Today’s Sports News: What You Need To Know – RNZ

Latest – Eight Tottenham Hotspur players have tested positive for COVID-19, leaving only 10 players available ahead of the club’s final Europa Conference League group match at home to France’s Stade Rennais.

Tottenham are due to face Rennes tomorrow and European football’s governig body UEFA said in a statement the “match is due to take place as scheduled”.

“Eight players and five members of staff (have tested positive), but the problem is that every day we’re having people with COVID-19,” said manager Antonio Conte.

“People that yesterday weren’t positive and today are, and we’re continuing to have contact with (them). It’s a serious problem.

“We had 11 players available for the match and by the end of the training session today one of the players who would start tomorrow is now positive. It’s scary. We’re all having contact.”

Tottenham are second in Group G of the Conference League on seven points after five matches, above Dutch team Vitesse on overall goal difference.

Rennes, who have 11 points, are unbeaten and through to the knockout stages as group winners.

Tottenham are due to play away at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League this weekend.

-Reuters

Patel up in cricket rankings

The Black Caps spinner Ajaz Patel has climbed 23 spots to 38th in the world test bowling rankings following his 14 wicket match haul in the lost second test to India in Mumbai.

Patel became only the third player to take all 10 wickets in a Test innings in the match.

New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell is up 26 places to 78th.

India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has bridged the gap with top-ranked bowler Australia’s Pat Cummins after finishing with four wickets in each innings in India’s 372-run victory.

Ashwin has gained 43 rating points to reach a total of 883 and is 67 points ahead of third-placed Australian Josh Hazlewood.

Tim Southee is down one spot to fourth.

There are no changes at the top of the test batting rankings with Joe Root number one from Steve Smith and Kane Williamson.

Tom Latham drops three spots to 12.

Pakistan sweep Bangladesh

Pakistan bowlers claimed 13 wickets on a frenetic final day to win the second test against Bangladesh by an innings and eight runs to complete a 2-0 series sweep.

Electing to bat after winning the toss, Pakistan posted 300-4 before declaring their first innings in the weather-bedevilled contest in which only 215 overs could be bowled at Mirpur’s Shere Bangla Stadium.

Pakistan bundled out Bangladesh for 87 and enforced a follow-on.

Bangladesh were all out for 205 in their second innings but their improved batting display was not enough to avoid a resounding defeat.

Spin all-rounder Sajid Khan, who claimed eight wickets in the first innings, finished with a career-best match haul of 12-128 to claim the man of the match award.

Pakistan opener Abid Ali was adjudged player of the series for his tally of 263 runs in three innings.

Bangladesh leave for New Zealand later this wek.

–Reuters

Djokovic on Melbourne entry list

World number one Novak Djokovic has been named on the official entry list for next year’s Australian Open but 23-times Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams was absent.

Djokovic has declined to disclose his vaccination status despite all players, officials, staff and fans at the Jan. 17-30 tournament at Melbourne Park needing to be inoculated against COVID-19.

Local media reports said that everyone on the entry list needed to be vaccinated or have a medical exemption. Tennis Australia did not immediately reply to a request for confirmation of that rule.

Djokovic, who will be bidding for a record 21st Grand Slam men’s singles title if he plays at the tournament, said last week that he would be making a decision “very soon” about travelling to Australia.

To play in Sydney without being vaccinated, the state government would have to apply for an exemption for Djokovic and he would have to undergo 14 days quarantine upon arrival.

Williams, who won the last of her seven Australian Open titles in 2017, had an injury-disrupted season and has not played since she limped out of her first-round match at Wimbledon in June due to the leg injury.

“Following the advice of my medical team, I have decided to withdraw from this year’s Australian Open,” Williams said in a statement.

-Reuters

Rohit replaces Kohli as captain

Opener Rohit Sharma replaced Virat Kohli as India’s one-day captain, thus taking charge of both the white-ball squads ahead of their tour of South Africa later this month.

Kohli led India in all three formats until the Twenty20 World Cup last month, after which he relinquished 20-overs captaincy which went to Rohit.

Many expected Kohli, who remains the test captain, to lead India in the 50-overs World Cup on home soil in 2023 but the board opted for a single white-ball skipper.

Under Kohli, India reached the semi-finals of the 50-overs World Cup in 2019 but could not advance beyond the group stage at this year’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

In further indication of Rohit’s growing stature within the team, the 34-year-old also replaced fellow Mumbai player Ajinkya Rahane as vice-captain of the test side.

Rahane is part of the 18-member squad that will travel to South Africa but must snap his woeful run of form to maintain his place in the side.

Rohit, who was rested for the home series against New Zealand, returns to the test side, along with fellow opener KL Rahul, first-choice wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.

Opener Shubman Gill and spin-bowling all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel missed out with injuries.

-Reuters

Commonwealth Games open to rainbow flag

Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Katie Sadleir said organisers were open to the idea of athletes bringing the Pride flag onto the podium at next year’s event in Birmingham.

“We will be talking to athletes over the next six months in the lead-up to the Games about what that may or may not look like — but certainly, we are open to that,” the New Zealander told the BBC.

Speaking at the launch of the Commonwealth Sport Pride Network, an initiative aimed at bringing together LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches and organisers from Commonwealth nations, Sadleir said the CGF “absolutely embraced” athletes’ freedom of expression but added that it would refer to the code of conduct.

“We have a code of conduct and there are some aspects about respect for other competitors and where you do what you do,” Sadleir said.

“From the perspective of advocates and freedom of expression, it’s something that we are thoroughly, thoroughly embracing.”

The 2022 Commonwealth Games are scheduled for July 28 to Aug. 8.

-Reuters