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Sports Briefs

■ SOCCER

Player escapes turmoil

Italian Serie A side Parma's Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga has managed to return to Italy from his home country after being caught up in the trouble which has followed a disputed election, the club Web site said. "There is a lot of fear in the population. It is an absurd ... fight," he said. The 20-year-old joined Parma in August last year from Swedish side Helsingborgs.

■ Rugby Union

Dallaglio calls it a day

Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio retired from international rugby for the second time on Thursday and will wind up his playing career at the end of the season, his club Wasps said. The decision by Dallaglio, who first quit England in 2004 after helping them win the 2003 World Cup, was first reported by British media early on Thursday. Dallaglio said he would like to coach in the long term. "Coaching is something I want to do in the future, but not in the immediate future," he said. "I wouldn't expect to have the skills straight away so I would take time away from the game and come back later," he was quoted as saying on the BBC Web site.

■ Soccer

Zaragoza progress in cup

Sergio Garcia headed Gabriel Fernandez's cross in the second minute of injury time to put Zaragoza into the fifth round of the Copa Del Rey with a 3-1 victory over third-division Pontevedra on Thursday. The La Liga side advanced 3-2 on aggregate. After Brazil's Igor de Souza Fonseca converted a penalty in the 18th minute for Pontevedra, Zaragoza scored three times. Diego Milito equalized from the penalty spot in the 53rd minute, then Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira gave Zaragoza a 2-1 lead with a goal in the 72nd minute. Two minutes into injury time, Garcia won the game with a header. Elsewhere, Levante drew 1-1 with Almeria and advanced on 3-2 aggregate. Almeria defender Ruben Pulido headed a goal in the first minute of injury time, but Brazilian defender Alvaro hit a right-footed volley from a rebound to put Levante through in the fourth minute of injury time.

■ Cricket

Players file court petition

Pakistani Test players Imran Farhat and Taufiq Umar have filed a petition against the Pakistan Cricket Board for banning them from playing domestic matches. The board banned Farhat and Umar last month after they returned from India after playing in the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), which is not recognized by the International Cricket Council or its member boards. "We have filed the petition in the Lahore High Court and our plea would be heard on Monday," the players' lawyer Imran Aziz said on Friday. He said both players had asked the court to declare the board's action, which also excludes them from national team selection, as unconstitutional. The board had amended a clause in their domestic cricket regulations to impose its suspension on Farhat, Umar and others, including former Test captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, who played in the ICL. "This is the only way available to us to fight this unjust action by the board," said Farhat. "Cricket is our livelihood and they are depriving us of our right of trade." Farhat has appeared in 27 Tests and 33 one-dayers and Umar in 25 Tests and 19 one-day internationals.