Dubai - A gas tanker burst into flames after it collided with a container ship off the coast of Dubai on Tuesday, the Emirates News Agency WAM reported.

The ship, which the news agency identified as the "Kashmir," collided with a container ship about 5 kilometres from the Jabil Ali port, which is about 35 kilometres south-west of Dubai.

A spokesman for the Dubai ports authority DP World told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the collision took place at 12:23 pm (0823 GMT). He said he was unable to confirm the name or the owners of either of the two ships involved.

Two crewmen were rescued from the water with light injuries, the spokesman said, and no one else was injured.

Dubai, Feb. 10 : The ICC today confirmed the schedule for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2009 to take place from 1 to 19 April in South Africa.

With three ODI venues being used, including Willowmoore Park in Benoni and Potchefstroom for group and Super Eight matches and Centurion for the final on 19 April, the event will enjoy first-class facilities.

In total there are nine venues being used for 54 matches played over 19 days with 12 teams fighting it out for the four qualification places on offer in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

Dubai, Feb. 9 : India has slipped back to third in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table following defeat in the fifth and final match of its away series against Sri Lanka.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team had moved ahead of Australia and to within four ratings points of leader South Africa when it went 4-0 up in the series but a combination of Sri Lanka's strong showing in the final ODI and Australia beating New Zealand in the third ODI of its ongoing five-match series has meant they have returned to third position.

Karachi, Feb. 1 : Pakistan will be playing a three nation one-day international series in Dubai in April 2009.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be the other two teams taking part in the tournament, The Nations reports.

According to the Pakistan Cricket coach Intikhab Alam, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai Sports City, and the proposed tri-series is a part of the same.

Commenting on the refusal of the Australian cricket team to tour Pakistan due to security concerns, Alam said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is ready to host the Kangaroos on any neutral venue also.

Dubai, Jan. 31 : India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has reclaimed the top rank in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player rankings for ODI batsmen from the West Indies Chris Gayle.

Dhoni's 61 not out against Sri Lanka in his side's first ODI of a five-match series has enabled the 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman to regain his place at the head of the table. There will be ample opportunity for Dhoni to put daylight between him and the chasing pack as the rest of the series unfolds in Colombo.

Dubai, Jan. 31 : New Zealander Jeff Crowe of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees has reached another landmark.

Today, as Kenya hosts Zimbabwe at the Nairobi Gymkhana for the third match in a five-game series, Crowe will notch up 100 One-Day Internationals as an ICC match referee.

To mark the occasion, ICC's High Performance Manager Richard Done made a presentation to the New Zealander before the game on behalf of the ICC.

"I would like to congratulate Jeff on his achievement," said ICC Umpires' and Referees' Manager Vince van der Bijl.