Bomb in bus Pakistan's Peshawar kils 15

A powerful time bomb ripped through a bus carrying government employees in Peshawar on Wednesday, killing at least 15 people and causing injuries to 25, according to Dawn newspaper.

The blast that took place near Peshawar's Sunehri Masjid reportedly targeted a civil secretariat bus which was carrying government employees from Mardan to the provincial capital.

Fear and panic spread among residents in the wake of the explosion and the area was cordoned off with the injured being shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital, where an emergency has been declared, Dawn reported.

Superintendent of police cantonment Muhammad Kashif was quoted to have said the bomb was planted in the rear portion of the bus.

"Fifteen people were killed and 25 others were severely injured," added the police officer.

Bomb Disposal Unit personnel claimed that high grade explosives weighing eight kilograms was used in the attack.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPi information adviser Mushtaq Ghani told DawnNews chief minister Pervaiz Khattak condemned the blast and issued directives to provide proper medical care to the wounded.

He said the employees were travelling in a privately-operated bus and that the government cannot ensure security of private vehicles. It was the responsibility of the contractor, Ghani said, adding that usually checks are carried out before the bus leaves its station.

This is not the first time that a civil secretariat bus has been targeted in Peshawar. Similar attacks in 2012 and 2013 killed at least 38 people.

Peshawar has seen scores of attacks on civilians as well as law enforcement personnel in the past. The city is also the home to the XI Corps, an administrative corp of the Pakistan Army which manages all military activity in KP and is currently engaged in a full-blown operation in North Waziristan.

PM, PTI Chairman condemn blast

Expressing his grief over loss of lives in the attack, prime minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan also condemned the explosion and ordered the KP government to provide excellent medical care to the injured victims.
NAP and recent attacks

The explosion comes a day after the military top brass suggested publicly that the army was about to conclude the military offensive in North Waziristan's Shawal valley.

Despite implementation of the 20-point national action plan (NAP) combating terrorism, there have been multiple attacks in the country since the beginning of the year.

In January, Pakistan witnessed another APS-style attack on Charsadda's Bacha Khan University, engineered by the mastermind of the horrific Dec 2014 massacre.

Since then, there have been numerous attacks targeting security forces' convoys and checkposts.

The most recent attack comes just days after a blast hit Charsadda's Shabqadar area, an attack claimed by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan splinter group Jamatul Ahrar. The group claimed the attack had been carried out to avenge the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer.

On the other hand, official reports claim there have been thousands of intelligence-based operations, and scores of militants have been arrested and eliminated as per the implementation of NAP.

source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/international/news/98189/Bomb-in-bus-Pakistan-s-Peshawar-kils-15

Pakistan ask Tigers to bowl

Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi won the toss and decided to bat first against Bangladesh in their World T20 match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza also wanted to bat first, but he is confident of a win.

Speedster Mustafizur Rahman is still out, meaning Arafat Sunny comes in for Abu Hider. 

Bangladesh team: 1 Tamim, 2 Soumya, 3 Sabbir, 4 Shakib, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Mushfiqur (wk), 7 Mithun, 8 Mashrafe (capt), 9 Sunny, 10 Taskin, 11 Al-Amin

Pakistan side: 1 Shehzad, 2 Sharjeel, 3 Hafeez, 4 Malik, 5 U Akmal, 6 Sarfraz (wk), 7 Afridi, 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Wahab, 10 Amir, 11 Irfan

Big primary wins propel Trump, Clinton

Hillary Clinton took a monumental step toward clinching the Democratic party’s White House nomination Tuesday, while Donald Trump’s seemingly unstoppable rush to victory hit a bump in Ohio.

Trump won key Republican primaries in Illinois, North Carolina and Florida-where he thumped home state Senator Marco Rubio, who immediately announced he was suspending his presidential campaign.

“This was an amazing evening,” a buoyant Trump told supporters. “We’re going to win, win, win and we’re not stopping.”

Rubio’s loss was a major setback for Republicans trying to stop the bellicose businessman, whose populist anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim stance they say
will split the party.

But the 69-year-old Trump was denied a clean sweep by Ohio Governor John Kasich, who carried his home state, a key general election battleground.

Trump may now struggle to reach the 1,237 delegates necessary to avoid a challenge at the party’s nominating convention in July in Cleveland.

“The bottom line after tonight: it looks like Trump will not have a majority of delegates in July,” said Paul Beck, a professor of political science at Ohio State University.

Prohibitive favorite
There were fewer problems for Clinton, who defeated her rival Bernie Sanders in Florida, North Carolina and Ohio. The primaries in Illinois and Missouri were still too close to call.

Sanders now faces an almost impossible task to catch up with Clinton’s formidable delegate advantage.

“We are moving closer to securing the Democratic party nomination and winning this election in November,” said Clinton, casting one eye on the general election-and at Trump.

“When we hear a candidate for president call for rounding up 12 million immigrants, banning all Muslims from entering the United States-when he embraces torture, that doesn’t make him strong. It makes him wrong.”

The scope of Trump’s victory against Rubio in Florida will shock the Republican establishment as much as it will raise hopes the party can challenge in the one-time swing state come November 8.

President Barack Obama carried the state in both the 2008 and 2012 elections.

Rubio bowed out, saying: “While it is not God’s plan that I be president in 2016 or maybe ever, and while today my campaign is suspended, the fact that I’ve even come this far is evidence of how special America truly is.”

Kasich meanwhile openly called for a contested convention and vowed to campaign on.

“I want to remind you, again tonight, that I will not take the low road to the highest office in the land,” he said.

Ted Cruz, an ultra-conservative senator from Texas, also remains in the Republican race.

Projections by US media showed him in a virtual tie with Trump in Missouri, and in second place in Illinois and North Carolina.

Republicans will now have to decide whether to rally behind one candidate or siphon votes away from Trump as a team.

Rabble rouser
Trump’s incendiary attacks on immigrants, threats of mass deportations and a proposal for a wall on the border with Mexico have ignited the campaign trail and drawn condemnation in some quarters-the latest being from President Barack Obama.

Without pointing the finger directly at Trump, Obama professed to being “dismayed” at some of the comments during campaigning.

“We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities-at Americans who don’t look like ‘us,’ or pray like ‘us,’ or vote like we do,” said the president, who along with his wife Michelle cast absentee ballots in their home state of Illinois.

But Trump’s populist message has resonated-even with some Democrats like 69-year-old Katharine Berry.

“We don’t need all these illegals,” she told AFP outside a polling station at the Zion Lutheran Church in Canton. “They’re taking our jobs, they’ve got all these rights, Americans don’t have rights.

“I voted Democrat today. But if Trump wins, then I’m going to vote for him in the general election.”

source : http://sh.st/TcsYE

Atletico edge out PSV in penalty thriller

Juanfran’s winning penalty sent Atletico Madrid into the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, clinching an agonising 8-7 penalty shoot-out win over PSV Eindhoven after neither side could manage a goal in 210 minutes across the two legs of the tie.

The first 14 spot-kicks of the shootout were then converted in clinical fashion before PSV’s Luciano Narsingh smashed his effort against the bar.

Juanfran then stepped up to convert the winning penalty and send Atletico into the last eight for the third consecutive year.

“It was a heart-stopping tie,” said Juanfran.

“I am very happy to see how the crowd got behind the side. We believe, our coach makes us believe and we have a lot of hunger and heart.”

It is the second consecutive season that Diego Simeone’s men have progressed to the quarter-finals on penalties after seeing off Bayer Leverkusen in similar fashion a year ago.

“It was a classic Cup tie with plenty of tension,” said Simeone.

“Neither team committed any errors and in the end penalties went our way.”

PSV were left to lament Jan Oblak’s brilliant save to tip Jurgen Locadia’s effort onto the post in the second-half of normal time as the Dutch champions came so close to causing a huge upset.

“There are mixed emotions,” said PSV coach Phillip Cocu.

“On the one hand I am very proud. We played well in the two games, but especially here. Tactically we played very well with a lot of discipline.

“We were close to the quarter-finals in the penalties, so there is also great disappointment.”

Despite being roared on by a full house at the Vicente Calderon, Atletico struggled early on as Cocu’s 5-3-2 set-up allowed PSV to dominate midfield.

However, Atletico did enjoy the best chance of the first-half when Koke’s low cross found Antoine Griezmann unmarked just six yards out, but Jeroen Zoet got down to deny the French international his 24th goal of the season.

PSV had captain and top scorer Luuk de Jong back after he missed the first-leg through suspension and the former Newcastle United striker was a constant menace to the usually unflappable Diego Godin.

De Jong was unlucky when the ball fell just behind him after Oblak cut out dangerous cross from the right.

Atletico settled into their stride at the start of the second-half, but still relied on a set-piece to carve out an opportunity as Jose Maria Gimenez rose highest at the back post only to head Koke’s corner inches wide.

As the hosts opened up, though, PSV became even more of a threat on the counter-attack.

The visitors were somehow denied the vital away goal on the hour mark when Locadia’s shot was brilliantly tipped onto the post by Oblak and De Jong’s follow-up header from point-black range was blocked on the line by Filipe Luis.

Atletico suffered a huge blow just before the end of normal time when Godin limped off to be replaced by 20-year-old Lucas Hernandez.

However, the young Frenchman had a great chance to make himself a hero early in extra time when he headed over from a corner.

Griezmann’s range was off again when he shot straight at Zoet after great work by Saul Niguez as Atletico dominated during the first period of extra time.

Yet, it was PSV who came closest after the break, but Andres Guardado curled just wide to send the game to penalties.

Source : http://sh.st/TcwNh

Suu Kyi close aide voted Myanmar’s next president

Myanmar’s lawmakers Tuesday elected a close aide and longtime friend of Aung San Suu Kyi to become the country’s first civilian president in decades, a historic moment for the formerly junta-run nation.

Htin Kyaw, 69, won 360 of 652 votes cast by Myanmar’s two legislative chambers, paving the way for him to serve as a proxy for the Nobel laureate who is constitutionally barred from becoming president.

MPs erupted into applause after Htin Kyaw’s victory was announced following a lengthy ballot count by hand in the capital Naypyidaw.

“I hearby declare that U Htin Kyaw has been elected the president with the most votes,” parliamentary speaker Mann Win Khaing Than told legislators.
Myanmar is in the grip of a stunning transformation from an isolated and repressed pariah state to a rapidly opening aspiring democracy.

In November, Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a thumping victory at the polls, allowing her party to dominate Myanmar’s two legislative houses.

But the military remains a powerful force in the Southeast Asian nation and has refused to change a clause in the junta-era constitution that bars Suu Kyi from top political office.

The veteran activist has instead vowed to rule “above” the next leader.

Her choice of Htin Kyaw to act in her place is seen as a testament to her absolute faith in his loyalty.

Myanmar’s new president will replace incumbent Thein Sein at the end of the month following five years of army-backed quasi-civilian leadership that has been lauded for steering the nation out from the shadow of outright military rule.

The two other candidates who were also running in Tuesday’s will now become the country’s joint vice presidents.

They are retired general Myint Swe, an army-backed candidate who remains on Washington’s sanctions list and won 213 votes, and ethnic Chin MP Henry Van Thio, who gathered 79 votes.

Most of Myint Swe’s votes came from the army’s parliamentary bloc, which is reserved a quarter of seats in parliament, and from military-backed parties.

Many challenges
Suu Kyi, 70, has unrivalled popularity both as the daughter of the country’s independence hero and as a central figure in the decades-long democracy struggle.

Her party’s huge election victory was seen as a further endorsement of her political star power, as millions were swept to polling stations by the NLD’s simple message of change.

Months of negotiations with army chief Min Aung Hlaing have failed to remove the obstacles blocking her from power.

Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency by a clause in the charter because she married and had children with a foreigner.

It is not yet clear what role she plans to take or how she will manage the relationship with the country’s new president.

A new cabinet, set to be announced at the end of the month, is expected to include figures from across the political spectrum as Suu Kyi looks to promote national reconciliation.

It will swiftly set about facing the country’s many challenges, including poverty, civil wars in ethnic minority borderlands and decrepit infrastructure.

Senior party figures say one of the government’s first tasks will be to whittle down myriad ministries by combining overlapping portfolios.

While little known outside Myanmar, Htin Kyaw, who helps run her charitable foundation, commands considerable respect inside the country, partly because his father was a legendary writer and early member of the NLD.

He is married to sitting NLD MP Su Su Lwin, whose late father was the party’s respected spokesman.

The military’s choice of Myint Swe, seen as a hardliner and close ally of former junta leader Than Shwe, however is proving controversial in a nation still smarting from half a century of army dominance.

Key Players: World T20 Group 2

Players to watch from Group 2 of the World Twenty20, featuring India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Australia and Bangladesh, as the tournament's main draw gets underway on Tuesday.

Ravichandran Ashwin (India): With question marks over India's pace attack, Ashwin will be the team's go-to man in home conditions. 

The off-spinner comes into the tournament as the top-ranked T20 bowler in the absence of the West Indies' Sunil Narine. 

With many variations including the 'carrom ball' up his sleeve, Ashwin is feared on Indian wickets and he's also handy with the bat lower down the order.

Colin Munro (New Zealand): Forget Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and Corey Anderson, New Zealand suddenly has another big-hitter in the form of Munro, 29. 

The unheralded left-hander has been in sensational form this year and starred in the Black Caps' 74-run thrashing of Sri Lanka in Thursday's warm-up match in Mumbai. Munro smashed 67, including seven sixes, off 34 balls, leading Anderson to call him "one hell of a player".

His form is timely for New Zealand, after the retirement of their swashbuckling captain Brendon McCullum.

David Warner (Australia): Arguably the most brutal opener in Test cricket, Warner has been handed a new role in the middle order of Australia's T20 side.
A blistering 77 off just 40 balls against South Africa last weekend showed how quickly he has adapted to the change and he says he is relishing the opportunity to face more spin bowling.
Warner made his debut for Australia's T20 team even before he played first-class cricket but is now an automatic pick in all formats.

His in-your-face approach has landed him in trouble, including his infamous 2013 ban for punching England's Joe Root in a bar. But as vice-captain in what is a relatively inexperienced squad, much responsibility now rests on the 29-year-old's shoulders.

Shoaib Malik (Pakistan): The middle-order batsman made his international debut back in 1999 when still a teenager, beginning a rollercoaster ride which seems to be drawing to a close. 

Still only 34, he dropped a bombshell last November by announcing his retirement from Test cricket, only three matches after a five-year exile.

But he remains a key member of Pakistan's one-day and T20 squads and a calming influence in a crisis situation.

After Pakistan's disastrous performance in the recent Asia Cup in Bangladesh, skipper Shahid Afridi will be looking to Malik to mentor the side's young batsmen. Husband of Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, Malik was at the crease when Pakistan lifted the T20 crown in 2009 and would love to repeat the victory in Kolkata on April 3.

Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh): Widely regarded as the best cricketer Bangladesh has produced, Shakib is a canny left-arm spinner and a power middle-order batsman with a wide array of strokes. 

Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)Shakib is also Bangladesh's most experienced T20 campaigner and has played in domestic leagues in four different countries. Previously ranked as the world's number one all-rounder, he has been the main factor behind the team's sharp improvement in one-day cricket in the last two years.

But the brash 28-year-old has also made headlines for the wrong reasons and he was slapped with a six-month ban in 2014 by the Bangladeshi board for a "severe attitude problem" after he tried to play in the Caribbean Premier League without permission.

He was also suspended briefly last year for a foul-mouthed outburst at an umpire in Bangladesh's domestic T20 tournament.

surce :http://sh.st/Th2b8

Mustafizur debutant of the year

Bangladesh’s bowling sensation Mustafizur Rahman has won the Debutant of the Year title for 2015 at the Maruti Suzuki ESPNcricinfo Awards.

Mustafizur, who made a dream debut in one-day international series against India in June 2015, was voted by ESPNcricinfo's users, in addition to the jury.

The Maruti Suzuki ESPNcricinfo Awards in a number of cricket categories were announced on Monday.

Mustafizur captured 13 wickets and helped Bangladesh win the three-match ODI series against India. He made his T20 debut against Pakistan earlier in April and secured two wickets.

Among the bowlers who have taken more than 30 international wickets in 2015, Mustafizur's average and strike rate (19.5) are the best, according to the ESPNcricinfo.

New Zealander Kane Williamson's career highest unbeaten 242 in Wellington against Sri Lanka has been voted the top Test batting performance of 2015. The Test bowling award went to England's Stuart Broad, whose 8 for 15 at Trent Bridge skittled Australia out for 60, paving the way for England to regain the Ashes. 

New Zealand players won three awards this year. Tim Southee took the ODI bowling award for his 7 for 33, which bundled England out for 123 in under 34 overs the World Cup; and Brendon McCullum won the Captain of the Year title. 

The best ODI batting performance award went to AB de Villiers, whose 149 off 44 balls against the West Indies at the Wanderers contained the fastest ODI hundred (off 31 balls) and fastest fifty (16 balls). 

The awards, now in their ninth year, honour the best batting and bowling performances across the international formats of the game in the preceding calendar year.

This year's awards were voted on by a jury of former players - among them, Ian Chappell, Mahela Jayawardene, Jeff Dujon, Courtney Walsh, John Wright, Mark Butcher, Mark Nicholas - and ESPNcricinfo's senior writers and editors.

Surce :http://sh.st/ThNLt

Europe-Russia mission departs on hunt for life on Mars

A joint European-Russian mission aiming to search for traces of life on Mars left Earth’s orbit Monday at the start of a seven-month unmanned journey to the Red Planet, space agency managers said.

The Proton rocket carrying the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) to examine Mars’ atmosphere and a descent module that will conduct a test landing on its surface had earlier launched from the Russian-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in the Kazakh steppe at 0931 GMT.

The spacecraft detached from its Briz-M rocket booster just after 2000 GMT before beginning its 496-million-kilometre (308-million-mile) voyage through the cosmos, the European Space Agency (ESA) said.

At 2129 GMT the probe and the lander, dubbed Schiaparelli, sent “signals confirming that the launch had gone well and that the space vehicle is in good condition” ESA said in a statement later Monday.

The TGO probe “is alive and talking,” ESA said on Twitter.

The ExoMars 2016 mission, a collaboration between the ESA and its Russian equivalent Roscosmos, is the first part of a two-phase exploration aiming to answer questions about the existence of life on Earth’s neighbour.

The TGO will examine methane around Mars while the lander, Schiaparelli, will detach and descend to the surface of the fourth planet from the Sun.

The landing of the module on Mars is designed as a trial run ahead of the planned second stage of the mission in 2018 that will see the first European rover land on the surface to drill for signs of life, although problems with financing mean it could be delayed.

‘Nose in space’
One key goal of the TGO is to analyse methane, a gas which on Earth is created in large part by living microbes, and traces of which were observed by previous Mars missions.

“TGO will be like a big nose in space,” said Jorge Vago, ExoMars project scientist.

Methane, ESA said, is normally destroyed by ultraviolet radiation within a few hundred years, which implied that in Mars’ case “it must still be produced today”.

TGO will analyse Mars’ methane in more detail than any previous mission, said ESA, in order to try to determine its likely origin.

One component of TGO, a neutron detector called FREND, can help provide improved mapping of potential water resources on Mars, amid growing evidence the planet once had as much if not more water than Earth.

A better insight into water on Mars could aid scientists’ understanding of how the Earth might cope in conditions of increased drought.

Schiaparelli, in turn, will spend several days measuring climatic conditions including seasonal dust storms on the Red Planet while serving as a test lander ahead of the rover’s anticipated arrival.

The module takes its name from 19th century Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli whose discovery of “canals” on Mars caused people to believe, for a while, that there was intelligent life on our neighbouring planet.

The ExoMars spacecraft was built and designed by Franco-Italian contractor Thales Alenia Space.

‘Need more money’
As for the next phase of ExoMars, ESA director general Jan Woerner has mooted a possible two-year delay, saying in January: “We need some more money” due to cost increases.

The rover scheduled for 2018 has been designed to drill up to two metres (around seven feet) into the Red Planet in search of organic matter, a key indicator of life past or present.

ESA said the rover landing “remains a significant challenge” however.

Although TGO’s main science mission is scheduled to last until December 2017, it has enough fuel to continue operations for years after, if all goes well.

Thomas Reiter, director of human spaceflight at ESA, said in televised remarks ahead of the launch he believed a manned mission to Mars would take place “maybe in 20 years or 30 years”.

Russian-American duo Mikhail Kornienko and Scott Kelly earlier this month returned from a year-long mission at the International Space Station seen as a vital precursor to such a mission.

The ExoMars mission will complement the work of NASA’s “Curiosity” rover which has spent more than three years on the Red Planet as part of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission.

Curiosity, a car-sized mobile laboratory, aims to gather soil and rock samples on Mars and analyse them “for organic compounds and environmental conditions that could have supported life now or in the past,” according to NASA.

Space has been one of the few areas of cooperation between Moscow and the West that has not been damaged by ongoing geopolitical tensions stemming from the crises in Ukraine and Syria.

surce :http://sh.st/ThL3f

Commonwealth Youth Award winner denied UK visa

Bangladeshi girl Shougat Nazbin Khan, who will be awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence in Development Work on 17 March with three others in London, has not received her UK visa.

Nazbin told Prothom Alo that she is not sure whether she will be able to go to receive the award or not as the visa section at the British High Commission in New Delhi has so far rejected her visa application twice.

“I submitted my visa application attaching all papers sent by the Commonwealth on 11 February. But the visa authorities rejected the application, questioning my bank account transactions.”

“I recently visited Germany and so my account transaction was 142 euros,” she said.
When Nazbin informed the Commonwealth authorities about her visa complexities, they advised her to resubmit the application again and also assured that they would request the visa section in this regard.

So on 26 February she submitted the application again.
After a few days, an official of the British High Commissioner phoned Nazbin asking her several questions about how she got the award, what she does, where she lives, how many rooms her house has, who lives with her, her monthly income and so on, during an-hour-long interview.

Then on 6 March, Nazbin was denied the UK visa once again. This time, the British High Commission said she was not given a UK visa apprehending she would not return home from London.

“This is an insult to my country. I have been to Europe twice and visited seven countries. Germany even invited me to do my PhD there. But the British High Commission doubts my return,” she said.

Nazbin, from Tarakandi, Mymensingh, got the Commonwealth Youth Award for her outstanding contribution to education.
She has founded an educational institution in Mymensingh for financially insolvent students so that they can avail education using modern technology.
The awards recognise outstanding young people under the age of 30 from Commonwealth countries whose work has significantly contributed to local, national, regional and global development.

The other three young leaders, who were selected for the award, are from Cameroon, Jamaica and Papua New Guinea. Three of them have already reached London to receive the award.
The British foreign office in London said that this is a home office issue.

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/

Pakistan announce participation in World T20

Pakistan on Friday announced it would send its national cricket team to India for the World Twenty20 following security assurances from New Delhi, ending months of uncertainty.

The interior minister "Chaudhry Nisar (Ali Khan) has given permission to Pakistan's team to play in India," Najam Sethi, a senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official, told reporters after a meeting with the minister.

The Pakistan team had been due to fly out on Wednesday but the government put their departure on hold, citing the threat posed by Hindu extremists who disrupted a meeting between the heads of the two cricket boards held in India last year.

On Thursday, Interior Minister Khan ruled out sending the team until special assurances were met from India.

Sethi said the government had now given its go-ahead.

"We received communication from the ICC (International Cricket Council) and BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). We received a letter from the Chief Minister of Bengal and the police chief," he said.

"An hour ago our High Commissioner Abdul Basit met the Indian Secretary and the assurances were given."

Diplomatic tensions have meant that the two teams have not played any bilateral series for more than three years, and their rivalry is restricted to multi-national tournaments such as the World T20.

They have not played a full series since 2007, although Pakistan did tour India late in 2012 for a short limited over series that failed to revive the ties fully.

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said the team would leave tonight.

"The matter has been solved and after solid assurances from India the team will leave tonight," Khan told media in Lahore. "We don't want to give details of the flights as it could compromise the security.

"We told all the players that if anyone wants to pull out on security grounds then we can take special permission for him to be replaced but all the players are unanimously willing to go and give their best," he said.

Pakistan will forego their first warm-up match -- against a local West Bengal team -- on Saturday but will take on Sri Lanka in the second practice match in Kolkata on Monday.

Their first match of the tournament will be held at Eden Gardens on March 16 against a qualifier team, followed by a clash against arch-rival India at the same venue three days later.

They will then take on New Zealand (March 22) and Australia (March 25) in their remaining Group B matches -- both in Mohali.

The top two teams from each of the two pools will qualify for the semi-finals.

Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam said the players remained focused.

"Yes, its a good news that we are going," Alam told AFP. "The last three days caused some problems but now all the players are focused and will do their best in the tournament."


Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/

Proteas well balanced: Du Plessis

South Africa have their best balanced squad ever going into the World Twenty20 and captain Faf du Plessis is confident they can finally put an end to the ‘chokers’ tag that has dogged the country in major tournaments.

South Africa have arrived at the sixth edition of the World Twenty20 in a rich vein of form, winning nine of their last 12 completed matches and with a settled line-up.

They notched up series victories in Bangladesh and, crucially, India before losing 2-1 at home to Australia.

“In the series against Australia, we tried to make sure that every area was covered and that is why the team changed a little bit every game,” Du Plessis told reporters on Friday.

“So as a captain I don’t feel worried, I feel that we have got a well balanced team.

“I feel that it is the probably the most balanced squad we have had, and it is not the eleven that is playing, we have got some real depth in our squad.”

South Africa have great strength at the top of their batting order with both Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock having staked their claims to be the opening partner for AB de Villiers.

The middle order is studded with powerful strokemakers while fit-again Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada provide pace and control in the fast bowling department.

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir has been a key wicket-taker in the 20-over format and is seen as South Africa’s trump card on the slow spinning wickets in India.

“If you look at guys like Hashim Amla in the previous game, and two games Hashim was not playing, Dale Steyn is just back,” said Du Plessis.

“So we have got some great names in our squad and guys are competing to get into the eleven. Like I said for the first time we have got a real great balance and every single area is covered.”

South Africa have never won a World Cup in either the 50-over or T20 formats and the South African captain said the ‘chokers’ tag was a fair one.

“The only way you can ever get the monkey off your back is if you do win a trophy,” he said.

“For me it is about our preparation, which has been really good and then if it happens, hopefully we will have to stop answering the question.”

South Africa will open their World Twenty20 campaign against England in Mumbai on March 18. They also face group matches against Sri Lanka, West Indies and the winners of the qualifying match between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan.

source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/

Afghans enter World T20 Super 10s

Mohammad Nabi’s brisk fifty and a clinical bowling show helped Afghanistan knock Zimbabwe out of the World T20 with an emphatic 59-run win to storm into the Super 10s in Nagpur on Saturday.

Batting first, Afghanistan rode on a 98-run stand between Nabi (52) and Samiullah Shenwari (43) to post 186 for six, a score which proved to be a winning total after Zimbabawe were shot out for 127 in 19.4 overs.

In-form opener Mohammad Shahzad provided a blazing start to the innings with a 23-ball 40 but his departure saw Afghanistan lose their way to 63 for four.

Medium-pacer Tinashe Panyangara grabbed three wickets to rattle the top-order after left-arm spinner Sean Williams got dangerman Shahzad back in the dugout.

Nabi, who registered his highest T20 score, and Shenwari then got together to turn things around in the knockout encounter, with some precise power hitting.

“Very happy with my performance, especially in this main match and it was a tough game in the qualifying round,” said Nabi.

The batting duo combined the right dose of caution and aggression and Shahzad’s early blitz made sure that the Zimbabwe attack looked pedestrian.

“The start was very good, the way Shahzad played in the first five overs. It was quite good. Then the three wickets put us under pressure, the coach (Inzamam-ul-Haq) told me to take singles until the 14th over and then the last six can be used for the big hits,” said Nabi.

“On that kind of pitch, 150 could be a winning target. But if you have wickets in hand, you can go for more.”

Zimbabwe, who remain winless against Afghanistan in five attempts so far, were never in the chase after losing their openers early.

Burdened by the increasing run-rate the Zimbabwe batting failed to get going with Sikandar Raza top-scoring with 15.

Leg-spinner Rashid Khan turned on the heat with a three-wicket haul as medium-pacer Hamid Hassan contributed with two scalps.

A crucial victory against a Full member for the Inzamam-ul-haq-coached side is indeed a great achievement and captain Asghar Stanikzai could not hide his excitement in the post match chat.

“I thank the Afghanistan people who have been praying for us. They are always praying for us and thinking about us,” Stanikzai addressed the home fans in his native language.

Ranked ninth in world T20 rankings, Afghanistan will now meet defending champions Sri Lanka, South Africa, England and West Indies in Group 1 of the Super 10s.

Later on Saturday, Hong Kong meet Scotland in an inconsequential Group B tie at the same venue.

source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/

SA, England win World T20 warm-ups

South Africa defeated hosts India by four runs in their World Twenty20 warm-up match in Mumbai on Saturday after England had earlier beaten New Zealand by six wickets.

The Proteas won the toss and opted to bat, going on to make 196 for eight in their 20 overs at the western Indian city's Wankhede Stadium.

JP Duminy top-scored for South Africa, hitting 67 off 44 balls. His impressive knock included six fours and three sixes.

Left-handed batsman Quinton de Kock stylishly played his way to 56 runs before retiring not out.

Hardik Pandya was the pick of India's bowlers, grabbing three wickets.

India's run chase got off to a bad start with opener Rohit Sharma going for ten and Virat Kohli managing just one before being caught off only his second ball.

Shikhar Dhawan was India's highest scorer with 73 while Suresh Raina notched 41 and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni recorded 30 as the home side got into their groove.

But in the end they fell just short on a total of 192 for three.

In the day's earlier game, New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat with captain Kane Williamson smashing a 63.

Williamson's knock included nine fours as the Black Caps made 169 for eight in their 20 overs.

The second highest scorer for New Zealand was Ross Taylor who finished on 19 not out.

England opener Jason Roy then powered his way to 55 off 36 balls, including seven runs and two sixes, while Alex Hales notched 44 as England reached 170 for four with four balls remaining.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid was the standout performer of England's bowling attack, grabbing three wickets for just 15 runs.

India will play New Zealand on Tuesday in the first Super 10 group-stage game of the tournament.

England are in action against the West Indies on Wednesday before facing South Africa on Friday in the Proteas' first match of the championship.

source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/