Former England captain Paul Collingwood announces retirement
London, Sep 13 : Former England skipper Paul Collingwood is set to retire at the end of the ongoing domestic season, ending a career spanning more than two decades.
Collingwood, who led England to the World T20 title in 2010 -- their first major win in a global tournament -- played in 68 Tests, 197 one-day internationals and 36 Twenty20s.
"After much thought and deliberation, I have decided to announce my retirement from cricket at the end of the current season," the 42-year-old all-rounder said in a statement.
"I knew this day would eventually come but it hasn't made it any easier - although it's an emotional decision, I know that the time is right and I'm comfortable knowing that I have given every last ounce of energy to the sport.
"I have achieved so much with both Durham and England; far more than I ever imagined and I feel extremely privileged to have had such a long and rewarding career," added Collingwood, who was part of three Ashes-winning teams and was one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year in 2007.
Collingwood made his first-class debut in 1996, also played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals, and played and coached in the Australian Big Bash with Perth Scorchers.
Collingwood, who had retired from Test cricket in 2011, will play his final game for Durham at home against Middlesex, starting on September 24.
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Assam to lift all cases against Koch Rajbongshis in Foreigners' Tribunals: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, Apr 4 (PTI): The Assam cabinet has decided to lift all cases pending against people from the Koch Rajbongshi community in the Foreigners' Tribunals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.
They will also no longer carry the tag of 'D' or doubtful voters, he said.
''There are 28,000 cases pending in different Foreigners' Tribunals in the state against people of the community. The cabinet has taken a historic decision of lifting the cases with immediate effect,'' Sarma said at a press conference here after the cabinet meeting.
The government believes that the Koch Rajbongshis are an indigenous community of the state and they are an inextricable part of ''our social and cultural fabric'', he asserted.
The people of this community are poor and have suffered a lot over the years, he said.
''They will no longer carry the tag of foreigners or ‘D’ voters,'' the CM said.
Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, particularly in Assam, established to determine if a person residing in India is a "foreigner" as defined by the Foreigners Act of 1946, based on the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964.
These tribunals are designed to address matters related to citizenship and the presence of “foreigners” in India, specifically focusing on cases where someone is suspected of being an illegal immigrant.
There are 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals across Assam.
The Koch Rajbongshis have a sizeable presence in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and parts of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, and they demand Scheduled Tribe status.
