CRICKET
Brathwaite favored for Test
West Indies allrounder Carlos Brathwaite is favored by captain Jason Holder to make his Test debut tomorrow against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Holder yesterday said that Brathwaite was ahead of fast bowler Miguel Cummins as the likely replacement for Shannon Gabriel, who injured an ankle in the first Test, which the West Indies lost by an innings and 212 runs. “Carlos has been in the squad for a little while now and he’s waited for his opportunity, so he’s probably pretty much front-line to go in ahead of Miguel,” Holder said. Brathwaite has played seven one-day internationals for the West Indies. Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo could also be recalled, with selectors likely to wait until a pitch inspection before finalizing their lineup.
TENNIS
Soderling retires
Two-time French Open finalist Robin Soderling is retiring at the age of 31 due to illness. The big-serving Swede, who ended Rafael Nadal’s 31-match winning streak at the French Open in 2009, has never fully recovered from contracting glandular fever in 2011, when he last played competitively. Soderling, who rose as high as No. 4 and has a 310-170 win-loss ratio, reached the Final at Roland Garros in 2009 and 2010. He had hoped to return to competitive action next year. Soderling wrote on the Swedish Web site tennis.se: “I want to inform you that I have decided to end my career as a professional tennis player. With the disease it has been impossible for me to train 100 percent and I was forced to rest after any physical effort. In some periods I felt so bad that I was completely bed-ridden.”
ATHLETICS
IAAF to make inspection
A taskforce from the governing body of world athletics will make a first visit to Russia on Jan. 10 and Jan. 11 to check on progress toward cleaning up the doping scandal that led to the nation’s suspension from the sport last month. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has set out a series of steps that Russia must take to be reinstated before the Rio Olympics in August. “We have established a good working relationship as the basis of our future discussions and meetings together. I look forward with my fellow members of the IAAF taskforce to visiting Moscow in three weeks’ time,” Rune Andersen, independent chairperson of the taskforce, said in a statement. The suspension followed a report by an independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency that exposed widespread, systematic state-sponsored doping and related corruption.
FOOTBALL
Jets make unusual signing
Joe Anderson, a would-be NFL receiver who stood outside a stadium with a sign last month asking for a job, has been signed to the New York Jets’ practice squad. Anderson took his NFL job plea to Instagram as well as outside the home stadium of the Houston Texans seeking NFL work, trying to attract the attention of clubs that might need late-season help. “Not homeless — but STARVING for success. Will run routes 4 food,” read the hand-drawn message on the cardboard sign Anderson carried last month and in the social media photograph he posted. NFL practice squad players are not eligible to play in games, but any club can sign a player from any team’s practice squad. Anderson played nine games over two seasons with the NFL Chicago Bears in 2012 and 2013 and the 27-year-old Texan spent time on Philadelphia’s practice squad last year.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, 29, has died, the NBA team said in a statement on Tuesday, while the family of Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to play in a major US pro sports league, announced the former Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets player had died after a battle with brain cancer. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement posted on social media. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.” The statement did not provide
Mathys Tel was hero and villain as Tottenham drew 1-1 at home to Leeds United on Monday — a result that leaves their English Premier League future hanging in the balance. The Frenchman broke the deadlock early in the second half to ease the tension at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but then gave away a penalty with a reckless attempted clearance. In the dying minutes, Spurs were grateful to Antonin Kinsky, who produced an astonishing save to deny the visitors a win. Tottenham are now two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United with just two games left this season. The
‘DONE IT ALL’: LeBron James is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season as a free agent with uncertainty swirling around his future LeBron James on Monday said he would take time to consider his future after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the NBA playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder in what could turn out to be the final game of his career. James, 41, delivered a typically defiant performance with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough to prevent the Lakers from falling 115-110 as the Thunder completed a 4-0 sweep in the Western Conference semi-finals series. The four-time NBA champion is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season
FRUSTRATION: Gauff smacked herself on the head with her racket before storming down the tunnel, emerging afterward to have a heated discussion with her coach Elina Svitolina on Saturday won the Italian Open after beating Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 to claim her third Rome title, while Jannik Sinner set a date with Casper Ruud in the men’s final. Ukraine’s Svitolina had not claimed a WTA 1000 title since her last victory at the Foro Italico eight years ago, but prevailed over the ever-erratic Gauff to claim her 20th tournament triumph. Saturday’s win over Gauff was her third in a row against a player in the top four of the world rankings — including Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina — ahead of the French
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