedly brought forward after Britain’’s most senior counter-terrorism officer was photographed openly carrying a secret document detailing plans for the arrests.

Britain has demanded Pakistan do more to combat terrorism. Most terrorist plots in Britain since Sept. 11, 2001 have had links to Pakistan, including suicide bombings in July 2005 which killed 52 people on London’’s underground and bus network.

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KARACHI: Pakistan Captain Younis Khan was noncommittal about the selection of pace bowler Muhammad Asif for the upcoming Champions Trophy in South Africa next month.

The elite eight-nation competition will be played in South Africa from September 22 to October 5.

“Asif has to prove his form and fitness after long lay-off and after one-year ban,” he told reporters on Friday at the residence of Sindh Sports Minister and KCCA President Muhammad Ali Shah.

Muhammad Asif completed one-year ban following positive dope test while appearing for in Indian Premier League. PCB submitted his name among the preliminary list of 30 probables for the Champions Trophy.

He said a one-week training camp of the team will be conducted either in Karachi or Lahore in Ramzan-ul-Mubarik to prepare the team in build-up for the Champions Trophy.

Commenting on the selection of Javed Miandad as Pakistan team’’s batting consultant, he welcomed his appointment. “He (Miandad) got a wealth of knowledge about batting and can help batsmen to overcome their problems,” he said.

He also said Pakistan team can also benefit from former test opener Saeed Anwar and from ex-test fast bowler Waqar Younis.

“I have no issue with any one since it will be in the interest Pakistan team and the country,” he commented.

He said he can sideline experienced players like Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq without providing them full opportunities.

Younis Khan said he will be leaving for London on fund-raiser tour on Saturday for a charity organisation.

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Pakistan News

ISLAMABAD: The Finance Committee of the Senate met on Thursday under Senate Chairman Farooq H Naek asked chairpersons of standing committees to pay fo

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Pakistan News