SPORT | 07

Carter says

sayonara to Japan

but no word

on his future

SPORTWhat now for

cricket in 2020

after postpone-

ments due to virus?

SPORT | 08

SUNDAY 19 APRIL 2020

Athletes banned until 2020 can compete at Olympics: AIU chiefREUTERS — LONDON

The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics will allow athletes banned until 2020 to qualify for the Games next year as doping bans are based on time periods and not events, Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) head Brett Clothier said.

Last month, the Interna-tional Olympic Committee and the Japanese government agreed to postpone the Tokyo Games, due to start in July, to 2021 because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 150,000 people worldwide.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) bans are designed to prevent athletes from com-peting during an Olympic cycle

and Clothier said stopping ath-letes whose bans expire this year from competing in 2021 would lead to legal complications.

“The standard penalty under the WADA code for doping is a four-year ban,” Clothier said. “And that’s been designed that way to tie in with the Olympic cycle.

“But in this case, of course, it’s an anomaly that the Olympics have moved so some athletes will benefit from that.

“It’s an unfortunate situ-ation but one that is very clear under the legal framework so the ban is based on time and not

tied to particular events.” The anomaly could prove to

be a double-edged sword, however, with Clothier saying athletes caught after August this year would be banned for two Olympic Games -- in Tokyo and Paris -- since they fall within the four-year sanction range.

But with social distancing protocols and lockdowns in place in several countries, Clothier said the biggest impact the pandemic has had on anti-doping agencies is the lack of regular testing.

“The restrictions on movement that are happening in many countries are having a

severe disruption to testing processes around the world,” he said.

“We do testing for over a 100 countries round the world and there are different restric-tions in each country... and those restrictions are changing day-to-day, week-to-week.

“So our normal testing operations are disrupted. We are still conducting testing where we can but there is a severe disruption, no question.”

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said a new self-administered doping test, where athletes are moni-tored live by a doping control

officer, could help protect clean athletes, as the agency tries to ensure no one gets a “free pass” from reduced testing during the pandemic.

Clothier said that though current testing limitations give dopers an opportunity to cheat, agencies should be proactive in identifying athletes prone to cheating while also cracking down on the root causes of doping.

“One thing that needs to be understood though is testing for us isn’t just a numbers game,” he added.

“We use intelligence and investigation methodologies to make sure we are testing the right athletes we need to at the right time.

“While our testing activities are reduced at the moment, we are focusing on our priority and high-risk athletes and making sure we can test them as much as possible within the limita-tions we have.

“We’re hoping that we’ll see change around the anti-doping world... where more organisa-tions invest in intelligence capabilities so that they can address the root causes of doping and the people behind doping rather than just using the tests as a facade or a numbers game.”

It’s an unfortunate situation but one that is very clear under the legal framework so the ban is based on time and not tied to particular events: Brett Clothier

CONMEBOL confirms Qatar 2022 qualifying to begin in SeptemberAFP — ASUNCION

South American qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, delayed by the coro-navirus pandemic, will begin in September, the region’s governing body CONMEBOL said.

Last month, CONMEBOL asked FIFA to delay the start of the qualification campaign as the first two rounds of matches at the end of March could not be played due to football being suspended on the continent over the deadly virus.

“For the moment, the start fixed by (FIFA) for its celebration is September 4-8 in the format already estab-lished,” said CONMEBOL.

All 10 teams are due to play each other home and away in a round robin

format. That amounts to 18 matches, far more than most other continental federations organise.

The first two rounds need to be rearranged but CON-MEBOL said any new dates would have to be ratified by FIFA.

And with the Copa America being postponed until next year, the opportu-nities to fit in an extra two rounds of matches appear few.

As it is, two rounds of World Cup qualifiers are due to be played on June 3 and 8, 2021, with the Copa now set to begin on June 11.

Meanwhile, CONMEBOL said that no restart date could yet be fixed for its flagship club competitions, the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana.

Premier League return date still not clear, says West Ham Chief Executive AFP — LONDON

West Ham Chief Executive Karren Brady claims the Premier League’s return date is still unclear despite hopes the top-flight season can restart in June.

The Premier League said that wrapping up the remaining 92 fixtures remains their goal, but the on-going coronavirus crisis means no fixed schedule can be drawn up yet.

Brady’s West Ham were perilously placed in the English top flight when football was suspended, sitting above the relegation zone on only goal difference with nine games remaining.

“Players will have been able to retain some physical fitness at home,” Brady wrote in her column in The Sun yesterday.

“But if social-distancing rules are still in place, physical match-play training will not be allowed -- you can’t tackle from

two metres away. “So, how match-fit will players be if the season commences, as we all hope it will, by mid-June?”

With most clubs having nine games left, it was reported that Friday’s meeting of the 20 clubs discussed finishing the season in a 40-day window.

There have been claims that clubs were told domestic

seasons must end by July 31 and the 2020-21 campaign must start by the first week of Sep-tember at the latest.

Brady questioned how Premier League clubs could regularly test players for the virus when the same situation is not yet in place for all NHS workers.

She also highlighted a

potential unfairness in some squads having a number of players in self-isolation.

“Police officers will need to be at games even if they are behind closed doors as some supporters will travel to the stadium, even if they cannot come in to watch,” she said.

“Everyone at the stadium -- and even behind closed doors this is about 300-500 people -- including security, staff, medical officers, players, ref-erees and media, will have to have temperature checks, fill out health questionnaires and observe social distancing.

“Then there is the issue of injuries. All this is manageable but what if a player gets injured, where do we send him?

“It can’t be to an NHS (UK National Health Service) hos-pital that is already under pressure and private hospitals are carrying out NHS proce-dures and not taking in injured footballers. So then what?”

A picture shows a mural of Liverpool’s English defender Trent Alexander-Arnold near Liverpool football club’s stadium Anfield in Liverpool, yesterday.

Last month, the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government agreed to postpone the Tokyo Games, due to start in July, to 2021.

‘Big 3’ discussing ways to help lower-level players: DjokovicREUTERS — LONDON

Novak Djokovic (pictured) has been in touch with fellow ATP Player Council members Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal to discuss ways to assist lower-ranked players facing financial struggles amid the novel coro-navirus outbreak, the world number one said yesterday.

Answering a fan’s question during his Instagram live chat with Stan Wawrinka, Player Council chief Djokovic said steps would be taken to ensure that only those players who are most deserving will benefit from any relief plans.

“I spoke to Roger and Rafa a few days ago and we had a conversation about the near

future of tennis. How we can contribute to help l o w e r r a n k e d guys who are obvi-o u s l y struggling the most, D j o k o v i c said.

“A majority of players ranked between 250 to 700 or 1,000 don’t

have federation support or sponsors and are independent

and left alone.” The tennis season was

suspended in early March due to the pandemic, leaving players in the lower tiers who depend solely on tournament winnings without the

chance to earn a living.The plight of

players ranked outside the top

100 in singles h a s

prompted the game’s stake-holders -- the ATP, WTA, ITF and the organisers of the four Grand Slams -- to devise plans to provide some assistance.

“Players hopefully will (also) contribute collectively to the relief fund that the ATP (and others) will distribute using models and criteria,” Djokovic added.

“You want to avoid giving money to player who fits into this category (low ranking) but does not need the money com-pared to someone else... hope-fully between $3-4.5 million will be distributed to lower-ranked

players.” Djokovic, a 17-times Grand Slam champion, said other short-term solutions could include diverting

bonus money meant for top players from season-ending events like the ATP Finals into the relief fund.

“If we don’t have any events (in 2020), maybe next year’s Australian Open prize money can be contributed to the fund,” the Serb added.

“I’m glad the tennis eco-system is coming together. Eve-ryone realises the base of tennis. These guys ranked 250 onwards are the ones making the future of tennis.

“We have to show them they’re not forgotten. We also have to send a message to young players that they can live out of tennis when there’s a financial crisis,” said Djokovic.

uture of tennis.How we can

ontribute o help o w e r a n k e d uys who re obvi-

u s l ytruggling he most,

D j o k o v i c aid.

“A majority of layers ranked etween 250 to 00 or 1,000 on’t

have federation support or sponsors and are independent

and left alone.” The tennis season was

suspended in early March due to the pandemic, leaving players in the lower tiers who depend solely on tournament winnings without the

chance to earn a living.The plight of

players ranked outside the top

100 in singles h a s

promholdand Granto pr

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I spoke to Roger and Rafa a few days ago and we had a conversation about the near future of tennis. How we can contribute to help lower ranked guys who are obviously struggling the most: Novak Djokovic

Mercedes F1 boss Wolff takes a stake in Aston Martin

REUTERS — LONDON

Mercedes Formula One boss Toto Wolff has taken a stake in British sportscar maker Aston Martin, whose executive chairman Lawrence Stroll runs the Racing Point F1 team, according to company filings.

A Mercedes F1 spokesman said Wolff’s move was purely an investment on the Aus-trian’s part and would be diluted by a rights issue tomorrow from 4.77% to less than 1%.

“Fully diluted following the pending rights issue, this investment will represent a 0.95% stake in the company,” he added. “It is a financial investment and Toto’s part-nership and executive role with Mercedes are unaffected by the transaction.”

Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli has also bought a 3.38% stake which will be sim-ilarly diluted. Wolff previously had a 16% shareholding in former champions Williams but sold that after he joined the Mer-cedes team, where he serves as principal and owns 30%.

Canadian billionaire Stroll, whose son Lance drives for Racing Point alongside Mexican Sergio Perez, is close to Wolff.

REUTERS – MUMBAI

The tennis governing bodies have joined forces to support lower-level professionals who are struggling financially during the sport’s shutdown due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The tennis season was halted in early March due to the pandemic, leaving players in the lower tiers who depend solely on tournament winnings without the chance to earn a living.

The men’s ATP Tour and the WTA, which runs the women’s circuit, suspended all tournaments until mid-July after countries started locking down borders to contain the spread of the flu-like virus which has infected over two million people.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF), the sport’s governing body, was also forced to postpone its lower-tier World Tennis Tour.

The plight of the players ranked outside the top 100 in singles prompted all stake-holders, along with the organ-isers of the four Grand Slams, to step in and devise plans to provide some relief.

While professional tennis players remain independent contractors and not employees, ATP Chairman Andrea Gau-denzi said he was impressed by the spirit of collaboration

among the various governing bodies.

“I’ve been quite touched by the top players who reached out, the big names expressing really the desire of helping the lower-ranked players,” Italian Gaudenzi, a former top-20 player, said in a podcast on Friday.

“We’re also working and talking with the Grand Slams about it, they may want to join in the effort...

“In a world where we think greater collaboration among the governing bodies is key, I

think it would be a great message if we can all support the players in this crisis.”

Gaudenzi said while the ATP’s reserves and resources were not infinite, and the body was also hamstrung by lack of clarity on the resumption of the sport, the Tour will offer help for those who need it most.

While tennis is a lucrative sport for those at the top, those in the lower echelons often struggle to make ends meet.

A 2018 International Review Panel report commis-sioned to address betting and

integrity issues said that players in the lowest tiers were susceptible to corruption because of the difficulty in making a living.

Only 250-350 players, the report said, earned enough to break even.

Georgia’s Sofia Shapatava, the world’s 375th ranked women’s singles player, started a petition seeking assistance for lower-level professionals.

The WTA and the ATP have previously said they were working to boost players’ earnings when the sport

resumes and might extend the current season to allow more tournaments to be held.

“In an effort to provide assistance with financial hardships, we have to date distributed over $3m in pay-ments to players since the suspension of play began in March,” WTA CEO Steve Simon told Reuters.

“We continue to look at every possible avenue to assist our members, which involves a number of potential options to provide such additional financial relief.” The United States Tennis Association (USTA), the organisers of the US Open, has made a commitment to support the financial packages being put together by the other governing bodies.

“There’s really two things we’re doing to support those lower-ranked players,” USTA Chief Executive Mike Dowse told reporters in a conference call on Thursday.

“We’ve made a commitment to continue to fund the chal-lenger series and ITF-related tournaments when those come back online. That’s an investment in the neigh-bourhood of $7.5m.

“We want to do this as part of a holistic package. It will be part of that relationship we have with the ATP and WTA. Those details are being finalised right now by those two organizations.”

AFP – WELLINGTON

Three-time world player of the year Dan Carter announced yesterday he is leaving his Japanese club Kobe Steelers, but the 38-year-old gave no indication whether his illus-trious career is over.

Carter, who holds the world record for the most points in Test rugby and was a World Cup winner in 2011 and 2015, confirmed on Instagram that with the Covid-19 pan-demic bringing the Japanese season to an end his time with the club was over.

“I’ve gone a bit quiet since the JRU announced they are cancelling all their competitions this season,” Carter said.

“I know it’s the right decision with what the world is going through at the moment but I would have loved to try help my @kobelcosteelers_official family win another top league, and I’m gutted I can’t do this.

“I want to thank the club, fans and my team mates for welcoming me and making the last two seasons some of the most enjoyable rugby I have ever played.” The champion fly-half first played for French club Racing 92 after retiring from Test rugby following the 2015 World Cup, before signing a two-year deal with Kobe Steelers in 2018.

He made no mention of his next move, leaving open the possibility he may play one

more domestic season in New Zealand where is he waiting out the pandemic with his family.

Carter played the first of his 112 Tests for the All Blacks in 2003, scored a record 1,598 points during his international career and was the world player of the year in 2005, 2012 and 2015.

07SUNDAY 19 APRIL 2020 SPORT

Tennis governing bodies join forces to answer players’ cry for financial help

Japan baseball delayed again, no date set for resumption

AP – TOKYO

Nippon Professional Baseball’s season openers will not take place in May due to the new coronavirus pandemic, with no firm date set for the start.

Representatives of the 12 teams decided Friday to also scrap interleague play. The removal of 18 interleague games from each team’s cal-endar would make for a 125-game regular season.

Although no specific date had been set to start the season, the representatives agreed in an online meeting to not start before the end of May. The interleague games between the Central and Pacific leagues have started in May since the format was established in 2005.

“It was clear that we were going to have to reduce the number of games,” said Shosaku Yokota of the Orix Buffaloes.

“We decided that in such a case, it was best to protect league games.”

Both leagues were origi-nally scheduled to open play on March 20. Opening day was then reset for April 10, and then again for April 24. Earlier this month, the teams gave up on fixing a starting time.

This year’s original early start was designed to allow for a three-week break in the summer for the Tokyo Olympics. After the March 24 announcement that the Olympics would be postponed until next year, that break was no longer needed and teams still held out hope of playing a full 143-game schedule. That hope ended on Friday.

Taiwan’s four-team Chinese Professional Baseball League opened its season last weekend with games played without spectators.

MLS pushes back season, suggests possible salary cutsAP – LOS ANGELES

Major League Soccer is pushing back restarting the season to at least June 8 and says it is also discussing possible salary cuts with the players’ union.

Teams had played two matches before the season was suspended on March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic and the league had been looking at possibly resuming play in mid-May. The league would still like to play a full season.

MLS also said it is exploring possible “changes to player compensation” because of the financial hit the league and teams are facing.

“We are seeking to work collaboratively with the MLSPA to find a solution that provides a safety net for all players, opportunity to earn full salary in the scenario where all matches are played with fans, and in particular provides protection for the players at the lower end of the salary scale,” the League said in a statement yesterday.

The Major League Soccer Players’ Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Possible salary cuts of as much as 50% for some players were first reported by ESPN, which cited sources. But those cuts would only kick in if games or the season were canceled.

A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that players would not be furloughed. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is not being made public.

MLS and the players’ union agreed to terms of a new con-tract in early February, but it had not been ratified when the season was put on hold.

The league has long maintained that it prefers to play a full season. Possible scenarios include extending play into December and canceling non-league matches like the Leagues Cup between MLS and Liga MX teams.

Games could also be played without fans in attendance.

A general view of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center which is used as a temporary hospital as the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in the Queens borough of New York City, New York.

AITA plans domestic circuit for struggling playersREUTERS – MUMBAI

India plans to launch a domestic tennis circuit from July to support its players who are struggling financially during the sport’s shutdown due to the novel coro-navirus outbreak, the country’s tennis body (AITA) said yesterday.

The tennis season was halted in early March due to the pandemic, leaving players in the lower tiers who depend solely on tournament winnings without the chance to earn a living.

AITA said it had come up with an intermediate plan with the support of the country’s government to reduce some of the pain for the lower-level professionals.

India is currently in lockdown till May 3 and it was assumed that travel restrictions would be lifted in the next two months, the AITA said.

“This circuit will be aimed at bene-fiting our tennis players across the country since the pandemic has adversely affected their livelihood as well as their overall training and pre-paredness,” AITA said in a statement.

“(It) shall have the objective of helping them be sharp, fit, competitive and match ready without any major financial burden.”

The men’s ATP Tour and the WTA, which runs the women’s circuit, sus-pended all tournaments until mid-July after countries started locking down borders to contain the spread of the flu-like virus which has infected over two million people.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF), the sport’s governing body, was also forced to postpone its lower-tier World Tennis Tour.

The tennis governing bodies have

joined forces to step in and devise plans to provide some relief.

While tennis is a lucrative sport for those at the top, those in the lower ech-elons often struggle to make ends meet.

Sumit Nagal is India’s top-ranked men’s singles player at 127 while

Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Ramkumar Ramanathan are ranked 132nd and 186th respectively.

The 163rd ranked Ankita Raina is the country’s leading singles player in the women’s section.

AITA said it will approach companies to contribute to the fund that will be used to create tournaments for Indian players while the professional and ITF circuits remain closed.

“AITA proposes to start tournaments for all age groups,” the governing body said. “These will initially (in July and August) be restricted to state level tour-naments keeping in mind the need for restricting travel.

“It shall subsequently graduate into zonal and national tournaments in Sep-tember, October and November once the travel restrictions and social distancing norms are further eased.”

All Blacks great Carter says sayonara to Japan but no word on his future

I know it’s the right decision with what the world is going through at the moment but I would have loved to try help my @kobelcosteelers_official family win another top league, and I’m gutted I can’t do this: Dan Carter

Yankees’ Kahnle goes 4-0 in MLB The Show

AGENCIES – NEW YORK

New York Yankees right-hander Tommy Kahnle, who entered night with a 3-5 record, swept four games in the MLB The Show Players Tournament yesterday.

Kahnle opened with a 4-3 victory over Seattle Mariners right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. before topping New York Mets utility man Jeff McNeil 4-2.

Following a 1-0 decision over Detroit Tigers utility man Niko Goodrum, Kahnle capped his night with a 4-2 win against Chicago White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito.

The online tournament uti-lizing the “MLB The Show 20” game features one player from each of the 30 major league teams. The charity event is helping fill some time for players and fans with the baseball season shut down indefinitely due to the coro-navirus pandemic.

All players will square off once in a 29-game round robin over three weeks. Each reg-ular-season game lasts three innings, and there are extra innings when needed. The top eight players will reach the postseason, which culminates in a May 2 World Series. The playoffs will utilize a best-of-three format until the World Series, which will be best-of-five.

Aside from Kahnle, the players who enjoyed the best results yesterday were Bal-timore Orioles outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. and Mil-waukee Brewers closer Josh Hader, who both went 3-1.

Sony Interactive Enter-tainment and Major League Baseball, in cooperation with the players association, will donate $5,000 on behalf of each player to a Boys and Girls Club in his community. A total of $175,000 will be donated.

MLS is exploring possible “changes to player compensation” because of the financial hit the league and teams are facing.

Three-time world player of the year Dan Carter playing cricket at his home backyard in this photo obtained from his twitter handle @DanCarter

08 SUNDAY 19 APRIL 2020SPORT

Scarecrows created by Northwich Cricket Club members are pictured placed on the cricket field to represent players and umpires on the planned day for the start of their cricket season, while the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Northwich, Britain, yesterday.

What now for cricket in 2020?

AFP - LONDON

Cricket has seen international series postponed, the Indian Premier League put on hold and the T20 World Cup in Australia thrown into major doubt by the coronavirus pandemic.

Here, AFP Sport takes a look at what could happen next for cricket in 2020:

WILL WINDIES BE ABLE TO

DEFEND TITLE? -- The West Indies have been one of the weakest of the Test nations in the last 10 years, with troubles behind the scenes and rows over players’ pay often proving costly for a talented side on the pitch.

But they have still produced two memorable World T20 triumphs, in 2012 and 2016, but now may have to wait to defend their crown in Australia.

The 2020 T20 World Cup is due to get underway in October, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) admitted on Friday that it was “exploring all options”, despite playing down reports that it could be pushed back until 2021.

A postponement would be a blow to some of the game’s ageing stars, including the 40-year-old Chris Gayle, who was hoping to bow out of the international arena in style by leading the Windies to

another global title. However, Gayle has mooted the possibility of playing for another five years.

“Forty-five is a good number. Let’s talk at 45,” the big-hitting opener told cricbizz.com earlier this year.

“I think that’s a good number and my first number.

"I just think I am on the slow side a bit.”

COULD LOSS OF FRANCHISE CRICKET PROVE COSTLY? -- The world’s richest tournament, the Indian Premier League, has been indefinitely suspended, while the inaugural edition of The Hundred in England and Wales is appearing increasingly unlikely to go ahead as planned.

Many international players make the majority of their salaries in franchise limited-overs cricket, while the IPL draws massive crowds and is estimated to generate more than $11 billion a year for the Indian economy.

Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins was the most expensive overseas player bought at the 2020 season auction, with the Kolkata Knight Riders snapping him up for $2.17m.

The IPL was originally scheduled to start on March 29, was delayed until April 15, and has now been postponed indefinitely after the Indian government extended

the country’s lockdown until at least May 3.A cancellation, or even delay of The Hundred would be a huge blow to English cricket, which was hoping to capitalise on last year’s World Cup triumph by continuing to attract new fans to the sport.

The tournament is still slated to start as planned on July 17, but other sporting events in the UK in July, including tennis Grand Slam event Wimbledon and golf’s British Open, have been scrapped.

CAN WOMEN’S CRICKET CONTINUE UPWARD TREND? -- This year has already been an excellent one for women’s cricket, with a record-breaking crowd of over 86,000 watching Australia beat India to win the T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last month.

But it faces a battle in order to continue to thrive after the corona-virus lockdown, with players paid far less than their male counterparts.

Teenager Shafali Verma was the find of the T20 World Cup for India, but India’s women’s captain Mithali Raj thinks the lockdown could make it harder for youngsters to break through.

“It’s true that if these matches were to go ahead, a few more gems like Shafali Verma would have been unearthed,” the Indian batting great told The Times of India.

CA is facing cash crisis amid COVID-19 pandemic: ReportsREUTERS - SYDNEY

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Kevin Roberts has told staff that the governing body faces a financial crisis and would not have been able to pay its bills at the end of August without layoffs, local media reported yesterday.

Cricket Australia announced plans to lay off almost 80% of staff on Thursday, putting them on 20% pay until June 30 when it is hoped more will be known about how long government curbs put in place to control the coronavirus will last.

The Australian and The Age newspapers have reported that Cricket Australia’s financial reserves had been hit by a slump in the world’s stock markets caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. No one at Cricket Australia was immediately available for comment on Saturday.

On Thursday, Cricket Australia had said in a statement that the “impacts on the sports industry of the coronavirus pandemic are bigger than any one sport”.

“We are conscious of the impact this will have on Australian Cricket and are working hard to manage that proactively. We will continue to seek advice from medical experts and relevant government agencies to ensure the health and safety of our people, volunteers and communities, and to return to business as soon as possible.”

The coronavirus has infected more than 6,500 people in Australia and killed 65, a Reuters tally shows.

All sports in Australia have been hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown but cricket was expected to weather the storm better than most given the season was all but completed by the time the restrictions came into force.

The first of three matches in a one-day series against New Zealand was played behind closed doors at the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 13 before the final two fixtures were postponed.

Cricket Australia would have expected two big paydays this year when the country hosts the men’s Twenty20 World Cup in October and November before India arrive for a blockbuster four-test tour around the New Year. Any impact of the coronavirus shutdown on those events would clearly have a major financial impact on Cricket Australia.

While, according to The Australian, national team coach Justin Langer was informed on Friday that he was now a part-time employee, the players have not yet concluded negotiations over any wage losses they might suffer.

The players retained a revenue share model with Cricket Australia in their last negotiations over pay in 2017 and test captain Tim Paine said last month that he and his team-mates were braced for cuts.

ON THIS DAY: Miandad wins it for Pakistan with six off last ballIANS - NEW DELHI

Matches between India and Pakistan in the past have produced some of the greatest moments in cricket history. A number of great players have represented both countries over the years and put up career-defining performances in matches against their neighbours.

One such instance is of Pakistan batting great Javed Miandad, who on April 18, 1984, (36 years ago) hit a six off the last ball of the final in the Austral-Asia Cup against India to win the match for his team in Sharjah.

India batted first and gave Pakistan a target of 246 to chase, largely thanks to a 117-run stand between openers K Srikkanth and Sunil Gavaskar, who fell to Imran Khan just eight runs short of his century.

Dilip Vengsarkar chipped in at no.3 with a 50 but the rest of the batsmen were of little match to Wasim Akram and Imran.

All batsmen except Srikkanth and Chetan Sharma, were out bowled by either of the two fast bowlers.

India got off to a good start to their defence with Javed Miandad coming in at 39/2 when Ramiz Raja was dismissed. Miandad held one end and got good support from Saleem Malik and Abdul Qadir.

Pakistan were cruising during the latter innings but after Qadir’s dismissal, they fell apart.

Imran was out cheaply after which Chetan Sharma swooped down on the Pakistan tail.

He dismissed wicketkeeper Zulqarnain and Mansoor Elahi and brought it down to Pakistan needing four to win off the last ball with one wicket

in hand. Chetan went for a yorker, but it ended up being a full toss that Miandad hit for a six leading to delirious scenes. The two Pakistan batsman ran back to the dressing room with their hands aloft while fans invaded the pitch, as was the norm in those days.

Miandad later said in his autobiography ‘Cutting Edge: My Autobiography’ that he felt sympathetic towards Chetan.

“Poor Chetan Sharma. They say he did try for a yorker, but the ball slipped out of his hand,” said Miandad.

“Or perhaps it was the fact that I was standing well forward of the batting crease that threw him off his length. Whatever the mysterious origins of

that last delivery, it ended up being the perfect ball for me and for Pakistan -- a full-toss at the right height, slightly towards leg, all I had to do was take a swing and it sailed out of the ground. After that, it was pandemonium. We had won, Pakistan had won, Tauseef had won, I had won. What a match! It is one of the best memories of my life.”

Former Pakistan cricket captain Javed Miandad welcomes retired Australian cricketer Greg Chappell in Karachi in this file photo posted on the former’s official Twitter handle @I_JavedMiandad. Chappell visited Pakistan during the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

IANS - NEW DELHI

Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen believes M.S. Dhoni is the greatest-ever captain because of the weight of expectations he had to deal with, both while captaining India and Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL)

“It will be very difficult just with the weight of expectation to go against M.S. Dhoni because of what everybody expects from him, how he has to live his life and what he has been through captaining India and then captaining the CSK,” Pietersen said while speaking on Star Sports ‘Cricket Connected’ show when asked how difficult it is to go against Dhoni as greatest ever captain.

Under Dhoni’s lead-ership, India won the inau-gural edition of the 2007 World T20. They also went on win the 50-over World Cup in 2011.

It was again Dhoni who led the Men in Blue to the 2013 Champions Trophy title and it was under him only that India reached the top of the Test team rankings.

Dhoni, 38, has not played for India since the 2019 World Cup where they lost in the semi-finals against New Zealand.

Cricket star Kohli starts 'trim at home' challengeIANS - NEW DELHI

Indian captain Virat Kohli has kickstarted the ‘Trim at Home’ challenge and in the process, shaved off a part of his trademark beard.

Kohli posted an Instagram video of him trimming his beard and in the caption said: “While we’re all indoors, it’s extremely important to do stuff that makes you feel good. Staying well groomed is one of the things that keeps me in the zone. So I thought of trimming my beard at home and giving myself this new look. Now I want all of you to take the #TrimAtHome chal-lenge and post your new look!” he said.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen, who played with Kohli in the latter’s initial years in his Indian Premier League side Royal Challengers Bangalore, gave a cheeky reply to the post. “Does it get rid of

your grey there buddy?” Pie-tersen said.

Kohli was one of the players that Pietersen had chatted with live on Instagram recently as the coronavirus pandemic put cricket action on halt and con-fined all players and commen-tators to their homes.

Kohli said in the chat that Test cricket has made him a better person.

“Test cricket, Test cricket, Test cricket, Test cricket, Test cricket, I have said it five times,” Kohli said when Pietersen asked him to choose his favourite format.

“For me, it is the represen-tation of life. You got to keep going when u don’t score runs, you go back in your hotel room and again get ready the next day. It is life. It has made me a better person,” added the 31-year old, rated as the best modern-day batsman across all three formats.

Pietersen says Dhoni is arguably the best-ever captain

REUTERS – LONDON

Live tennis action is a fading memory during the coronavirus shutdown but 20,000 fans tuned in to watch old rivals Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray chew the fat on Instagram.

Sitting on their sofas at home, the duo spent an entertaining hour remi-niscing about some of the classics in their 36-match series, painful losses and even came up with the perfect tennis player.

The knockabout banter offered some candid reflections on their glit-tering careers -- both on hold as tennis awaits the end of the pandemic which has claimed more than 150,000 lives globally.

Asked which losses hurt the most, both selected matches against each other.

“For me it was the French Open final against you in 2016,” Murray, who has also finished runner-up at the Aus-tralian Open five times, said.

“Obviously I would have loved to win the Australian Open or the French Open but I think as a challenge for me, because clay was such a tough surface for me throughout my career, that would have been for me my biggest achievement.” The Serb hit back from losing the first set to outplay Murray

in that Paris showdown, completing his career Grand Slam in the process.

World number one Djokovic has never won the Olympic gold medal though, a feat Murray achieved in 2012 and 2016.

Djokovic said his semi-final defeats against Murray and Rafa Nadal in the 2012 and 2008 Olympics were two of his toughest losses -- together with his defeat by Juan Martin del Potro in the first round of the 2016 Rio Games.

“Maybe that match against you in London, or the semi-final a g a i n s t Rafa in

Beijing (in 2008),” Djokovic, who won the bronze medal in Beijing said. “In Rio I felt really good but two days before the match I felt my wrist. It started to be more painful. It’s no excuse, I got injections, but I felt sad that I wasn’t at my best and could work

my way in the tournament.“If I could change any out-

comes would be Rio and London.”

Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray, trying to salvage his career after hip surgery at the start of 2019, admitted he wished he had enjoyed his successes more.

“After the issues I’ve had the last few years, I sometimes do wish I had enjoyed those moments more. When

you see the end coming you think... I should have enjoyed the wins or even the losses

that were great matches.” Asked to come up with the perfect player if they could combine strokes from different players, both picked each other for having the best service returns.

“If I won a free point off my first serve against you I was cele-brating like I won a set,”

Djokovic, who owns 17 Grand

Slam titles, said of his fellow

32-year-old.Both said they

would swap for the serves of John Isner

or Nick Kyrgios, while Murray said Nadal’s forehand was the toughest and Djokovic picked Roger Federer’s.

Unsurprisingly they were in agreement on which player is men-tally the toughest -- Nadal.

“It’s like going on court to face Gladiator,” Djokovic said.

Asked by a fan what they would have done rather than tennis, Djokovic picked being a scientist.

For Murray? “Right now it would be cool to be a doctor because you realise what’s important in times like this.”

For me it was the French Open final against you in 2016. Obviously I would have loved to win the Australian Open or the French Open but I think as a challenge for me, because clay was such a tough surface for me throughout my career, that would have been for me my biggest achievement: Andy Murray speaks about the loss which hurts most

09SUNDAY 19 APRIL 2020 SPORT

Djokovic shares Olympic regrets with Murray in live chat

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Djokovic said his semi-final defeats againstMurray and Rafa Nadal in the 2012 and 2008Olympics were two of his toughest losses -- together with his defeat by Juan Martin del Potro in the first round of the 2016 RioGames.

“Maybe that match against you in London, or the semi-final a g a i n s tRafa in

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Spain set to complete season withoutfans in stadiumsAP – MADRID

Football matches and other sports events in Spain will take place in empty venues at least until the end of the summer, the mayor of Madrid said yesterday.

José Luis Martínez-Almeida told the Onda Cero radio station that the coronavirus pandemic likely “won’t be under control” by then for events with big crowds to resume normally.

“In the spring and summer there won’t be any events with crowds in Spain, and possibly not in the fall either,” Martínez-Almeida said. “Because obviously the situation will not be fully under control. We will have to change our habits and behaviours even after being allowed to go back on to the streets.”

The Spanish league is not expecting to resume at least until the end of May. President Javier Tebas has said he expects to play the first few games in empty stadiums and that the league is also working on other scenarios, including playing without fans through the fall.

“Soccer matches without fans in the summer is a possibility, as long as health and safety conditions are observed,” Martínez-Almeida said.

The Federation said this week that if the league can’t resume it will use the current standings to decide the four clubs to play in the Champions League, which would mean giving the spots to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Real Sociedad.

The league has said the total losses for not finishing the season because of the pandemic could reach nearly €1bn ($1.1bn). The losses if the league resumes with matches in empty stadiums would be about €300m ($325m), and if it restarts with fans it would be nearly €150m ($163m).

My concept is very similar. Guardiola also

wants to be dominant, he wants to have the ball,

strong possession, lots of attacking movements.

It’s ultimately about being proactive within the

game. It’s about skilfully attacking the opponent

in a certain way. In this sense it is not my idea. I’ve

learned a lot with Guardiola, from the way he is, the

ambition he has, the desire and passion that he

feels.

He’s a football-obsessed tactician

and it has been a pleasure to be

around him.

We talk often. We’ve got a

good relationship. We met up in

the summer and grabbed a bite

to eat, which was really nice.

To be honest, I consider him

the best coach in the world

right now. So any knowledge he

can impart to me will be more

than welcome.

It’s a privilege to have him

around contributing ideas: Barca legend Xavi Hernandez expresses his views on coach Pep Guardiola during an interview with Manchester City's official website

Guardiola also

nts to have the ball,

acking movements.

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it is not my idea. I’ve

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QSL, QPA welcome players' support in fight against COVID-19THE PENINSULA – DOHA

The Qatar Stars League (QSL) and Qatar Players Association (QPA), in a joint statement, appreciated the initiative by professional players to allocate a part of their monthly salary to support the efforts being made by Qatar to combat coronavirus (COVID-19).

The statement said both entities had started discus-sions towards implementing the plan.

QSL CEO, Hani Taleb Ballan said, “My thanks and gratitude to our players who

demonstrated solidarity towards the Qatari com-munity during this difficult situation. This initiative is an example of our social responsibility role.

“We’ll work with the QPA in the coming days to devise ways through which this ini-tiative can be implemented in a fair and appropriate way. Football is not only a game, but a lifestyle. The Football Family is joining hands and supporting each other to help the country’s efforts in combating this pandemic.”

Q P A P r e s i d e n t ,

Abdulrahman Al Kuwari said, “This initiative by our players is not a surprise. They had already proved that they were responsible on and off the field. The aim of our dis-cussions with QSL is to set the standards for implementing this initiative without making a negative impact on our players.”

Al Kuwari also thanked the players for the initiative. He also expressed his thanks to the QSL and QPA on behalf of the Football Family, and all those who are at the fore-front of the battle against the spread of coronavirus.

My thanks and

gratitude to our

players who

demonstrated

solidarity towards

the Qatari community

during this difficult

situation.

This initiative is an

example of our

social responsibility

role: QSL CEO, Hani Taleb Ballan

This initiative

by our players

is not a

surprise. They

had already

proved that

they were

responsible on

and off the

field: QPA President, Abdulrahman Al Kuwari

Psychologist in constant touch with players: ArtetaREUTERS – LONDON

Arsenal’s psychologist has been in constant communication with the Premier League club’s players to offer any help they may need during the lockdown due to the

novel coronavirus outbreak, manager Mikel Arteta (pictured) has said.

Soccer in England has been suspended since March 13 because of the virus that has infected more than 2.23 million people globally causing over 151 ,000 deaths.

Arsenal’s players have been self isolating

since March 12 when Arteta tested positive for the virus -- before the lockdown in

Britain -- and the Spaniard said that all efforts were being made to ensure the players were in good spirits.

“We have our psychologist that is looking after the players and is always in constant commu-nication with them,” Arteta told the club’s website.

“But as well we’re having feedback from different people and we’re constantly sending information and videos and keeping them busy... keeping them close to their job and the people that are related to their job, which is us and my coaching staff.” Arteta, who took over as manager in December after compatriot Unai Emery was sacked, said he was using the lockdown to under-stand his players better.

“We’ve been having some really good conversations,” the

former Manchester City assistant added.

“This time has been really helpful from my side, at least, to get to know the players better...

we’re trying to improve our rela-tionship, the communication and understanding between us.” Arsenal are ninth in the league with 40 points from 28 matches.

At least 300 people needed to run an EPL game behind closed doors

AP – LONDON

At least 300 people will be required in Premier League stadiums even if games are played without fans when the coronavirus-halted season can resume, according to a West Ham executive.

The 20 EPL clubs held a conference call yesterday when the league said they agreed the objective remains to complete the season, with teams having up to 10 games each remaining.

The earliest the league can restart is June, with Britain in lockdown until at least the first week of May.

“Police officers will need to be at games even if they are behind closed doors, as some supporters will travel to the stadium, even if they cannot come in to watch,” West Ham vice chair Karren Brady wrote in her column in Saturday’s editions of The Sun newspaper. “But the police will want to ensure attending matches does not drain resources away from other matters.

“Everyone at the stadium - and even behind closed doors this is about 300-500 people - including security, staff, medical officers, players, referees and media, will have to have tem-perature checks, fill out health questionnaires and observe social distancing. All this is man-ageable but what if a player gets injured, where do we send him? It can’t be to an NHS hospital that is already under pressure... so then what?”

“Players will have been able to retain some physical fitness at home, but if social-distancing rules are still in place, physical match-play training will not be allowed,” Brady wrote. “You can’t tackle from two meters away. So, how match-fit will players be if the season commences, as we all hope it will, by mid-June?”

A general view of the Arsenal box office at the Emirates Stadium.

REUTERS – LO

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