CRICKET
ICC revises setup
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is revising its financial model to bring an end to a potential domination by its “Big Three” members — India, England and Australia. The ICC yesterday issued a statement outlining a new formula for the distribution of funds through 2023, saying it was passed with a majority of 13-1 during an executive board meeting in Dubai this week. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, the major income generator in the sport, had its proposed share of forecast revenue cut to US$293 million across the eight-year cycle, with the England and Wales Cricket Board getting US$143 million and Zimbabwe Cricket US$94 million. The remaining full members, Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh are expected to get US$132 million each over the period. In addition, the ICC’s Associate member countries are to share US$280 million. Associated member countries who perform well in international cricket, such as Afghanistan and Ireland, are to get a bigger share.
SOCCER
Infantino confirms video use
FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Wednesday confirmed that video assistant referees will be used at next year’s World Cup in Russia for the first time. “We will use video refereeing at the 2018 World Cup because we’ve had nothing but positive results so far,” he said at a congress of the South American Football Confederation in Santiago. “In 2017, when everyone in the stadium or at home can see within seconds if the referee made a mistake, we can’t have a situation where the only one who can’t see it is the referee.”
SOCCER
Graft losses revealed
The head of South American confederation CONMEBOL on Wednesday said the body lost more than US$140 million to graft under former managers indicted in a US corruption investigation. From 2010 to 2014 “CONMEBOL was defrauded of more than [US]$140 million,” president Alejandro Dominguez told reporters after unveiling the findings of an external audit at the confederation’s congress. South American officials have been heavily implicated in the US-led investigation into corruption in world soccer, which led to the downfall of FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2015.
SOCCER
Brisbane ’keeper injured
Brisbane Roar goalkeeper Jamie Young needed stitches in a nasty arm gash from a rusty net hook during their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League loss in Thailand, a report said yesterday, with the club set to complain. Young was diving to save Muangthong United’s 37th-minute goal on Wednesday in Thailand when he slammed into the goalpost, ripping open his arm on the hook. The injury required 26 stitches, the Brisbane Courier-Mail reported, saying the club would lodge a formal complaint with the AFC. “The goalposts cannot be of danger to any player and clearly they were,” Roar director Craig Moore said. “We hope that he’s going to be OK [for their next game against the Melbourne Victory], but I won’t have any more information until he gets stitched up and we get a medical report.” The Roar’s 3-0 defeat to Muangthong quashed their hopes of playing in the AFC Champions League knockout stages.
Shaquille O’Neal is staying with TNT Sports on a new contract worth more than US$15 million per year, Front Office Sports reported on Friday. The news means the cast of Inside the NBA is staying together even as TNT is set to license out the show to ESPN starting next season. TNT was the odd network out in the NBA’s recent TV rights negotiations, as NBC and Amazon joined previous rightsholder ESPN in inking deals for basketball games. That left TNT without a need for pregame and postgame NBA shows. In a trade with ESPN, TNT is licensing Inside the NBA to the
Juventus on Sunday stopped Inter from replacing SSC Napoli at the top of Serie A by beating their fierce rivals 1-0 and moving into the UEFA Champions League positions. Francisco Conceicao made sure that Napoli would stay two points ahead of reigning champions Inter by classily tucking home the winning goal 16 minutes before the end of an entertaining contest in Turin. Portugal attacker Conceicao netted his fourth goal of the season in all competitions after brilliant work from Randal Kolo Muani to give Juve a third straight league win. Juve are in fourth place on 46 points, ahead on goal-difference from SS
Eugenie Bouchard already has her own signature pickleball paddle. She is No. 17 in the pickleball rankings and constantly appears on the main court at events because she is always a big draw. However, just to be absolutely clear, she is not retired from tennis. The 2014 Wimbledon finalist still practices on the tennis court, still competes at tennis events and still has a Women’s Tennis Association ranking (No. 1,288). The Canadian standout just has a new sport that has caught her attention. Bouchard is one of several familiar tennis names — like Jack Sock and Donald Young — crossing over to
Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum on Sunday combined for 27 points as Shaquille O’Neal’s “Team Shaq” cruised to victory in the new-look NBA All-Star game in San Francisco. Curry, playing on his home court at Golden State’s Chase Center, reeled off a string of trademark three-pointers to help his star-studded lineup coast to a 41-25 victory over Charles Barkley’s “Team Chuck.” Boston Celtics star Tatum finished with 15 points after delivering a dominant performance in a starting lineup that also included Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard and James Harden. Team Shaq’s preparations for the game had been dealt a blow shortly before tip-off when