25-year-old prominent Afghanistan cricketer announces retirement after ODI WC 23
Kabul: Afghanistan's prominent fast bowler, Naveen-ul-Haq, has taken the cricketing world by surprise with his announcement to retire from One-Day Internationals (ODIs) following the upcoming ODI World Cup, slated to commence on October 5 in India.
The 24-year-old, who currently represents the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), intends to continue wearing Afghanistan's national jersey for T20 Internationals (T20Is).
Naveen boasts a commendable record in ODIs, having participated in seven matches and securing 14 wickets at an average of 25.42. His last appearance in a 50-over game for Afghanistan dates back to January 2021 when they faced Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Naveen made his ODI debut against Bangladesh in September 2016.
In an Instagram post, Naveen expressed his deep appreciation for representing his country and revealed his challenging decision to retire from the ODI format after the World Cup. He emphasized his commitment to continue playing T20 cricket for Afghanistan. The pacer thanked the Afghanistan Cricket Board and his fans for their unwavering support.
Naveen-ul-Haq has been a subject of controversy, notably after a heated exchange with Virat Kohli during the IPL last year, which garnered significant attention in India.
In addition to his impressive ODI statistics, Naveen has a remarkable record in T20Is, claiming 34 wickets in 27 matches at an average of 20.70.
Afghanistan will commence their World Cup campaign against Bangladesh on October 6 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
