Sports News

Former Sri Lankan cricketing great Muttiah Muralitharan says a planned film about his life will be released, despite a massive backlash in south India which caused the lead actor to quit.

A member of Sri Lanka's minority Tamils, Muralitharan defied the odds to make it on to the national team during a long civil war between Tamil separatists and the Sinhalese-majority security forces.

Then, he battled controversy over his bowling action - he was famously no-balled for "chucking" in Australia - to become one of the most formidable bowlers the cricketing world has ever seen. However the biopic of his life - entitled 800, a reference to his record-breaking 800 Test match wickets - may be his biggest obstacle yet.

Shooting has yet to start, but when a film poster featuring popular south Indian actor Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role was released there was a massive outpouring of anger.

The hashtag #ShameOnVijaySethupathi started trending across the state of Tamil Nadu, with many demanding that he turn down the role.

The film's producers have called it a "sports biography", intended to inspire young people, but critics fear a hagiography, an attempt to glorify someone who has become a controversial political issue. Much of the outrage stems from Muralitharan's comments at a presidential election event last year, at which he celebrated the end of the war in 2009 and supported the candidacy of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Mr Rajapaksa was the defence secretary when government forces crushed Tamil Tiger separatists in a brutal campaign that also left tens of thousands of civilians dead.

He said the "happiest day of my life" was in 2009 as the country could now "go on without fear". An estimated 40,000 Sri Lankan Tamil civilians are believed to have died in the last stages of the war, and it has been an emotive issue in Tamil Nadu, where the same language and ethnic identity are shared.

"Even though Muralitharan is a Tamil, he does not behave as a Tamil, and we don't want him to enter Tamil Nadu in any form - whether in person or on film," said V Prabha, a youth activist based in Chennai (formerly Madras). "Muralitharan did many wrongs during the Sri Lankan civil war, we don't want him to be a hero in the Tamil community." But Muralitharan says his words have been repeatedly "twisted" and taken out of context.

"I meant that after 2009, we had peace in this country. For me when the war finished, it was the happiest day of my life because peace came - not because Tamil civilians were killed," he said. "I did not take any sides over the war - Rajapaksa side or the other side. I was in the middle. People in India don't know what's happening in Sri Lanka."

Muralitharan has close links with India, especially Tamil Nadu. His wife is from the state and he represented Chennai when he played for Chennai Super Kings from 2008 to 2010, becoming one of the team's most popular players. So why is the film so contentious?

"In 2010, people in Tamil Nadu knew what had happened to Tamils in the Sri Lankan civil war, but they didn't connect Muralitharan to it," said Mr Prabha.

"We then started a campaign showing how he supported the Sri Lankan state, and by 2013, we were able to ban him and other Sri Lankan players here."

In 2013, the Tamil Nadu government banned IPL games with Sri Lankan players from being played in the state, due to alleged human rights violations of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Kavitha Muralidharan, a freelance journalist in Chennai, says the furore over Muralitharan's biopic has been so intense because of its lead actor, 42-year-old Vijay Sethupathi.

"Sethupathi is seen as a progressive actor, he speaks out on a lot of social issues, so for many people it was troubling to see him choosing to play the role of Muttiah Muralitharan," she said. "People in Tamil Nadu take cinema very seriously. A movie is not just a movie there - Tamil cinema and politics are inter-related."

Tamil nationalism is often infused into Kollywood, as the Tamil cinema industry is known. A number of the state's chief ministers were actors before they took to politics.

The pressure on Sethupathi to quit came from both film stars and politicians. But it was Muralitharan's surprise intervention - he asked the actor to withdraw - that decided the issue.

"Why does Sethupathi have to have unnecessary problems with this movie? Why do I want to put these problems on him?" the cricketer asks. "This is my battle, not his battle, so I will take on the battle."

The response in Sri Lanka - where he is widely regarded as a sporting hero - has been mixed.

"I would have loved to see a film about him, not glorifying him, but something which brings all aspects of his complex identity to the screen," said Andrew Fidel Fernando, a cricket writer in Colombo, who has written extensively about Muralitharan's cricketing reign. "The immediate backlash to the film seems ludicrous - we don't know what the film would have been like."

Families of Tamils who went missing during the Sri Lankan civil war are more critical, with some calling for the film to be scrapped completely.

The film's producers, Dar Motion Pictures (which made the Bollywood films The Lunchbox and Ugly) and Movie Train Motion Pictures had hoped to begin shooting 800 in early 2021. Without a lead actor, that now seems unlikely. But Muralitharan is confident that his story will be told on screen.

"It will be made. The film's not just for Tamil Nadu. The producers are from Mumbai, they want it in all languages, in Tamil, Sinhala, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam and with English subtitles," he says.

"It's a sports movie, how can it be controversial?"

Yet the furore around 800 suggests it will be difficult to sep

England World Cup winner and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton has been diagnosed with dementia.

The news follows the deaths of his older brother Jack, in July, and days after another fellow World Cup-winner Nobby Stiles, on Friday, both of whom had also been diagnosed with dementia.

Sir Bobby, 83, won three league titles, a European Cup and an FA Cup with United during 17 years at Old Trafford. He finished his career with spells at Preston and Irish side Waterford. His wife, Lady Norma Charlton, expressed the hope that the knowledge of his diagnosis could help others. Manchester United said in a statement: "Everyone at Manchester United is saddened that this terrible disease has afflicted Sir Bobby Charlton and we continue to offer our love and support to Sir Bobby and his family."

Joining United in 1953, he scored 249 goals in 758 games for the club, long-standing records which were eventually broken by Wayne Rooney in 2017 and Ryan Giggs in 2008 respectively.

Born in Ashington, Northumberland, he remained England's record goal scorer until Rooney surpassed him against Switzerland in September 2015.

At the age of 20, Sir Bobby was a survivor of the Munich air crash of 1958 in which 23 people died, including eight of his Manchester United team-mates. He inspired United to a first European Cup win in 1968, scoring twice in the final, and was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1966 after playing every minute of England's World Cup victory.

He came second in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award in 1958 and 1959 - In 2008, he received the lifetime achievement award. United renamed Old Trafford's South Stand in honour of Sir Bobby in 2016.

Sir Bobby is the fifth member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning side to be diagnosed with dementia. In addition to his brother, Jack, and Stiles, both Martin Peters and Ray Wilson - who died in 2019 and 2018 respectively - also had the condition. Stiles, Peters and Wilson were diagnosed with it while still in their sixties. In a BBC documentary screened in 2017, Stiles' son John told former England captain Alan Shearer he was "utterly convinced" heading a football was responsible for his father's dementia.

A study by Glasgow University in 2019 found former professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia than people of the same age range in the general population. The study began after claims that former West Brom striker Jeff Astle died at the age of 59 because of repeated head trauma and compared deaths of 7,676 ex-players to 23,000 from the general population. The inquest into Astle's death found heading heavy leather footballs repeatedly had contributed to trauma to his brain, but research by the Football Association and the

Professional Footballers' Association was later dropped because of what were said to be technical flaws. Astle's daughter, Dawn, said "players who have suffered dementia must not be a statistic" after she was left "staggered" by the study's findings.In response, the FA launched new coaching guidelines to restrict the amount of heading by under-18 players in training.

Birmingham’s Black community will be the first outside of London to benefit from a new ‘ACE programme’ launched by Warwickshire County Cricket Club (Warwickshire CCC) to reignite their passion for cricket and provide youngsters with opportunities to play and pursue a career in the sport.

Recruitment of a coach is underway, and the scheme will launch in early 2021, focusing on primary and secondary schools located in the North West of Birmingham.

Warwickshire CCC has partnered with Sport England and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to deliver the ACE Programme in the West Midlands.

Warwickshire Cricket Board Cricket Development Manager (community) Eaton Gordon will work with coaches to deliver new cricket sessions at local schools in the region. 

Budding cricketers who come through the programme will also have the opportunity further their game through the Club’s links with Handsworth Cricket Club and in a new timetable of cricket at Holford Drive Community Sports Hub in Perry Barr.

The Club will also stage a Caribbean-themed cricket festival for families at its Edgbaston Community Sports Ground on Portland Road in the early part of the 2021 summer and its official charity, the Edgbaston Foundation, will also undertake wider social initiatives.

Eaton says: “We’re very excited to bring the ACE programme to Birmingham, which we believe can make a huge difference in reinvigorating cricket within the large African Caribbean community in the city.

“There has been a large drop in interest and engagement in the game within the black community in recent years and we have probably missed a generation of young people as a result. However, we have the ability to make a change and we are starting this programme with a blank sheet of paper and intend to breakdown any barriers that may have affected participation in the game.”

Stuart Cain, Chief Executive of Warwickshire CCC, said: “This project builds on the work we’re already doing in the local South Asian communities and will create opportunities for a community that has a proud cricketing history but has unfortunately not had the support that it deserves over recent years.

“The scheme originated in London and has totally rejuvenated interest within cricket and broken down some of the barriers that stopped Black youngsters in the capital from playing the game and finding a way on to the talent pathway, which could lead to a place in the academy programme and ultimately a career in the sport.

“Our ambition over coming years is to create a vibrant club cricket scene within Birmingham’s Black community which will bring health, wellbeing and social benefits to one of the city’s biggest communities. I also want to see an Academy where talented youngsters from all of the city’s diverse communities have the same opportunities to pursue a career in the sport and feel comfortable working alongside each other to pursue a place in the professional squad, in the same way that Manraj Johal has this season and previously Recordo Gordon.”

The ACE programme was developed by Surrey County Cricket Club at the beginning of 2020 to address a 75 per cent decline in cricket participation by members of the Black community. Today the programme has been announced as an independent charity, which has secured £540,000 funding from Sport England, delivered over a three-year period, and a grant from the ECB.

Tom Harrison, CEO England and Wales Cricket Board, said: “The ACE Programme has done a fantastic job opening up opportunities for young people from Black communities to play cricket, and I’m really pleased that the ECB can help fund its expansion. I’m excited to see what can be achieved for communities in and around Birmingham.

“We are absolutely committed to making cricket a sport for everyone. In order for that to happen we recognise that as a game, and an organisation, we have an enormous amount of work to do. We have to offer more access and opportunities for young people to play and be part of our sport. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not, and programmes like ACE play a crucial part in creating opportunities for talented young cricketers to grow and fulfil their potential as players and as individuals.”

Raja Casablanca's Champions League semi-final on Sunday against Zamalek in Cairo is in doubt after more players from the Moroccan champions tested positive for Covid-19.

Last week, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) postponed the second leg by a week to after eight Raja players reported positive for Coronavirus. After another round of testing on Tuesday, the number of positive cases now stands at 14.

Caf's Head of Communications Alex Siewe said talks are ongoing with both Raja and Egyptian authorities, who have expressed concerns.

"We are discussing with them to find a better solution for both parties," he told BBC Sport Africa.

Six Raja players will undergo re-tests, with the whole squad to then having another round.

Caf has already allowed Raja to add three players from their youth team to join the travelling party, which is set to leave for Egypt on Friday.

The Moroccan champions lost 1-0 to Zamalek in the first leg in Casablanca earlier this month and are battling to meet another Egyptian side, Al Ahly, in next month's final.

Marcus Rashford came off the bench to score a clinical hat-trick as Manchester United continued their recent momentum by taking apart RB Leipzig in the Champions League.

England international Rashford came on just after the hour mark and netted three goals in 16 minutes, first running clear to calmly slot in, then smashing in a terrific second, before drilling home a third in stoppage time. Teenage forward Mason Greenwood scored his first goal in the competition, latching onto Paul Pogba's defence-splitting pass before drilling a precise, low finish into the far corner. Greenwood produced another thumping effort straight at Peter Gulasci, while the visiting goalkeeper also kept out Anthony Martial's poked effort. But when Martial was tripped in the box with three minutes to go, he converted the penalty to score his first goal of the season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side backed up their excellent win at Paris St-Germain in their opening game by collecting another impressive three points to extend their unbeaten run to four games. United's backline had a comfortable night, David de Gea keeping out efforts from Christopher Nkunku and Ibrahima Konate.

In the Group H's other game, last year's runners-up Paris St-Germain picked up their first points with a 2-0 win at Istanbul Basaksehir. United had said before the game that they were "bemused" by the government's decision not to allow fans into Old Trafford despite making the stadium a socially-distanced venue for 23,500 supporters. And with United playing their first Champions League game at home since losing to Barcelona in the quarter-final in April 2019, it was a shame the supporters missed out on their side's best performance of the campaign.

Solskjaer's side were up against the current Bundesliga leaders and a team that reached the semi-finals last term, but made the German side look ordinary with a superb, all-round performance. United's dominant display was highlighted by the fact that Leipzig had won six and drawn one of their seven games this season, conceding just three goals in the process.

Man of the moment Rashford again made an impact, netting with all three of his shots on target. Honoured with an MBE earlier in the month and continuing his fight against the government over free meals for school children off the pitch, Rashford showcased his prowess on it with a first treble in Europe's elite club competition.

His first was initially ruled out by the assistant referee for offside, but replays showed he had timed his run to perfection from behind the halfway line, bursting clear from Bruno Fernandes' raking pass and opening up his body to before slotting home. The second came with a run to the edge of the box before powering his finish into the corner, while he completed his hat-trick from close range.

Since the 6-1 humiliation at the hands of Tottenham, United have collected three victories and a draw, including back-to-back clean sheets. The much-maligned defensive duo of

Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof kept the Leipzig forward line quiet as they secured another welcome shut out. In front of them, Netherlands international Donny van de Beek was given his third start, after two in the Carabao Cup, and the midfielder was steady and tidy, completing 89% of his 28 passes and winning the ball back six times in his 67 minutes on the pitch. Such is United's depth, star man Bruno Fernandes was only on the bench, but came off it to grab another assist. Few would have expected the Premier League side to claim six points from six against supposedly the two most difficult opponents in the group.

But they have set themselves up perfectly to reach the knockout stage, with back-to-back games coming up against the pointless Istanbul Basaksehir.

After a superb time trial performance that secured his maiden victory in a Grand Tour, Briton Tao Geoghegan Hart became the fifth British winner after victory in the Giro d’Italia

The 25-year-old started the Giro d'Italia and as a support rider to Ineos Grenadiers' Geraint Thomas, only for his pre-race favourite teammate to crash out in the third stage.

Along with the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, the Giro is one of cycling's most prestigious events and, in winning it, Geoghegan Hart becomes the fifth British man to win a Grand Tour race and the second after Chris Froome to win the Giro.

He was part of the British Cycling development program before signing for Axeon Hagens Berman in 2014, an American Continental team of Under-23 riders managed by former professional cyclist Axel Merckx. He joined Ineos, then known as Team Sky, in 2017, supporting the likes of Thomas, Chris Froome and Egan Bernal, all former Grand Tour champions.

"All of my career I have dreamt of being top 10 or top five in a race like this”, the champion said. “During the ITT (individual time trial) my DS (directeur sportif) told me I was faster than Jai Hindley," he added.

Level with Team Sunweb's Jai Hindley ahead of the final day's individual time trial -- the first time in Grand Tour history that two riders had been tied going into the last stage -- he finished 39 seconds ahead of Hindley over the 15.7km course into Milan to capture the pink jersey.

"It's incredible. It was impossible for me to even think about winning the Giro when we started in Sicily," Geoghegan Hart said after the race.

There was more joy for Ineos as Filippo Ganna won the final stage in a time of 17:16, the Italian's fourth stage victory of the campaign and the team's seventh. Australian Hindley finished second in the overall standings ahead of teammate Wilco Kelderman.

Cure Leukaemia has been named as the first ever Official Charity Partner of the Tour de France in the UK. This partnership means that Cure Leukaemia’s major cycling event, The Tour 21, which will see amateur cyclists take on all 21 stages of the Tour de France route one week ahead of the professional event in 2021, 2022 and 2023, will be the only charity event of its kind with an official partnership with the Tour de France in the UK.

The Tour 21, which will take place from Saturday 19th June – Sunday 11th July 2021, will see a team of 25 amateur cyclists led by former footballer, blood cancer survivor and Cure Leukaemia Patron Geoff Thomas taking on all 21 stages of the Tour de France with the aim of raising £1,000,000 for Cure Leukaemia.  

This groundbreaking partnership, announced just days before the official 2021 Tour de France route reveal, is the legacy of Geoff Thomas’ phenomenal cycling achievements since his diagnosis with chronic myeloid leukaemia in 2003, just months after finishing his professional football career.

Thomas, 56, who represented England, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Nottingham Forest during his 20-year career, was initially given just 3 months to live in 2003, but thanks to treatment from Cure Leukaemia’s Co-Founder Professor Charlie Craddock CBE and a stem cell transplant from his sister Kay, Geoff went into remission in 2004 and turned his mind to supporting the doctors and nurses that helped save his life.

During his treatment, Geoff was inspired by the survival stories of others and decided to cycle the full Tour de France ahead of the professionals in 2005 to raise funds which led to him being awarded the Helen Rollason Award at that year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Geoff then went on to complete the Tour again in 2007 and then in 2015 he returned to Cure Leukaemia to take on the grueling 21 stages once more.

In 2017, Geoff cycled the Tour de France for a 4th time as well as the Giro D’Italia and Vuelta to help Cure Leukaemia raise an additional £1m towards the expansion of one of Europe’s biggest Haematology Centres in Birmingham. This year, 15 years after he first took on the Tour, Geoff was due to ride for the final time with 18 other amateur cyclists with the aim of raising £1m for Cure Leukaemia to fund the national Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) which the charity began funding in January. Consisting of 12 blood cancer centres across the UK, TAP enables patients from a catchment area of 20 million to access potentially life-saving treatments for all forms of blood cancer through clinical trials and Geoff and his team’s efforts would have funded this network for 12 months.

As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, the event was cancelled leaving Cure Leukaemia with a £1,000,000 shortfall. The team is committed to completing their challenge in 2021 and through this official partnership with The Tour de France the charity is hoping Geoff and the team can exceed their £1,000,000 target and raise increased awareness of Cure Leukaemia as a leading national blood cancer charity.

Speaking about the partnership Geoff said: “I am extremely honoured that Cure Leukaemia has been named as the first ever Official Charity Partner of the Tour de France in the UK. When I embarked on what seemed a completely crazy challenge in 2005, I could never have imagined that I would not only go on to ride the globally iconic Tour de France route five times nor that our event would secure such a prestigious level of recognition from within the world of cycling.

“Ultimately, the purpose of taking on these challenges is to provide hope to blood cancer patients in the same position that I was back in 2003 and now this event is set to continue doing this after I finally hang my cleats up in July 2021. I would like to thank everyone that has helped myself and Cure Leukaemia over the years to get us to this point and I look forward to our most successful event yet when we take on The Tour 21 next June. 

“Through this partnership, the Tour 21 event in 2021 and onwards will open up a range of exclusive opportunities for our team including staying in the same hotels which will be used by the professionals a week later. I’m delighted all of our team has committed to riding in 2021 but we do have 5 places available for people to join us next June so if you are interested please do visit the website and get in touch.”

Yann Le Monner Chief Executive of Tour de France organiser A.S.O. said: “We are proud to announce Cure Leukaemia as the Official Charity Partner of the Tour de France in the UK.

The charity’s work not only benefits the whole of the UK but also has a clear aim to help hasten global progress towards finding effective treatments for all forms of blood cancer and we are excited to partner with them over the next three years.” 

Cure Leukaemia Chief Executive James McLaughlin added:  “This partnership is true testament and legacy to Geoff’s extraordinary and selfless efforts to help and inspire others over the last 17 years. In securing this partnership and association with the world’s biggest annual sporting event, we hope that it not only raises awareness of Cure Leukaemia at a global level but also provides us with the opportunity to secure increased fundraising potential from The Tour 21 and expand our range of cycling events and opportunities going forward.

“Led by Geoff, cycling has played such a key role in the growth of Cure Leukaemia since 2015 and we are immensely proud to now be officially associated with the world’s most famous and prestigious professional cycling event.”

Lewis Hamilton passed Valtteri Bottas to take a commanding victory in the Portuguese Grand Prix and break Formula 1's all-time win record. The six-times Formula 1 world champion dropped to third in a manic first two laps that ended with McLaren's Carlos Sainz leading, but fought back to crush Bottas' hopes. After both Mercedes passed Sainz, Hamilton tracked Bottas before taking the lead on lap 20. From there, Hamilton dominated to take his 92nd career Grand Prix victory.

Hamilton received a standing ovation from the socially distanced crowd, before celebrating with team members and then a long embrace with father Anthony. He said he "owed it all" to his Mercedes team, adding: "I could only ever have dreamed of being where I am today.

"I didn't have a magic ball when I chose to come to this team and partner with these great people, but here I am. Everything we do together - we are all rowing in the same direction and that's why we're doing what we're doing. And my dad's here and my step mum Linda, and Roscoe (His dog). It is going to take some time for it to fully sink in. I was still pushing flat out as I came across the line. I can't find the words at the moment."

His victory, on a humiliating day for team-mate Bottas, gave Hamilton a 77-point advantage in the championship as he moves ever closer to a seventh world title, which would match Schumacher's other surviving record.

Hamilton had to do it the hard way, cool temperatures and a sprinkling of rain at the start leaving his Mercedes grip-less on its medium tyres on the opening lap, on which he was passed by both Bottas and Sainz. But once the Mercedes' tyres were up to temperature, they wasted no time in dispatching the McLaren and disappeared into a race of their own.

Once ahead, Hamilton left his team-mate behind, pulling out a lead of more than seven seconds in the next 10 laps, and continuing to inch further clear over the remainder of the race. He extended his lead even further after they made their pit stops, as he was able to get the hard tyres into their temperature window more effectively than his team-mate.

The 35-year-old's only concern was cramp in the final 10 laps but it did not seem to affect him unduly, and he still crossed the line 25 seconds clear of his team-mate. It was a masterful performance, befitting the monumental nature of his achievement, supplanting Schumacher at the head of the all-time win lists, where the German had been for 19 years.

Hamilton said: "I really owe it all to the (Mercedes) team for their teamwork, continually innovating and pushing the barrier even higher every year. It's such a privilege working with them. It really is absolutely incredible."

It was an exciting race on a new track to F1, with overtaking and incident aplenty throughout the field.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was third, after slipping down to fifth on the opening lap, while Charles Leclerc was impressive in recovering fourth place in the Ferrari after he, too, struggled for grip in the opening laps on the medium tyres and dropped to eighth.

Alpha Tauri's Pierre Gasly was outstanding in taking fifth, grabbing the place with a lovely move around the outside of Racing Point's Sergio Perez with two laps to go.

Perez, too, drove a strong race, recovering from a first-lap collision with Verstappen and spin, which required him to stop for fresh tyres and drop to last.

Perez came under further pressure on the last lap, this time from Sainz, who passed him to take sixth place, with the Renaults of Esteban Ocon and Daniel Ricciardo and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel all close behind.

Kimi Raikkonen was just outside the points, after an outstanding first lap, rising from 16th on the grid to seventh place on his soft tyres, and then passing Leclerc's Ferrari for sixth, before the lack of pace of his Alfa told once the race settled down and he began to slip back.

Next weekend, F1 moves on to Imola in Italy, an historic, challenging and popular track which holds a race for the first time since 2006.

What they said

Bottas: "The opening lap was pretty good, some cars behind with the soft tyre had the upper-hand but I was really pleased I could get the lead but after that, I just had no pace today. I don't understand why."

Verstappen: "It was very low grip at the start. I tried to stay out of trouble but had a touch with Sergio Perez. He didn't give me enough space so he took himself out. I did my own race after that."

Legendary Indian cricketer Kapil Dev has undergone a heart surgery at a hospital in India's capital Delhi after he complained of chest pain.

A statement from the hospital said that Dev, 61 was admitted on Friday, and was in a stable condition now.

Dev captained India's World Cup winning team in 1983. He was named by Wisden as the Indian Cricketer of the Century in 2002.

Wishes have poured in for the former captain from across India. The former middle-order batsman and fast bowler is regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders to play the game.

"Wishing you a speedy recovery," tweeted India batsman Shikar Dhawan. Several other players, including former Test captain Anil Kumble, also wished Dev a speedy recovery.

An all-rounder who was devastating with both bat and ball, Dev took more than 400 wickets and scored more than 5,000 runs in Test cricket. Since retiring, he has coached the Indian side and had various other roles away from cricket.

Dev is considered as one of the greatest fast bowlers India has produced. In total, he took a remarkable 434 Test wickets and 253 one-day international wickets.

With the bat, he made 5,248 Test runs, including eight centuries and 27 fifties, at an average of 31.05. He has scored 3,783 ODI runs, including a top score of 175 not out which he hit against Zimbabwe during the 1983 World Cup.

England's Twenty20 tour of South Africa will go ahead after it was given the green light by the host’s government.

England will play three T20s, plus three one-day internationals, from November 27, with all games to be played behind closed doors.

The team will travel to South Africa on November 16, with games to be played at Cape Town's Newlands and in nearby Paarl.

It will be South Africa's first cricket since the sport's coronavirus shutdown and England's first matches overseas. Their government regards the UK as 'high risk' for coronavirus which had put the tour in doubt. The tourists (players and management) have been granted exemptions to travel and will be based in Cape Town whilst training at Western Province Cricket Club, and playing three intra-squad matches before the first T20.

The three ODI matches will count towards qualification for the 2023 World Cup in India.

England managed to complete their entire schedule of home men's international cricket this summer despite the pandemic by playing matches in bio-secure venues.

They are scheduled to play Sri Lanka and India early in 2021 but neither tour has been confirmed.

Pakistan have also invited England to take part in a short, limited-overs tour in early 2021.

The South Africa tour schedule follows:

• Friday, 27 November - first T20, Newlands, Cape Town
• Sunday 29 November - second T20, Boland Park, Paarl
• Tuesday 1 December - third T20, Newlands, Cape Town
• Friday 4 December - first ODI, Newlands, Cape Town
• Sunday 6 December - second ODI, Boland Park, Paarl
• Wednesday 9 December - third ODI, Newlands, Cape Town

Manchester United star Odion Ighalo has added to a list of celebrities who have voice their support for protests against police brutality in Nigeria.

In a video on Twitter, the Nigerian striker called his country's government "a shame to the world". It comes amid reports that several people have been shot dead or wounded during demonstrations in Nigeria's biggest city, Lagos.

Officials initially denied anyone died and have promised an investigation. Ighalo, who has won 35 caps for Nigeria's national football team, said in his statement that he could not "stay silent anymore".

"I am ashamed of this government, we are tired of you guys and we can't take this anymore," he added. Among those who've also expressed their support for the protests are actor John Boyega, and musicians including Estelle, Trey Songz and Chance the Rapper.

Pop singer Beyoncé Knowles said in a statement that she was "working on partnerships with youth organisations to support those protests for change".

Musician Rihanna shared a picture of a bloodied Nigerian flag on Twitter and said:

"My heart is broken for Nigeria."

British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua said he was exploring donations to support local hospitals and provide food packages.

"This was never a trend for me! It's real life and I want to learn how to make lasting change," he added.

The protests have also gained support from several high profile figures with no ties to Nigeria, including Twitter's chief executive Jack Dorsey, and German-Turkish Arsenal player Mesut Özil.

In response by Beyoncé's pledge to "provide emergency healthcare, food and shelter," some Nigerians said it was change they wanted, not food.

"Keep your help and aid to yourself, I don't need it and the dead definitely don't," said one Twitter user. "All we needed was your platform to create awareness for the whole issue but you prefer to send us aid like the "poor" set of people we are." Some defended Beyoncé saying she was offering support.

"That's stupid, and after what? She gon talk without doing anything? She's offering her money and health support and you ask for a voice?? I don't understand people!" Queen Domi tweeted.

Protests began nearly two weeks ago amid calls for the disbandment of a controversial police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars).

The unit has been accused of illegal detentions, assaults and shootings, and was disbanded by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, but the demonstrations have continued around the country, with calls for more reforms to Nigeria's security services, and the government more widely.

Over the last two weeks, an outpouring of support for Nigerian protesters has played out on Twitter, with various hashtags, but predominantly #EndSARS.

Protests have sometimes turned violent.

Human right group Amnesty International said a group of armed people attacked protesters in the capital, Abuja. In turn, police have accused people "posing" as protesters of looting weapons, and torching police buildings in southern Edo state.

In a video address, President Buhari said every police officer responsible for wrongdoing would be brought to justice, and that the disbandment of Sars was "only the first step in our commitment to extensive police reform".

Birmingham Phoenix have announced that Moeen Ali and Sophie Devine will be retained as captains for the first season of The Hundred.

The duo were originally confirmed as captains in February this year with both stating their delight at being asked to lead Birmingham Phoenix in the inaugural edition of the competition. However, originally scheduled to begin on 17 July and end on 15 August, The Hundred - involving eight teams in men's and women's competitions running alongside each other - was postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The pair have plenty of experience of playing at Edgbaston and in the Midlands. World Cup-winning Moeen grew up just a short distance from the stadium and remains a much-loved member of the local community, whilst New Zealand International Devine played county cricket with Warwickshire.

Moeen Ali said: “Birmingham is my city and captaining my home team in The Hundred is right up there in terms of my career. I was born, raised and my life is still based in Birmingham, so to be the first-ever men’s captain of Birmingham Phoenix is very special for me.

“Sports fans across the country and in Birmingham especially will be eager to watch some live cricket. Leading Birmingham Phoenix out on to the field at Edgbaston, with the whole community behind you will be an amazing feeling.”

Sophie Devine said: “It’s a huge honour to captain Birmingham Phoenix and I’m really excited to be leading this side.

“We are putting together an exciting line-up and the international players we are looking to bring in are of the highest quality. I’m really looking forward to playing alongside them. With the opportunities that are here at the moment I sometimes have to pinch myself that I do this for a job.

“Exposing more players to the highest quality cricket is only going to benefit the women’s game globally and The Hundred is going to be a huge moment in women’s sport.”

Moeen has an excellent record as a captain having led Worcestershire Rapids to the past two Vitality Blast finals at Edgbaston, including their victory in 2018. He became the first Muslim to lead the national T20 side when he deputised for England captain Eoin Morgan earlier this year.

Devine also brings strong international captaincy experience to Birmingham Phoenix having been named the permanent New Zealand captain in July this year. She stepped up to lead the White Ferns when her predecessor Amy Satterthwaite took leave last year to have her first child and skippered the team at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

Moeen added: “I had a chat with Head Coach Andrew McDonald a couple of days ago about what we’re trying to do moving forward and how we start to put some plans in place. There’s a lot of work to do before the season starts and we keep in touch regularly.

“When I see him at grounds when we’re playing in the IPL, we try to have a quick chat about things and we’re both really excited for The Hundred next year.”

Sophie Devine added: “Everyone is different, but for me being a captain is about leading with actions and leading from the front. If I can inspire my teammates to play a certain way or follow my lead, that will be more powerful than words spoken from the sidelines.

“I’ll try to lead from the front with bat and ball and encourage others to play to their potential and believe in themselves because I’ll be backing them 100%. It’s only a hundred balls so you’ve got nothing to lose. That’s what makes it such an exciting competition.” The news follows the announcement that Moeen and Devine will be joined at Birmingham Phoenix by Chris Woakes, Amy Jones and Dom Sibley.

England Men’s all-rounder Woakes and England Women’s wicketkeeper-batter Jones – both local to the region - have been retained from the initial men’s and women’s squads respectively. Sibley has been signed as a Test-contracted player after the 25-year-old batsman was awarded his first ECB Central Contract last month.

Personalities including Peter Crouch, Sir Mo Farah and Russell Tovey are among the famous faces appearing in a series of portraits for the Movember 2020.

The annual campaign aimed at raising awareness of male mental health issues and suicide prevention, as well as testicular and prostate cancer sees model Abbey Clancy (who’s married to Crouch), singer Liam Payne and George The Poet also being photographed. Other celebrities involved include musicians Miles Kane and Jesse Wood, rugby player Chris Robshaw and actor Sam Claflin.

Speaking about taking part in the campaign, former England striker Crouch said: “I've long supported Movember and the important work they do for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and male mental health.

“It's been an honour to join the campaign this year and get behind the cause by growing a mo.

“This year more than ever, I urge everyone to get involved in the month-long movement and show your support in any way you can.”

Movember CEO, Michelle Terry, said: “It's great to see so many well-known faces put on a united front in support of men's health, inspiring men and women to get involved and support our fundraising drive this Movember.

“This year has not been an easy one on many levels and the challenges are most likely to continue, impacting all areas of our life, including our health.”

She added: “We've seen men embrace facial hair during lockdown and are now asking that they put that practice to good use and grow what could be the most important mo they ever grow.”

More than a fifth of men (22 per cent) reported their mental health had worsened compared with before the outbreak of COVID-19 and a third (29 per cent) admitted they felt lonely more often.
 
Dr Zac Seidler, Director of Mental Health Training, at Movember said: “These findings indicate that guys are hungry for connection and in need of support in these trying times.

“While we know these conversations can often feel uncomfortable or awkward, checking in on your mates and loved ones can make the world of difference”.

Movember Conversations can found at: conversations.movember.com

The daily schedule for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has been released today, with the organisers confirming which sports will be held on each of the 11 days of competition and urging fans to sign-up for ticket updates, as planning for the Games accelerates. The first day of competition is packed with action and is set to feature an impressive 14 different sports. This includes Basketball 3x3 at the recently announced venue at Smithfield in the centre of Birmingham, Artistic Gymnastics at Arena Birmingham, and hockey and squash, which will take place at the University of Birmingham, unveiled last month as a major partner for the Games.

Women’s cricket T20, added to the programme in August last year, will be also begin at Edgbaston Stadium on Friday 29 July and the aquatics programme will start on the same day with the swimmers getting the action underway at the brand new Sandwell Aquatics Centre, which is currently under construction in Smethwick. Netball, which will see Team England defending the gold medal they won in dramatic fashion at Gold Coast 2018, also begins at the NEC Arena on the first day of competition, with the final being held on Sunday 7 August.

The Games, the largest sports event to be held in UK since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, will feature 19 sports, with eight para sports integrated into the programme, creating the biggest para sports offering in Commonwealth Games history. The unveiling of the new schedule confirms that there will now be two full weekends of competition, a move which is hoped will allow more than one million spectators to attend the biggest sporting event ever to be held in the West Midlands.

Nigel Huddleston, Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage said:

"The unveiling of the daily schedule marks another important milestone as we look towards the Games in 2022. It's great to see that for the first time ever at a Commonwealth Games, there will be two full weekends of sport offering more opportunities for everyone to experience Birmingham 2022."  

Birmingham 2022’s Chief Executive Officer, Ian Reid, said: “We’re extremely excited to be unveiling the daily schedule as we know that this will make the Games much more real for everyone, now that they can see exactly which sports will be taking place on each day.

“I’d like to thank all of the international and national governing bodies who have been working closely with us to ensure that we created an exciting schedule which also provides all competitors with the maximum period of recovery possible during what will be an action packed summer of sport in 2022.”

The main athletics programme at the redeveloped Alexander Stadium in the Perry Barr area of the city, won’t begin until day five of the competition on 2 August, therefore allowing additional recovery time for athletes who are also planning to compete at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, which takes place earlier in the summer. The track and field action will take place across six days with the number of sessions yet to be finalised. The marathon will be held earlier in the programme on 30 July, with the location of the start and finish and the route expected to be confirmed in 2021.

The Commonwealth Games Federation’s CEO, David Grevemberg, said: “My message to Commonwealth Sport fans around the globe is simple: Get Excited!

“Now is moment to visit the Birmingham 2022 website and sign-up for updates around tickets, volunteering and general opportunities to get involved in what will be one of the greatest sporting spectacles the country has ever seen. This innovative and exciting sports schedule highlights exceptional partnership working from so many stakeholders to ensure the UK stages a fantastic, celebratory summer of sport in 2022.

“The level of collaboration with the likes of World Athletics and UEFA has been unprecedented to ensure Birmingham 2022 retains a premium spot in an exciting period that will include the UEFA Women’s EURO in England and World Athletics Championships in Oregon. For athletes and spectators, Birmingham 2022 will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of something truly special for the city, the region, the country and the entire Commonwealth. I hope all of you out there embrace this opportunity to be part of a Games for everyone.”

The latest venues to be unveiled for the Games, West Park in Wolverhampton and St Nicholas Park in Warwick, will host the road cycling events on Thursday 4 August and Sunday 7 August, where as another stunning park in the region, Sutton Park in Birmingham, will host the triathlon competition on day one (29 July 2022) and day three (31 July 2022).

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “With less than two years to go until the eyes of the sporting world will be on the city and wider West Midlands, the announcement of the daily schedule represents the passing of another significant milestone on the road to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“A huge amount of planning and preparation has got us to this point – having this information on what will be happening and when, will help build interest and excitement amongst our residents and spectators – and start to focus the minds of the athletes and officials that we will be a proud Host City for in the summer of 2022.”

Coventry Stadium, which is set to host three sports, rugby sevens, judo and wrestling has a packed agenda, as it will see sports action on eight out of 11 days of competition and the NEC will be even busier, with badminton and table tennis, two of the four sports occupying halls at the exhibition centre, featuring on every single day of the Games.

Team England, will have high hopes of a flurry of medals on the final day of competition on Monday 8 August, with badminton, diving, hockey, squash and table tennis all featuring, sports which saw the host nation for Birmingham 2022 bag 26 medals at the Gold Coast edition of the Commonwealth Games in April 2018.

The closing ceremony for the Games will also be held on Monday 8 August 2022.

A more detailed version of the schedule, to include a session by session breakdown, will be unveiled in the coming months.

A new body has been launched by Black coaches, along with former and current players, to tackle racism in football.

Football's Black Coalition (FBC) aims to get governing bodies to do more to challenge racism while tackling issues of under representation in the game.

It is understood that the group was partly inspired by the MLS Black Players For Change group (BPCMLS) which was founded in June, in the wake of George Floyd's death in the USA in May.

Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died in Minneapolis after a white police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes. Spokesperson for BPCMLS, USA international Justin Morrow, said he hoped that Black players in England would create their own group.

He said: "I think it's something, as they know themselves, that's very needed.”

It is understood that FBC and BPCMLS have been in contact via conference calls.

The group's formation comes just after Queens Park Rangers director of football Les Ferdinand said the impact of taking a knee "has been diluted".

Players and staff have been taking a knee before games in the Premier League and English Football League since the 2019-20 season restarted in June, in order to show support for racial equality.

QPR did not carry out the gesture in support of the Black Lives Matter movement before their Championship match against Coventry City on 18 September.

"Taking the knee will not bring about change in the game - actions will," Ferdinand said.

Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir has broken her own world record for a women-only half marathon.

The 27-year-old ran one hour five minutes 16 seconds at the World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland.

Germany's Melat Yisak Kejeta was second in 1:05:18 with Ethiopia's Yalemzerf Yehualaw in third with 1:05:19.

In the men's race, Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo claimed victory in a championship record time of 58:49.

In the women's race, the top three all ran under Jepchirchir's previous would record of 1:05:34.

The leading group went through 10km in 30:47, while the chances of Ethiopia's Ababel Yeshaneh and Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei suffered when they fell on the third lap as they went on to finish fifth and sixth respectively.

Uganda’s 19-year-old Jacob Kiplimo won the men’s race with a championship record time of 58 minutes and 49 seconds to upset Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie who took silver. Ethiopia’s Amedework Walelegn finished third.

Kandie was the fastest man over the distance this year having run 58:38 in Prague last month.

Kiplimo’s compatriot Joshua Cheptegei, who holds both the 5,000m and 10,000m world records, finished in a time of 59:21 on his half marathon debut to earn fourth place.

The event was originally scheduled for March but was postponed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic.