Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi on Saturday said he has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the first high-profile cricketer to be infected with the deadly virus.

"I've been feeling unwell since Thursday; my body had been aching badly. I've been tested and unfortunately I'm covid positive. Need prayers for a speedy recovery, InshaAllah," Afridi announced on Twitter.

Afridi played for Pakistan between 1996 and 2018, featuring in 27 Tests (1716 runs and 48 wickets), 398 ODIs (8064 runs and 395 wickets) and 99 T20 Internationals (1416 runs and 98 wickets).

He remains involved in the game and was last seen on the field in the Pakistan Super League in March.

Afridi is also actively involved in his charity work as the head of a foundation named after him. Following the coronavirus outbreak, he was seen outdoors on many occasions, mainly for his charity work.

Wishes of a speedy recovery started pouring on social media soon after Afridi made the announcement. He might have retired from international cricket his popularity in the sub-continent has not dipped.

Another former Pakistan international Taufeeq Umar, had also tested positive for coronavirus but he recovered earlier this month.

At least two Pakistani first-class players have died from the infection with leg-spinner Riaz Sheikh passing away in Karachi earlier this month.

Sheikh, a leg-spinner who took 116 wickets in 43 matches, died in his home. Another Pakistani first-class player, Zafar Sarfaraz, 50, died due to the virus in April in Peshawar.

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New Delhi, Oct 24: Justice Sanjiv Khanna was on Thursday appointed the 51st Chief Justice of India.

He will take oath on November 11, a day after incumbent Justice D Y Chandrachud demits office on attaining the age of 65.

Justice Chandrachud took over as the CJI on November 8, 2022.

Justice Khanna will have a tenure of a little over six months as CJI and would demit office on May 13, 2025.

"In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, Hon'ble President, after consultation with Hon'ble Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Judge of the Supreme Court of India as Chief Justice of India with effect from 11th November, 2024," Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal posted on X.

Justice Khanna was appointed an additional judge of the Delhi High Court in 2005 and was made a permanent judge in 2006. On January 18, 2019, he was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court.

Born on May 14, 1960, he studied law at the Campus Law Centre of Delhi University.

Some of the notable judgments of Justice Khanna in the Supreme Court include upholding the use of electronic voting machines in elections, saying the devices were secure and eliminated booth capturing and bogus voting.

He was also part of the five-judge bench that declared the electoral bond scheme, meant for funding of political parties, as unconstitutional.

Justice Khanna was a part of the five-judge bench, which upheld the Centre's 2019 decision abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution which granted a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Justice Khanna, who is the senior-most judge after the outgoing CJI, and the executive chairman of the National Legal Service Authority (NALSA), had granted interim bail to the then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, an accused in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam cases, for campaigning in Lok Sabha elections.

He is the nephew of former apex court judge H R Khanna, who was part of the landmark verdict propounding the basic structure doctrine in Kesavananda Bharati case of 1973.

The retirement age of Supreme Court judges is 65 years, while high court judges demit office at the age of 62 years.

The Centre recently asked CJI Chandrachud to name his successor.

According to the memorandum of procedure (MoP) -- a set of documents guiding appointment, elevation and transfer of high court and Supreme Court judges -- the law minister writes to the CJI to name his or her successor.

Law Minister Meghwal had written to CJI Chandrachud asking him to name his successor.

The MoP says the senior-most judge of the apex court is considered fit to hold the office of the CJI and the views of the outgoing head of the judiciary have to be sought "at an appropriate time".

The MoP, however, does not specify the time limit for the initiation of the process of recommending the name of the successor CJI.