Hundreds of community members, relatives and friends gathered at Al Qusais Cemetery after Asr prayers on Monday to bid farewell to Mohammed Safwan Shanu, a 38-year-old Dubai resident who collapsed during a routine cricket match. 

His parents had travelled from India to attend the final rites of their son.

A native of Bhatkal in the Indian state of Karnataka, Safwan had built a life in the UAE over the past 15 years. He leaves behind his wife, three sons and a daughter born just four months ago. His elder brother lives in Dubai and is working at a private firm.

Friends said that Safwan had spent Saturday evening at Dubai’s Waterfront Market buying fish and groceries before preparing for the weekly Sunday morning cricket game, a ritual he had followed for years with close friends. 

Hours later, at around 7.10am on Sunday, Safwan collapsed on the pitch while batting during the match. Players rushed to his aid and immediately called an ambulance.

“We play cricket every Sunday morning and this had become our routine for years,” said Safwan’s close friend Nabeel Karikal, who was with him on the field.

“On Saturday evening, we had gone to the Waterfront Market to buy fish and groceries. He was perfectly fine. The next morning, we even travelled together in the same car to the ground and everything was normal.”

According to Nabeel, Safwan suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness while batting. “We immediately called for an ambulance. CPR was performed and he was rushed to hospital. We later came to know that doctors had declared him dead on arrival,” he said.

The sudden death of the known cricketer in the community drew hundreds of wellwishers and friends to the funeral at Al Qusais Cemetery.

Safwan moved to Dubai nearly 15 years ago and worked for a private firm for around eight years before starting his own business. “Outside work, cricket remained one of his greatest passions,” said Nabeel.

Muniri Atiqur Rahman, leader of Nawayath community in Dubai who had known Safwan since childhood, said that the 38 year old was remembered as much for his character as for his cricketing achievements.

Safwan had been leading teams and captained for some cricket teams in the UAE and had won many player of the match and tournaments awards over the years, according to his friends. (Khaleej Times)

The post 38-year-old Dubai resident dies while playing cricket appeared first on Newswire.

A young actress was granted bail by the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court after being arrested yesterday over a complaint filed by a cricketer regarding a gold chain valued at over Rs. 900,000.

The actress was arrested by the Crimes Division of the Thalangama Police following a complaint lodged by the cricketer, who alleged that she had received the gold chain from him and later pawned it without his knowledge, obtaining approximately Rs. 600,000.

The suspect was produced before the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court yesterday following her arrest.

Appearing on behalf of the suspect, her attorney informed the court that the gold chain had been pawned and that arrangements could be made to redeem it and return it to the complainant.

Speaking to the media, the actress denied the allegations, stating that the gold chain had been given to her as a gift during a personal relationship and that the cricketer later requested its return after the relationship ended.

The Acting Magistrate ordered that the suspect be released on two sureties of Rs. 500,000 each.

The court also directed Thalangama Police to take custody of the relevant gold chain and produce it before the court on the next hearing date.

The case is scheduled to be taken up again on April 22. (Newswire)

The post Young actress granted bail over gold chain dispute following complaint by cricketer appeared first on Newswire.

A suspect involved in the murder of former Sri Lanka U-19 Cricketer Dhammika Niroshana has been arrested in Ambalangoda, the Police said. 

Former cricketer Dhammika Niroshana, who captained the 2002 Sri Lanka Under 19 Cricket team, was shot dead in front of his residence in the Kandewatte area in Ambalangoda on Tuesday.

At the time, Police Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said the shooting was reported to have taken place as a retaliation attack for a shooting that had occurred in the Ambalangoda area previously.

Speaking to the media yesterday, he said information has also come to light that the former cricketer had faced threats from another group in the area.

According to Mawbima newspaper, the Ambalangoda Police suspect the murder may have taken place due to a conflict between two underworld groups. 

The Police said it is suspected that the former cricketer may have been killed due to his close association with a member of an underworld gang. (Newswire)

The post Former Cricketer murder : More details appeared first on Newswire.

Canada’s Danielle McGahey is set to become the first transgender cricketer to play in an official international match during qualifying for the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup.

Opening batter McGahey, 29, has been selected by Cricket Canada as they embark on the pathway to the finals in Bangladesh.

They will take on Argentina, Brazil and the United States in the ICC Americas Qualifier in Los Angeles starting next week for a place in the Global Qualifiers.

Australian McGahey moved to Canada in February 2020 and began socially transitioning from a man to a woman in November 2020 and then medically transitioning in May 2021.

Cricket has not joined the likes of rugby, athletics, cycling and swimming in banning transgender women from taking part in elite women’s competition.

McGahey has fulfilled the International Cricket Council’s [ICC] regulations on transgender players, which is based on testosterone levels, and requires a ‘written and signed declaration… that her gender identity is female.’

She told BBC Sport: ‘In order to determine [my testosterone levels], I’ve been doing blood tests every month now for over two years.

‘I also have to put in my player profile who I have played against and how many runs I’ve scored.

‘A lot of work with my doctor sending my medical information through to the ICC. They have a designated medical officer who looks over all the information provided, and determines whether or not I have provided enough for an expert panel to make a decision.

‘The need to do blood tests every month is probably the biggest challenge because when you are playing cricket you are travelling a lot.

‘It’s very personal in terms of the information you are giving over – all your medical information, history of puberty, any surgeries. There’s a lot in it. But the protocols are there and it has been used as intended.’

McGahey came to the attention of the Canadian selectors with her batting performances in the country’s inter-province tournament, which allowed participation based on gender self-identification alone.

That led to an international bow playing four T20 games in the South American Championships, which Canada were invited into as guests, in October 2022.

Again, as these were not ICC-recognised matches, McGahey did not have to fulfil their criteria, but a step up to World Cup qualification means she does.

McGahey said: ‘I can’t recall a single negative experience, particularly on the field or off the field with my team. Everyone has been incredibly supportive.

‘I’m very open about my transitioning and for me it is all about inspiring the next and the next, and going from there.’

The ICC guidelines, revised in 2021, attempt to strike a balance between ‘encouraging and facilitating’ transgender player participation and ‘protecting the safety’ of all players while ‘delivering on the promise of fair and meaningful competition.’

But the rules have been criticised as ‘unfair and unsafe’ by the Women’s Rights Network, who claim transgender women have a ‘significant advantage’ over biological women.

Other sports have moved to ban transgender women from competing at an elite level. World Rugby did so in the women’s rugby union game in October 2020 and international Rugby League followed suit last year.

Also in 2022, swimming’s world governing body FINA, voted to ban transgender athletes and World Athletics did likewise in March 2023, with cycling following in July. (DailyMail)

The post First transgender cricketer to play in T20 World Cup qualifiers appeared first on Newswire.

England cricketer Sam Billings has revealed he underwent two operations to remove a malignant melanoma on his chest as he warned his fellow players about the risks of skin cancer.

Wicketkeeper Billings, 31, said his England team-mates were left shocked by his ‘gory and bloody’ six-inch scar and stitches when he removed his shirt in the changing rooms during last year’s white-ball tour of Australia.

He admits he was fortunate to have the skin cancer diagnosed during a routine screening at his county, Kent, before it developed into anything worse.

Billings recovered to play a full winter of cricket but is urging players at all levels of the game to make sure they apply suncream when they take the field.

On that moment in the England dressing room, he told the Daily Telegraph: ‘I had completely forgotten it was there! But I still had my stitches in and it was pretty gory, still bloody and healing. I think the boys were pretty shocked.

‘I’ve been that classic Brit abroad. As a 22-year-old with fairer hair in Australia thinking it was worth going a bit red to end up brown.

‘And at home you see it all the time, it gets to 12 degrees and sunny, all the tops come off. I didn’t think I’d be the guy who got skin damage. I hope people see my story and think twice.’

Billings almost skipped the skin cancer screening at Kent because there was a queue and he was running late for a meeting. It was only the intervention of the club’s head physio Dan George that persuaded the captain to hang around.

It revealed a mole on his upper chest that needed to be removed. Billings was told he had a melanoma that was 0.6mm deep, with the threshold of 0.7mm being when things can really get serious, and was immediately refereed for an operation.

‘I could see inside my own chest, which wasn’t very nice,’ he said. ‘At one point the anaesthetic didn’t work well so I was in huge pain.

‘I never realised how much your chest affects everything else. Just moving my arm was extremely painful. Mentally it was definitely more challenging than physically.’

In partnership with the Professional Cricketers’ Association and Lifejacket Skin Protection, Billings has warned club cricketers not to get sunburnt when they play.

‘We treat it [applying suncream] like a bit of a chore because the education around it isn’t as good as in countries like Australia,’ he added.

Billings isn’t the first top-level sportsman to reveal they have suffered from skin cancer.

The Germany and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer revealed last year he required three operations to remove a tumour from his face.

Tennis star Angelique Kerber has also suffered from the sun-induced skin condition hyperpigmentation.

The lifelong condition, which can be easily treated, is caused by exposure to the sun and leads to spots or patches that look brown, black, grey, red or pink on the skin. (Daily Mail)

The post England cricketer Sam Billings reveals his battle with skin cancer appeared first on Newswire.