Azmatullah Omarzai's 97 lifts Afghanistan to 244 against SA in WC
Ahmedabad, Nov 10: Young all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai left a lasting impression with an unbeaten 97-run knock, lifting Afghanistan to 244 after a batting collapse in their World Cup match against South Africa here on Friday.
Continuing his good run in the tournament, Omarzai faced 107 balls while hitting seven fours and three sixes. However, he could not record his maiden ODI hundred after failing to score off the last three balls of the final over bowled by Kagiso Rabada.
Gerald Coetzee was the most successful bowler for South Africa, finishing with figures of 4/44 in 10 overs.
Afghanistan were off to a steady start after their skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi opted to bat first, but South Africa meant business as they snared three wickets for four runs to leave their opponents in a spot of bother at 45 for three in the 11th over.
At that point, it seemed like the decision to bat first was backfiring even as Temba Bavuma marshalled his resources well to keep South Africa ahead in the game at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
But even before the Proteas could celebrate the first breakthrough they faced an anxious moment when pacer Lungi Ngidi went off the field after suffering what looked like an ankle or achilles issue.
Ngidi, however, returned to pick the wickets of Rahmat Shah and Mohammad Nabi, who nicked one to Quinton de Kock after facing just three balls, leaving his team at 116 for six in the 28th over.
Having smoked lead pacer Rabada's length ball outside off for a six over long-on, Rahmanullah Gurbaz found the fence again when he produced a lovely cover driver against the same bowler.
Coetzee was welcomed to the attack with two authoritative boundaries by Gurbaz, who raced to 25 off 21 balls.
Desperately looking for a breakthrough, Bavuma introduced Keshav Maharaj into the attack and the left-arm spinner straightaway responded with the big wicket of Gurbaz, who edged a turning delivery to Heinrich Klaasen at the first slip.
Not only did Maharaj strike with his first ball he also enjoyed a wicket-maiden, giving South Africa a bit of a momentum which they used to their advantage by quickly grabbing two more wickets.
Much was expected of Ibrahim Zadran, who scored a brilliant hundred against Australia in their last game, but the opener was done in by a short ball from Coetzee, the batter giving a catch to De Kock after edging his attempted pull shot. De Kock finished with a record six catches behind the stumps.
Having started his spell on a fine note, Maharaj struck again, this time removing opposition captain Shahidi, the extra bounce putting the batter in a tricky position as he shaped himself up to play the cut shot.
Omarzai and Rashid Khan kept the scoreboard ticking during a 44-run stand for the sixth wicket, helping their team cross 150 before the latter fell to a soft dismissal.
Omarzai, then, found another able ally in Noor Ahmad who contributed an useful 26 in a 44-run partnership.
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Bank fraud case: ED arrests ex UCO Bank CMD Goel on money laundering charges
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it has arrested former UCO Bank CMD Subodh Kumar Goel on money laundering charges in an alleged bank loan fraud case of more than Rs 6,200 crore linked to a Kolkata-based company.
Goel was arrested from his residence here on May 16 in the case being probed against Concast Steel and Power Ltd (CSPL) and others.
He was produced before the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kolkata on May 17 which sent him to Enforcement Directorate custody till May 21, the federal probe agency said in a statement.
The Enforcement Directoratehad raided the premises of Goel and some others in April as part of this investigation.
The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR related to the sanction of credit facilities to CSPL and subsequent large-scale "diversion" and "siphoning" of loans amounting to Rs 6,210.72 crore (principle amount without interest).
The Enforcement Directorate claimed that during the tenure of Goel as the CMD of UCO Bank, large credit facilities were "sanctioned" to CSPL which were subsequently "diverted" and "siphoned off" by the borrower group.
In turn, it alleged, Goel received "substantial illegal gratification" from CSPL.
"The illegal gratification was layered and channelled through various entities to give a facade of legitimacy.
"Investigation revealed that Goel received cash, immovable properties, luxury goods, hotel booking etc routed through a web of shell companies, dummy persons and through family members to conceal the criminal origin of the money," the Enforcement Directorate said.
Goel or his lawyer could not be contacted for a response on the allegations made by the Enforcement Directorate against him.
The agency said several properties acquired through shell or dummy companies have been identified.
These shell entities are "beneficially owned or controlled" by Goel and his family members, it claimed.
"The source of funds of these entities is linked to CSPL. Evidence gathered so far also shows use of accommodation entries and structured layering through front companies for systematic settlement of kickbacks," the Enforcement Directorate said.
Sanjay Sureka, the main promoter of CSPL, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in December, 2024 and a chargesheet was filed before the Kolkata court in February this year.
The agency had attached assets worth Rs 510 crore of Sureka and CSPL as part of two orders issued under the PMLA.
