LAHORE // Pakistan’s Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq said on Monday he had signed a contract with a Bangladesh Twenty20 side, deferring retirement plans after his side’s 2-0 win against England last week.
Misbah, 41, had hinted that last week’s Test series could be his swansong, but later said he might be persuaded to return for next year’s four-match series hosted by England.
The series will be Pakistan’s next Test assignment and, having retired from one day cricket this year and Twenty20 internationals in 2012, Misbah is set to face eight months out of national colours.
In order to keep his eye in, he said he wants to play domestic cricket and has signed a contract with the Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League.
“I will be playing in the Bangladesh league and hope that this opportunity helps me carry on,” Misbah said.
“I need to play to motivate myself for the England tour.”
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan had asked Misbah to delay his Test retirement until at least the next tour in order to give Pakistan a longer transition period.
“I have to look for ways and means to motivate myself as its tough when you play only one format of the game,” Misbah said after the team’s win in last week’s Test in Sharjah.
“If I am able to motivate myself then it will be easier,” said Misbah. “It’s a challenge to play after long gaps.”
Misbah is currently ranked 10 in the world Test batting rankings.
Since taking over as captain in 2010, Misbah has led Pakistan to 20 wins in 42 Tests – the highest number of victories for any Pakistani captain.
With last week’s victory over England, he took Pakistan to No 2 in the world rankings for the first time in almost a decade – an achievement made all the more remarkable given that the side has not played Tests at home since militants attacked a visiting Sri Lankan team in 2009.
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Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
MATCH INFO
Rajasthan Royals 158-8 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 143/7 (20 ovs)
Rajasthan Royals won by 15 runs
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It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
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By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds