Latest - Pakistan cricket great Shoaib Akhtar has reacted angrily to the prospect of the Pakistan teams tour of New Zealand being cancelled.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand's Ministry of Health has given the entire touring party a final warning after some of them breached isolation conditions at their quarantine hotel in Christchurch.
Six of the team have now tested positive for Covid-19.
Shoaib was upset by the inference that New Zealand Cricket is considering the tour could be called off.
"You're talking about Pakistan, the greatest country on this planet, so behave yourself and stop giving this sort of statement against Pakistan, be careful what you say next time because I'm very frustrated and angry that New Zealand has given this statement," Shoaib said on Face Book.
"I want to give a message to New Zealand board (NZC) that this is not a club team, it's Pakistan national cricket team, we don't need you."
Coleman appeals ban
World 100 metres champion Christian Coleman has appealed against his ban for breaching anti-doping whereabouts rules.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it had registered Coleman's appeal after he was banned for two years by the Athletics Integrity Unit's Disciplinary Tribunal last month and is set to miss next year's Tokyo Olympics.
Under the so-called whereabouts rule, elite athletes must make themselves available for random out-of-competition testing and state a location and one-hour window where they can be found on any given day.
Three failures to properly file whereabouts information or being absent during the hour stated in a 12-month period can result in a one- or two-year suspension.
The American sprinter said at the time of his provisional suspension that anti-doping officials had not followed procedure when he missed them after going Christmas shopping last year at a time when he had said he would be at home.
-Reuters
Ray signs with US team
The US-based New Zealand cyclist Olivia Ray has been picked up by the US Pro-team Rally Cycling.
Photo: RALLY CYCLING
The Aucklander spent three years in the United States studying in Georgia before returning home this year because of the pandemic.
She won the Criterium National title in Christchurch earlier this month.
Rally Cycling sports director Joanne Kiesanowski, another New Zealander, says Ray is a proven performer, not only in the collegiate racing scene but also at the elite level.
"The big goal for next year is to go to as many races as I can, learn as much as I can and, fingers crossed, go to Europe because that's the make or break of cycling," said Ray.
-Rally Cycling
Goodbye Maradona
Tens of thousands of Argentines have taken to the streets to bid farewell to football great Diego Maradona, whose casket lay in state at the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires draped in an Argentine flag and his famous no.10 shirt.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Maradona, whose life was marred by struggles with addiction, died aged 60 following a heart attack at home.
Three days of national mourning have been called for the player who led Argentina to a 1986 World Cup win and is revered with cult-like status.
The star's family is hoping to hold the burial today.
Fans also streamed to Napoli stadium to pay their respects to Maradona, grieving a man who achieved god-like status in the Italian city where he played some of his most sublime football.
The diminutive Argentine left Naples almost 30 years ago, but his spirit never departed, with a giant mural of him still staring down on the traffic-clogged streets and his photograph placed alongside images of saints in shop windows.
Hundreds of blue and white Napoli scarves were tied to railings outside the stadium, and flowers, childrens' pictures, church candles and even a bottle of wine were laid out along the pavement in a rapidly expanding, makeshift shrine.
-Reuters
Brathwaite nears another milestone
The West Indies test squad has had a good day at the crease on the first day of their tour game against New Zealand A in Queenstown.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite is unbeaten on 183 with the tourists 353 for three.
Brathwaite carried his bat through the day after captain Darren Bravo had won the toss and batted at John Davies Oval.
Bravo himself reached 93 as the pair shared a 189-run stand for the second wicket, with no joy for the NZ A bowlers throughout the middle session.
Blair Tickner, Michael Rae and Rachin Ravindra picked up a wicket each.
The first match between the two sides ended in a draw last week.
Heat collapse to give Thunder a place in WBBL final
The Sydney Thunder are through to the Women's Big Bask League final after Brisbane Heat collapsed in their run chase.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Chasing 144 for victory, the two-time defending champions Brisbane were cruising at 119 before they fell apart losing 6 wickets for 12 runs to lose by 12 runs.
White Fern Amelia Kerr was one of those dismissed cheaply, run out for one.
The Thunder will meet the Melbourne Stars in the grand final.
-WBBL
Some fans back to EPL games
Fans of English Premier League clubs in London and Liverpool can attend games when a month-long national lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19 is lifted on Dec. 2, after the two cities were among those classified as falling into high alert regions.
Up to 4,000 spectators will be allowed to attend outdoor elite sports events in the lowest-risk medium alert areas of England.
Liverpool City Region and all 32 boroughs of London plus the city of London will fall under the high alert zone and clubs in those areas can welcome up to 2,000 supporters.
However, clubs in Manchester will have to wait longer after Greater Manchester was classified as being in the very high alert zone.
-Reuters
