AFP – PARIS

Renault became the latest Formula One team to furlough staff yesterday as the sport continues to wrestle with the huge financial setbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The French manufac-turer said “the vast majority of staff (at their base at Enstone in the UK) will effectively have a total shutdown until May 31”, in a statement.

Staff at the team’s engine site at Viry-Cha-tillon on the outskirts of Paris will be placed “on a part-time schedule for a provisional period of 12 weeks”.

Renault join grid rivals Williams, Racing Point and McLaren in fur-loughing staff after nine of the scheduled 22 races in the world champi-onship were either cancelled or postponed.

The season will not start until the French Grand Prix on June 28 at the earliest.

“It was agreed to top-up the amount allocated by the British government to guarantee a minimum of 80 percent of the actual salary for all team members,” said a Renault statement in reference to the job retention scheme in the UK.

“Salaries of active staff, including management, will be reduced in the same proportions.” Renault Team Chief Cyril Abiteboul said the measures were necessary to safe-guard the team.

“We must use all the measures at our disposal to get through this prolonged period of uncertainty and inac-tivity as best as we can,” he said.

More than 100 stars pledge to #BreakTheChain

Salaries of active staff, including management, will be reduced in the same proportions. We must use all the measures at our disposal to get through this prolonged period of uncertainty and inactivity as best as we can: Renault Team Chief Cyril Abiteboul

SPORT | 02

No match

worth risking

a life, says

Infantino

w

SPORTNBA: Magic Johnson

hopeful season's

champion can be

found

SPORT | 04

SATURDAY 11 APRIL 2020

Coe hopes for ‘belated season’ starting in AugustREUTERS – MONACO

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe (pictured) is still hoping that a belated

outdoor athletics season can be staged from August to

October this year, he said yesterday.

Like al l sport around the world, athletics is at

a standstill because

of the

coronavirus pandemic with little indi-cation of when it will be able to resume.

“We know that different countries are at different stages of managing this pan-demic so we are trying to give a structure to our athletes and member federations so they can begin to plan for the year ahead,” Coe said in a World Athletics statement.

“If it is at all possible, we will schedule a belated outdoor season from August to October to help our athletes to figure out where they stand after the disruption of this year.”

World Athletics has set aside the weekend of August 9-10 as the protected

window for national championships.“This will be followed by what we

hope will be a solid international season, but of course we are dependent on the global response to the pandemic,” Coe said.

“Nevertheless, we think it’s better to offer our stakeholders some hope of a return to normalcy later this year.”

The Olympic Games have been post-poned by a year until July-August 2021 and the World Athletics Championships, due to be held in Oregon in 2021, have been put back to 2022 to avoid a clash between the events.

The World Indoor Athletics

Championships, due to have taken place in Nanjing, China, in March have been postponed for a year while the London, Paris and Barcelona marathons were also called off.

The Diamond League postponed its first five meetings of the 2020 season due to be held in April and May in Qatar, China, Stockholm, Naples and Rabat. Five more meetings due to be held in June and July are still listed as going ahead, although they are also in serious in doubt.

World Athletics said an another announcement about the year’s schedule was expected towards the end of the month.

REUTERS – MONACO

World Athletics President Sebastia(pictured) is still hoping that a b

outdoor athletics season cstaged from Aug

October this ysaid yester

Like sport athe wathleti

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AFC ranks Hassan’s goal one of Asia's bestQNA – DOHA

The Asian F o o t b a l l Association (AFC) chose the goal of Al Sadd player Abdelkarim Hassan against Uzbek Lokomotiv, in the third round match of the 2015 AFC Cham-pions League to be among the top five long-range goals.

The 2018 AFC Player of the Year Abdelkarim Hassan has his personal showreel of great goals, the AFC said. The left-back’s strike against Loko-motiv in 2015 is up there with his finest.

Al Sadd were 4-1 up and cruising when Hassan intercepted the ball in his own half, drove forward in typical fashion, spotted the goal-keeper off his line, and sent a beautiful chip from fully 45 yards over Mamur Okramov’s head before celebrating in style.

The top five goals list also included: the goal of Persepolis’ Mahdi Torabi against Al Sadd; the goal of Lee Chang-min of Jeju United versus Gamba Osaka; the goal of Ikromjom Alibaev of Lokomotiv against Al Wahda and the goal of Andranik Teymourian of Esteghlal versus Buriram United.

AFC President hails Asia’s

‘guiding lights’AFC – KUALA LUMPUR

Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President, thanked the 100 players, officials and match officials who have contributed to promote the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) messaging during the current COVID-19 crisis.

The AFC President described the Member Asso-ciations, the players, officials and match officials, who have led the AFC’s #BreakTheChain campaign, as ‘guiding lights during these dark and challenging times.’

The 100th person to join the much-heralded campaign was Ali Mabkhout from the United Arab Emirates and the AFC has reached that number in just over 10 days – the first 50 signing up in just 48 hours to promote the messages of the highest standards of hygiene, social distancing and, where Governments have stipulated, staying at home.

Shaikh Salman said: “We have not experienced anything like the current situation in the 66-year history of the AFC – this is truly unprecedented, and everyone needs help, advice and guidance in times like this.

“Our Member Associations, their players, offi-cials and match officials have been quick to respond to the AFC’s call to deliver this key messaging under the #BreakTheChain campaign. Everyone has shared the same spirit urging their communities to do the right thing to protect their health and that of their families, friends, colleagues and their nation," the Asian football chief added.

FIA chief admits risk of losing teams due to virusAFP – PARIS

International automobile feder-ation (FIA) chief Jean Todt warned yesterday that the coronavirus could threaten the future of motorsport teams and manufac-turers.

Nine races in the Formula One world championship have already either been cancelled or suspended.

“There has been this cascade of cancellations and postpone-ments. We must reconsider the calendars and ask ourselves when everything will be able to resume,” Todt said.

“Motor racing, starting with F1, is too expensive.

“We have already taken steps in this direction, but the pandemic makes it more difficult to bear these costs.

“There is the risk of losing teams, constructors. You have to be responsible and implement more acceptable and accepted solutions.” The Canadian Grand Prix, which was set for June 14, was the latest F1 race to be scratched from the 22-event schedule.

Even before the Montreal event was binned, McLaren boss Zak Brown said Formula One was in a “very fragile state”.

He warned that as many as four teams could go to the wall, deprived of the massive TV and sponsorship revenues which keep them afloat.

New technical regulations,

planned for 2021, have already been pushed back to 2022.

Brown said last week that all teams have agreed to lower the salary cap from $175m to $150m.

He wants it reduced further.However, Todt cautioned:

“Everything is not included in this ceiling. We are working on it.” With over a third of the races planned for the F1 season already shelved, Todt insists it’s not the right time to talk of a diminished championship.

“I don’t know if we can say that. What is it worth in the current

context? 2020 will remain a black year that we never thought we’d live through and I hope we will not have to live again.

“We can take stock at the end of the year but it’s too early today.” The Australian Grand Prix was the first event of the 2020 season to be cancelled despite teams having travelled to Mel-bourne for the March 15 opener.

Todt defended the decision to make the trip despite it being a PR disaster.

“People say we shouldn’t have gone. To me, that’s not true. There

was no reason not to go to Australia.

“However, when we were there, things accelerated so quickly that we decided not to run the race.

“The same weekend, we sent the French to vote (in the first round of the municipal elections).

“There was no reason not to send them, and afterwards they say we shouldn’t have. It’s so easy.

“Talk is cheap. I think we have to try to be a little more humble to better understand things.”

Tokyo CEO hints Games could be in doubt even in 2021AP – TOKYO

As the coronavirus spreads in Japan, the Chief Exec-utive of the Tokyo Games said yesterday he can’t guarantee the postponed Olympics will be staged next year - even with the long delay.

Japanese Prime Min-ister Shinzo Abe issued an emergency declaration this week to battle the virus, putting the country under restrictions after it seemed it had avoided the spread.

“I don’t think anyone would be able to say if it is going to be possible to get it under control by next July or not,”

Tokyo Organising Committee CEO Toshiro Muto said, speaking through an interpreter at a news conference con-ducted remotely. ”We’re certainly are not in a position to give you a clear answer.”

The Olympics were postponed last month with a new opening set for July 23, 2021, followed by the Paralympics on August 24.

Abe has been criticised for being slow to act against the coronavirus. Opposition political leaders have suggested he downplayed the severity of the virus and have said it may have been tied to wanting to hold the Olympics this year.

“We have made the decision to postpone the games by one year,” Muto added. “So this means that all we can do is work hard to prepare for the games. We sincerely hope that come next year mankind will manage to overcome the coronavirus crisis.”

Muto was asked if there are alternative plans to 2021.

“Rather than think about alternatives plans, we should put in all of our effort,” he said.

Muto was asked several times about the added costs of postponing, which has been estimated by Japanese media at between $2bn-$6bn. He said it was too soon to know the price tag and who would pay.

More

an

of Al Sadd player Hassan against Uzbek Lokomotiv, und match of the 2015 AFC Cham-to be among the top five long-

AFC Player of the rim Hassan has his owreel of great

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ve goals list also included: the goal’ Mahdi Torabi against Al Sadd;

Lee Chang-min of Jeju United a Osaka; the goal of Ikromjom komotiv against Al Wahda of Andranik Teymourianersus Buriram United.

AFC – KUALA LUMP

Shaikh SalmanFootball Confethe 100 playershave contributOrganisation’scurrent COVID

The AFC Preciations, the playwho have led theas ‘guiding lights times.’

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Members of the Ferrari team arrive to pack up their equipment after the Formula One Australian Grand Prix was cancelled in Melbourne in this March 13 file photo.

Renault F1 team furloughs ‘vast majority’ of UK staff

The AFC chooses

Al Sadd player's

goal against

Uzbek Lokomotiv,

in the third round

of the 2015 AFC

Champions League to be

among the top five

long-range goals.

02 SATURDAY 11 APRIL 2020SPORT

No match worth risking a life: InfantinoPro soccer players set to play FIFA 20 in charity tourney

REUTERS — LONDON

Real-life pro soccer players from powerhouse European teams such as Liverpool and Real Madrid will compete in EA Sports’ FIFA 20 Stay and Play Cup, Electronic Arts announced.

The online charity event, scheduled to start on Wednesday and run through April 19, will feature the soccer players competing on FIFA 20. Among the teams sending par-ticipants will be Ajax, AS Roma, Chelsea, FC Copenhagen, Liv-erpool, Porto and Real Madrid, according to EA.

All of the major European soccer leagues are currently shut down due to the corona-virus pandemic.

The Stay and Play Cup, part of EA’s “Stay Home, Play Together” initiative, will donate $1m to Global Giving’s Corona-virus Relief Fund.

“We want to bring the global football community together with the EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Stay and Play Cup, so millions of fans can experience the thrill of their favorite clubs and professional footballers playing -- even when we have to be apart,” Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson said in a statement.

Games in the Stay and Play Cup will be available to view on EA Sports’ FIFA Twitch channel, with registered FIFA players having an opportunity to earn FUT 20 rewards through Twitch Drops.

AFP — ZURICH

FIFA President Gianni Infantino yesterday said that “no match” is worth “risking a single human life” and that world football’s governing body would be able to help financially national federations during the corona-virus pandemic.

The majority of top football leagues and international com-petitions have been suspended due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Infantino insisted that games would not resume until it was safe.

“Our first priority, our prin-ciple, the one we will use for our competitions and encourage everyone to follow is that health comes first,” he said in a video message.

“I cannot stress this enough. No match, no competition, no league is worth risking a single human life.”

The German Bundesliga reportedly could restart behind closed doors in May, with players already back in training, while other leagues could also resume in the summer.

“It would be more than irre-sponsible to force competitions to resume if things are not 100% safe,” added Infantino.

“If we have to wait a little longer we must do so. It’s better to wait a little bit longer than to take any risks.”

Infantino said that national football associations which are struggling financially would receive help from FIFA’s emer-gency relief fund.

FIFA last week postponed all international matches scheduled for June.

“We are today in a very strong financial situation,”

Infantino said.“But our reserves are not

FIFA’s money. It is football’s money. So when football is

in need, we must think what we can do to help... It is our responsibility and our duty.”

to wa t a tt e b t o ge t a totake any risks.”

a te at o a atc esscheduled for June.

“We are today in a verystrong financial situation,”

Infantino said.“But our reserves are not

FIFA’s money. It is football’s money. So when football is

in need, we must thinkwhat we can do to help... It is our responsibilityand our duty.”

Our first priority, our principle, the one we will use for our competitions and encourage everyone to follow is that health comes first. I cannot stress this enough. No match, no competition, no league is worth risking a single human life: FIFA President Gianni Infantino

Gianni Infantino

Bayern Munich's players try to keep a safe distance during their training session in Munich, in this April 6, 2020 file photo.

Back to training, Bayern Munich’s Coman hopes to complete seasonREUTERS — MUNICH

Bundesliga clubs returned to training earlier this week after almost a month off due to the COVID-19 outbreak and while the players are still being kept at a safe distance from each other Bayern Munich forward Kingsley Coman is just happy to be back.

Squads have been split into small groups or even pairs under strict measures to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, which has infected over 110,000 and killed more than 2,000 people in Germany.

“We had not touched a ball on a football pitch for almost a month and even if we’re split in small groups it’s a pleasure to play again and step onto a field that has

goals,” the France interna-tional told Eurosport yesterday.

Despite the resumption of training the German Football League (DFL) made it clear last week it was not known if or when the season would resume.

The season has been sus-pended until at least April 30 with the DFL due to meet next Friday to decide the next step.

Coman said he hoped all the effort the players had put in would not go to waste.

“We work, we work, and I hope we can finish the season otherwise all that work will have been for nothing,” he said.

Bayern had a four-point lead with nine matches remaining when the season was halted.

Football clubs, players strike pay deals for coronavirus lullREUTERS — LONDON

With sports events around the world suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, football clubs and leagues have been discussing pay cuts with players to help them make it through the crisis.

Here is a summary of some of the agreements reached or negotiated by major football clubs.

ITALY On April 6 Serie A officials

proposed to cut players’ wages by a third if the season is can-celled and a sixth if it even-tually resumes, with the chance for clubs to individ-ually negotiate cuts with their employees. The Italian Players’ Association (AIC) called it “totally inadmissible”, a sen-timent shared by the Italian coaches’ association (AIAC).

JUVENTUS Players and coach Mau-

rizio Sarri have reached an agreement over a wage reduction that will save the Italian champions €90m ($100.26m), the Serie A club said on March 28.

INTER MILAN Players and coaching staff

are willing to cut their wages for the rest of the season, Italian news agency Ansa r e p o r t e d h t t p s : / / b i t .ly/2ywYxMD citing sources in the club. The details will be decided once it is clear whether the current season will resume.

AS ROMA The team decided to put an

initial 77 non-playing staff in furlough and plans to rotate the others 250 non-playing workers in the same scheme, Corriere dello Sport reported [https://bit.ly/2xmsLlh ].

ENGLAND On April 4 Premier League

called for a 30% players’ wage reduction. The Professional Footballers Association (PFA) criticised the proposal, arguing it could reduce tax revenue for the National Health Service.

** Also on April 4, Premier League clubs agreed to support lower divisions with £125m, to be used in early solidarity payments, parachute pay-ments and Academy Grants.

LIVERPOOL On April 5 the Champions

League winners said it would furlough some of the non-playing staff, but on April 6 reversed the decision after sharp criticism from fans and British government officials.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR Spurs have imposed a 20%

pay cut on 550 non-playing staff in April and May due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Premier League club said on March 31.

NEWCASTLE UNITED Newcastle United have

become the first Premier

League club to place members of their non-playing staff on temporary leave in response to the coronavirus crisis, the BBC has reported.

SPAIN The Spanish Football Fed-

eration said on March 25 that it planned to open a €500m line of credit to clubs which will not be able to claim their full television rights.

REAL MADRID Players and coaching staff

voluntarily agreed on April 8 to cut between 10% and 20% of their wages to avoid “trau-matic measures that affect the rest of the workers,” the club said.

BARCELONA Players will make an extra

contribution on top of the 70% pay cut they have agreed to take during the enforced La Liga break so that the club’s other employees can earn their full salaries during the coronavirus crisis, captain Lionel Messi said on March 30.

ATLETICO MADRID Atletico Madrid have also

temporarily cut players’ and coaches’ wages by 70%, but guaranteed a full salary for their other employees, the Spanish club said on April 2.

GERMANY Borussia Dortmund, Bayern

Munich, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen have come together to create a €20m sol-idarity fund to help German clubs in the top two tiers.

BAYERN MUNICH The German champions

said players would cut their salaries by 20%, ESPN r e p o r t e d h t t p s : / /es.pn/3bHtgEW citing a con-firmation from the club.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND The German club said on

March 24 that players, man-agers and coaching staff agreed to cut their salaries to show solidarity with the club’s 850 employees and families.

BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH

Sporting director Max Eberl said in an interview on the club’s website https://bit.ly/2yoAG1s that the team has offered to renounce to their salaries if needed.

UNION BERLIN Players agreed https://bit.

ly/2UDtjvI to give up their sal-aries, while managers and employees agreed on salary cuts.

LYON The club has put all of its

staff on partial unemployment https://bit.ly/2JBsoFY status like all the clubs in French top-tier league Ligue 1.

** Under a government scheme, companies can request a reimbursement for putting workers on shorter or zero hours since the corona-virus outbreak.

On April 5, the Champions League winners said it

would furlough some of the non-playing staff, but

the next day reversed the decision after sharp criticism from fans and

British government officials.

Barcelona deny corruption after six board members resignAFP — MADRID

Barcelona have denied what the club describes as “serious and unfounded accusations” of corruption after a former vice-president claimed someone “had put their hands in the till”.

Emili Rousaud was one of six board members to resign on Thursday night as Barca con-tinue to be embroiled in political crisis under their current pres-ident Josep Maria Bartomeu.

All six resigning board members called for the 2021 presidential elections to be brought forward in a joint letter published yesterday by the newspaper La Vanguardia.

In an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, Rousaud discussed the social media controversy that rocked

the club in February, when Bar-celona were accused of hiring a company called I3 Ventures to discredit opponents of Bartomeu online, including players like Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique.

“If the auditors tell us the cost of these services is 100,000 euros and we have paid one million, it means someone has put their hand in the till. I have no evidence and I cannot say who,” Rousaud told the pro-gramme RAC1 yesterday.

Barcelona responded with an official statement that read: “In the light of the serious and unfounded accusations made this morning by Emili Rousaud, ex-vice president of the club, in different interviews with the media, FC Barcelona categori-cally denies any activity that can be described as corruption and

therefore reserves the right to any legal action that may correspond.”

Bartomeu terminated the club’s contract with I3 Ventures in February. He said the company had been hired only to monitor posts on social media and announced an internal audit to investigate any irregularity.

“The analysis of the moni-toring services of social net-works is being subjected to an independent audit by PriceWa-terhouseCoopers (PWC), which is still ongoing and, therefore, without any conclusions,” Bar-celona’s statement added.

Rousaud had been appointed as a club vice-president in January and was seen as a leading candidate to succeed Bartomeu, who cannot stand again when the presidential elections come round next year.

Instead, Rousaud has quit, citing frustrations with the club’s management, along with fellow vice-president Enrique Tombas, as well as directors Silvio Elias, Josep Pont, Jordi Calsamiglia and Maria Teixidor.

Bartomeu has overseen a string of political spats in recent

months being played out in public, with Messi also involved.

Messi reacted angrily in January to Eric Abidal, the club’s technical secretary, suggesting the players were to blame for the sacking of Ernesto Valverde and last month, the Argentinian criticised the club’s handling of negotiations with the squad over pay cuts.

Those remaining swiftly addressed the resignations from the board.

“The resignations of the members of the board of directors announced over the last few hours have come about due to a reorganisation of the board put forward by president Josep Maria Bartomeu and which will be completed in the next few days,” the statement added.

Emili Rousaud was one

of six board members to

resign on Thursday night

as Barca continue to be

embroiled in political

crisis under their current

president Josep Maria

Bartomeu.

All six resigning board

members called for

the 2021 presidential

elections to be brought

forward in a joint letter

published yesterday

by the newspaper La Vanguardia.

Rousaud had been

appointed as a club vice-

president in January and

was seen as a leading

candidate to succeed

Bartomeu.

03SATURDAY 11 APRIL 2020 SPORT

TURKMENISTAN is set to restart its suspended soccer league amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Central Asian nation will become part of a small group of countries around the world where professional soccer is being played despite the virus outbreak. That includes the former Soviet nations of Belarus and Tajikistan, as well as Burundi and Nicaragua.

The eight-team Turkmenistan league was suspended on March 24. The national soccer federation says it will resume on April 19. Fans will be allowed to attend games.

Turkmenistan has not reported any cases of the coronavirus.

___THE FRENCH tennis federation has set up a support plan

worth €35m ($38m) to help professional players facing financial problems because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The FFT says it has approved the scheme that will also benefit clubs, coaches, instructors, officials and tournament organizers affected by the health crisis.

The FFT says practical arrangements for the allocation still need to be discussed.

The ATP and WTA announced this month that the men’s and women’s professional tours would be suspended until at least July 13. Wimbledon has been cancelled because of the deadly virus while the start of the French Open has been post-poned from late May to late September.

___FLORIDA STATE offensive lineman Andrew Boselli says

he had the coronavirus and detailed some of what his famous father went through in his own fight against COVID-19.

The son of former NFL lineman Tony Boselli says in a first-person account he wrote for Florida State’s athletic department website that he dealt with the worst of the virus for about three days.

The Seminoles’ lineman wrote that he wants “everyone to know just how hard it was. I spent days feeling miserable” and his healthy 47-year-old father with no underlying health con-ditions “spent three days in the intensive care unit.”

Tony Boselli is now back home and Andrew Boselli says he and his family are recovering from the massive scare. He says his brother and mother also dealt with the virus.

Andrew Boselli says he’s looking forward to being around fellow students and team-mates again but added a word of caution by writing “the only way for that to happen is listen to the experts and follow their guidance.”

___THE RUSSIAN sports minister says it’s time for interna-

tional authorities to “turn a new page” and forget the coun-try’s Olympic doping ban because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The World Anti-Doping Agency barred Russia from the Olympics for four years after ruling last year that doping data from a Moscow laboratory had been manipulated. The Court of Arbitration for Sport is to rule on whether the ban is valid but hearings have been delayed because of the health crisis.

Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin says the virus outbreak means the parties in the legal proceedings should avoid a ruling against Russia because it would fracture the Olympic movement.

He adds that “when you see that everyone is isolated and everyone is at home... people understand that now there are priorities and there are issues which go on the backburner. The priority is the future of the Olympic movement.”

Matytsin says sanctioning Russia would damage the Olympic movement and says the country is prepared to host more inter-national sports events once the virus outbreak recedes.

England team chief expects delay to West Indies seriesLONDON - AFP

England cricket team chief Ashley Giles has forecast a significant delay to the home series against the West Indies in June should the coronavirus relent sufficiently to allow the three Tests to go ahead.

The county championship, comprising four-day matches, was due to start on Sunday but English cricket is shut down until at least May 28, with the expectation of further postponements.

England are meant to play a three-Test series against the West Indies in June, with the opening match at The Oval starting on June 4.

But England team director Giles told reporters in a con-ference call: “The deadline of May 28 still stands but it’s looking less and less likely that we’re going to be out there in June. We have to look at alternatives.”

Following the visit of the West Indies, England are meant to play home series against Pakistan, Australia and Ireland as well.

“We are looking at sce-narios where we can push those matches back as far as possible without losing any cricket,” said Giles.

“Whether eventually games start falling off the calendar

right now we don’t know.“If we can’t get it all, it’s

really important we work in partnership with all the other boards to fulfil those fixtures but with a priority on keeping people safe.”

Meanwhile the former England spinner said an intra-squad match similar to the one Australia played before last year’s Ashes could serve as a warm-up fixture for his side if the season can get underway.

With Britain currently in lockdown, players cannot go straight from their homes into the international arena.

“From a playing point of

view certainly, I think we’ll need to play a couple of warm-up games,” Giles said.

“They could be behind closed doors, they could be among England players -- none of us really know until we get there.”

Following last year’s one-day World Cup in England, the Australians played a three-day 12-a-side match at South-ampton as their sole warm-up fixture for the Ashes.

Australia coach Justin Langer then settled on his squad and saw the tourists hammer England in the first Test at Edg-baston by 251 runs, although the

five-match series ended in a 2-2 draw.

E n g l a n d themselves ben-efitted from a similar fixture when their Twenty20 side lost a practice match to their own second string in Abu Dhabi in 2010.

As a result, batsmen Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter forced their way into the senior team that went on to win that’s year’s

World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.

Giles, asked about an intra-squad match, replied: “If we had to, I think that would be a decent way around a problem if we weren’t playing cricket more broadly. I think we could do that.”

Giles added he was also open to the possibility of Eng-land’s Test and one-day teams playing at the same time if that was the best way to fulfil fix-tures in a shortened season.

“We have got enough depth where we can split our resources but we haven’t got that far,” he said.

A general view of Sydney Cricket Ground during a Twenty20 International between Australia and England.

More than 900 tournaments postponed: ITFLONDON - REUTERS

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) said more than 900 tournaments across all its circuits had been postponed so far because of the coronavirus pandemic and that it was furloughing half its staff.

In a statement, tennis’s governing body said it was imple-menting a range of measures to “safeguard jobs and protect the long-term health of our organisation and our sport” with president David Haggerty voluntarily taking a 30% salary cut for the rest of the year.

“The situation we are facing represents a fundamental chal-lenge to our organisation and our sport,” Haggerty, who was re-elected for another term last year, said in a statement yesterday.

“Our purpose is to ensure the long-term growth and sus-tainability of our sport in collaboration with our 210 member nations, which is why we are making difficult decisions in the short term so that we can continue to deliver tennis for future generations across the globe.”

The London-based governing body of tennis said half its staff would be placed on the UK government’s job retention scheme.

Under the scheme, employers can claim for 80% of fur-loughed employees’ monthly wages, capped at £2,500 ($3,085) per month.

The ITF will top up those payments to ensure all furloughed staff receive 80% of their full salary.

Non-furloughed staff will work a reduced four-day week and the ITF will pay them 90% of their salary. The chief exec-utives and directors will work also work four-day weeks and will be paid 80% of their salary.

The ITF’s revamped Fed Cup Finals was one of the high-profile events postponed. It was supposed to have taken place this month in Budapest.

“We have postponed more than 900 tournaments across all ITF circuits, including the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals 2020, and it remains uncertain when play can resume,” a statement read.

“While postponing events and prioritising safety is the appropriate response in these exceptional circumstances, it has resulted in a number of complex challenges, including a significant loss of income.”

With so many tournaments postponed, the earning potential of hundreds of players has effectively dried up -- a serious issue for those lower down the rankings who struggle to make a living even in normal times.

The ITF said it was in discussion with other tennis stake-holders to provide support for nations and players.

Cummins, with a price tag of $2.18m, preparing for IPL in empty stadiumsSYDNEY - REUTERS

Australian pace bowler Pat Cummins is “super hopeful” that the Indian Premier League (IPL) will go ahead this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, even if it means matches are initially played in empty stadiums.

The start of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament, originally scheduled for March 29, has been deferred to April 15 and another postponement looks inevitable as India locks down to prevent the spread of the virus.

Cummins has good reason to want the IPL to get underway having attracted a bid of $2.18m from the Kolkata Knight Riders

in the competition’s annual auction, a record for a non-Indian player. The ICC Test Player of the Year, however, says getting the league underway would also be an important illustration of the world returning to normal after the pandemic.

“The first priority is safety but the second one is getting back to normality, finding that balance,” the 26-year-old, named one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year on Wednesday, told the BBC.

“If that unfortunately means no crowds for a while, then that is that, but hopefully people can watch at home on TV.”

Cummins said playing the IPL behind closed doors would have a “totally different feel about it”.

“When people ask about the difference between playing cricket in India the first thing is the crowd,” he added.

“They scream every single ball whether it’s a six or a wicket - it’s the same noise every ball - so that atmosphere is some-thing that we love about playing in India.

“It will be missed in the short term if it can’t happen, but I have no doubt it will be a great event even if it has to be played without crowds.”

Cummins, who last bowled a ball in anger almost a month ago, faces a long wait for his next taste of international action after Australia’s June Test tour of Bang-ladesh was postponed because of the coro-navirus outbreak.

Hampshire cancel Lyon deal amid virus chaos

LONDON - AFP

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon will not play for English county Hampshire this year after a mutual decision was made to cancel his contract because of the coronavirus chaos.

Lyon is third on Australia’s all-time Test wicket-taker list with 390 scalps and his signing was a big coup for Hampshire.

But the start of the English domestic season has been postponed until at least May 28 because of the pandemic.

Lyon was due to play for Hampshire for a “significant” portion of the County Cham-pionship campaign until the on-going health crisis prompted both parties to call off the deal.

Giles White, Hampshire’s director of cricket, said yes-terday: “These are obviously very uncertain and challenging times, and it’s clear the issues cricket currently faces will contribute to the way in which counties are able to operate and prepare for this season.

“As a result of this and fol-lowing conversations with Nathan and his management, it was mutually agreed that he would no longer join us this season. I would like to thank Nathan and his representatives for their complete under-standing and agreement and we hope to welcome him to the club next season."

Surrey pulled out of a deal for Lyon's compatriot Michael Neser earlier this week,

CSK post picture of Dhoni mowing his lawn amidst lockdownRANCHI - IANS

Former India captain M.S. Dhoni was spotted mowing his lawn in his farmhouse here, the picture of which was shared by his Indian Premier League (IPL) team Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

“Lawn time, no see!” CSK said in a tweet from their official handle.

The outbreak of the coronavirus saw the Chennai Super Kings training camp being called off and skipper Dhoni returning home from Chennai.

CSK bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji recently said that the former India skipper looked very intense during his training sessions even though he was making a return to competitive cricket post a sabbatical.

“Dhoni was looking good, fit. He focused on training just like he always does and was as normal as he has always been. He trained like the way he did last year or 2 years ago. There is nothing that changes when it comes to his prep-aration. His routine, his mindset, everything is the same,” Balaji had said.

Recently former India opener and domestic legend Wasim Jaffer also revealed that all Dhoni wanted when he started off was to make Rs 30 lakh and live peacefully in Ranchi.

Replying to a fan’s question on his “favourite

memory with M.S. Dhoni”, Jaffer said on social media:

“In his 1st or 2nd year in Indian team, I remember he said, he wants to make 30 lakhs from playing cricket so he can live peacefully for the rest of his life in Ranchi”.

Dhoni went on to play 90 Tests, 350 ODIs, and 98 T20s for India, captaining the team to the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 50-over World Cup

This photo posted on Chennai Super Kings' official Twitter handle @ChennaiIPL shows former India captain MS Dhoni mowing lawn at his home garden in Ranchi.

Stay fit, stay in, stay safe: Rohit MUMBAI - IANS

With the world coming to a standstill due to the coronavirus outbreak, sportspersons have been looking to interact with fans to not only keep them entertained, but also to guide them in these difficult times as also keep them aware of the dos and don'ts. Taking to Instagram, Rohit Sharma once again highlighted the importance of staying fit even during lockdown.

In his Instagram post, he wrote: "Being home-bound is no excuse, stay fit, stay in, stay safe."

Earlier, PM Narendra Modi yesterday spoke to 49 sports personalities that included the likes of BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, cricket great Sachin Tendulkar,

badminton world champion P.V. Sindhu and chess legend Viswanathan Anand as he urged them to keep spreading awareness as the world fights the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic has suspended even the 13th edition of the IPL. The BCCI is open to shifting the tournament to the October-November window if the ICC does plan to postpone the World T20.

Former India and Chennai Super Kings pacer Ashish Nehra believes an IPL is possible in October.

"Even if the IPL doesn't happen in August, there are lot of places in India that witness rains during that month and there are high chances that lots of matches will get cancelled. If things go back to normal around the world by October, we'll have a 100 per cent clearance," he pointed.

Turkmenistan ready to restart football league

AFP – LOS ANGELES

Magic Johnson says if the NBA does resume this season it will be without fans and the players shouldn’t have any trouble adjusting on the fly to playing in empty stadiums.

The former NBA star and part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team sees a glimmer of hope and said all it will take is one game for the players to adapt to not having spectators in the building.

“Let’s say the NBA comes back without fans. Once you play one game without fans you will adjust to not having fans there,” Johnson told American broadcaster CNN.

“We’ve all played our whole life on the playgrounds and pickup games without fans being there. So basketball players will adjust, trust me.”

Johnson, who is also the former president of the Los Angeles Lakers, said when pro-fessional sports returns it will

help the country heal after the virus.

The epidemic has so far killed over 95,000 people worldwide, including at least 16,000 Americans and over 500 in Canada.

“We need sports, especially in a time like this. But only if eve-rybody is safe,” Johnson told CNN. “Sports will come back, probably without the fans first.” The 60-year-old made sports health news in 1991 when he revealed he has HIV.

He said the NBA is not going to return until the COVID-19 out-break in the US has stabilized and the players can be properly tested.

“There will be a right time,” he said. “Commissioner Adam Silver has done wonderful job with the NBA.

“He wants to make sure the players are safe before they come back. I think sports will come back. It is just a matter of when will we make sure this virus is level, and not affecting the whole country anymore.

When those numbers drop and stabilise sports will come back.” Johnson says he does not know exactly when that will be, and that Major League Baseball is discussing a May start.

But some health experts have predicted social distancing restrictions might remain in place for much longer over fears of worsening the health crisis.

LeBron James said in early March he cannot ever imagine playing games in empty arenas.

“LeBron is right, it is hard to play without fans,” said Johnson.

“Those guys want to see who is the world champion. Listen, if they have a chance to go back and they are all healthy, and they all get tested, they will go back to crown a champion.

“They want to see who is the best team in NBA. I am looking forward to seeing if the Lakers can win a championship.”

Meanwhile, a poll conducted by Seton Hall University and released on Thursday found 72 percent of Americans said they would not attend sporting events if the games resumed without a vaccine for COVID-19.

Let’s say the NBA comes back without fans. Once you play one game without fans you will adjust to not having fans there. We’ve all played our whole life on the playgrounds and pickup games without fans being there. So basketball players will adjust, trust me: Johnson

04 SATURDAY 11 APRIL 2020SPORT

Emily Burnham hits on the 18th fairway during the second round of the Cactus Tour / Apache Creek Golf Tournament at Apache Creek, Arizona, on Thursday.

More closures loom as coronavirus hits golfAP – LOS ANGELES

It was probably just coincidence that Nevada’s governor issued an order closing golf courses just a few hours after a newspaper photographer tweeted a picture of OJ Simpson playing 18 holes in Las Vegas.

Simpson himself seemed resigned to it, tweeting in a video later that extraordinary times call for extraor-dinary measures.

“This is serious ... people are losing their lives,” he said.

Before Gov. Steve Sisolak acted on Wednesday, the idea of people playing golf during the pandemic was

already being debated on social media. There was predictable outrage among some, who said golfers were flouting social distancing guide-

lines by playing in four-somes even if they weren’t allowed to share a golf cart.

Then again, it might have just been the optics of people out

enjoying themselves on the golf course that set off people hearing about it from inside their homes.

So on the day the Masters was supposed to open, golf courses around the Silver State were being

closed. Restrictions on other busi-nesses were tightened and churches were being told not to allow people to gather on Easter Sunday as the state clamped down further on social distancing.

Golf courses were closed on the same day in hard hit New York, too, after golf was labeled a non-essential business. And in Texas, the governor told local leaders in a conference call that golf courses were not essential and would have to be shut down.

The recreation debate is one that is playing out across the nation. It’s not just golf, of course, with gyms closed everywhere and almost every activity or sport long since shut down.

Hikers complain so many people are flocking to trails that it is impos-sible to maintain distancing guide-lines. In neighborhoods around the country, people are out walking and jogging - and trying their best not to run into others out doing the same thing.

We’ve been stuck at home for what already seems like forever. And as the days grow warmer and the out-doors more inviting, no one has any idea when we’ll be able to resume the activities that we once used to take for granted.

Not surprisingly, the golf industry

wants that to happen sooner rather than later.

The National Golf Foundation, which tallies golf numbers, said 24.2 million people played golf in 2018, and another 9.3 million people hit balls at a range or participated in some other form of the sport. The numbers were up slightly from the year before despite the fact course closings outnumbered course openings, as they have every year since 2006.

At the end of last week, though, the NGF said 56 percent of the nearly 17,000 golf courses in the United States were closed because of coro-navirus, a number that will grow even more as closures in states like New York, Nevada and Texas are added to the list.

Interestingly, the closures varied widely across the country, with 82 percent of courses in Texas remaining open last week compared to just 16 percent in the Great Lakes states. More courses remained open in rural areas than in parts of the country with concentrated populations, the NGF said.

The industry group put out some other findings, including 67 percent of those ages 18-34 that it surveyed believed - at least late last week - that

courses should remain open, while 55 percent of those 65 and older sup-ported the closings.

Personally, I don’t have a problem with golf courses still being open for play, though with restrictions that would likely mean most golfers would take a pass. The biggest would be no golf carts, meaning golfers would have to play the game the way it was orig-inally meant to be played - walking the course with their own clubs.

It would also mean no cart person plying beer and snacks every few holes, but that’s another debate all by itself.

Golf has served as a nice diversion to some during the current crisis, offering those who enjoy the sport some competition, fresh air and a few hours outside to forget about their troubles. But it’s hard to defend golf as an essential business, especially when many see it as an elitist sport to begin with.

We’re in the battle of our lives, and in a battle to save lives. That means making sacrifices every day, including a lot of things we used to take for granted.

And, really, it’s pretty simple. If the Masters can wait, so can your next round.

COLUMN BY TIM DAHLBERG / AP

MLB: Thirty players sign on for virtual tournamentAGENCIES – NEW YORK

Blake Snell, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette are among the baseball stars switching over to PlayStation with America’s pastime on hold.

Thirty big leaguers - one from each team - have signed on to play a round-robin regular season on the MLB The Show video game with the real season on hold due to the novel coronavirus.

Snell, a Cy Young Award winner with Tampa Bay, will face Cincinnati reliever Amir Garrett in the opener. That match-up will air on Snell’s Twitch feed, and other games will be streamed via Twitch and YouTube with MLB Network host Robert Flores providing commentary.

The venture was launched Friday by Major League Baseball, the players’ associ-ation and Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Participants range in age from 36-year-old San Fran-cisco outfielder Hunter Pence to 21-year-old San Diego infielder Fernando Tatis Jr. There are 11 All-Stars, including Milwaukee reliever Josh Hader, Texas slugger Joey Gallo and the New York Mets’ Jeff McNeil.

Players will complete a 29-game regular season - one three-inning contest against each team - through April. The top eight teams will qualify for the postseason, expected to mirror MLB’s current format.

The NBA is running a similar esports tournament on NBA 2K featuring 16 pro players, including stars Kevin Durant and Trae Young. Those games have been airing on ESPN.

MLB, the union and Sony are contributing $175,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America as part of the initiative.

Meanwhile, Slugger Mark Reynolds announced his retirement after belting 298 homers during his 13-year career.

"I'm retired," the 36-year-old Reynolds said on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM. "Actually, I guess it's breaking news on your show.

"I haven't really told anybody. I mean, obviously, my family and friends know, but I'm just, with all this going on and everything, I'm really enjoying time with my family. And now it's time for me to move on and find something else to do."

Reynolds last played for the Colorado Rockies, with his second stint with the club coming to a close after being released on July 26. He batted .170 with a career-low four homers and 20 RBIs in 162 plate appearances.

NBA: Magic Johnson hopeful season's champion can be found despite virus

Suns, Clippers standouts advance to NBA 2K semisAFP – NEW YORK

Phoenix Suns standouts Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton will face Los Angeles Clippers stalwarts Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell in today's semi-finals of the NBA 2K Players Tournament.

All four advanced in yesterday’s quarter-finals of the NBA2K20 online videogame event, where the winner from among 16 NBA players will select a coronavirus relief charity to receive a $100,000 donation.

The NBA season was put on hold a month ago after Utah’s Rudy Gobert tested positive for the deadly virus that has shut down most sports worldwide.

In Saturday’s semis, Suns guard Booker will face Clippers forward Harrell with center Ayton, a 21-year-old from the Bahamas, playing Clippers guard Beverley. Winners will meet for the title later today.

In Thursday’s quarter-finals, Booker beat Washington’s Rui Hachimura 71-55, Harrell dis-patched Miami’s Derrick Jones 71-66, Beverly eliminated Cleve-land’s Andre Drummond 69-62 and Ayton defeated Atlanta’s Trae Young 73-66.

Each player selected eight current NBA rosters, with teams available to be used only once. Away teams will have the choice of club if each player picks the same NBA squad.

NBA players to receive full checks on April 15AP – LOS ANGELES

NBA players will receive their full checks when the next payday for most of them arrives on April 15 despite no games having been played for more than a month at that point.

The league gave teams the directive in a memo.

The league and the National Basketball Players Association has been in talks for weeks about the status of salaries during the game’s shutdown.

The last NBA games were played March 11, the day that Utah center Rudy Gobert

became the first player in the league to test positive for the coronavirus.

The pandemic will lead to the delay of at least 259 reg-ular-season games through April 15, what would have been the end of the regular season.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this week that no decisions about the rest of the season, including whether play can resume, would occur before May.

None of the games have been cancelled yet. The play-offs were to begin on April 18, and the losses in revenue should the season either be shortened or not finished could

easily reach hundreds of mil-lions of dollars.

Being paid in full now also doesn’t mean that things will stay that way for players. What the collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players describes as a “Force Majeure Event” - the legal term for unforeseeable circumstances, such as an epi-demic or pandemic - could still come into play.

Per the Collective Bar-gaining Agreement, players could lose 1.08% of their annual salary for each game that is cancelled.

If the rest of the season is called off, that means players

would lose, on average, about 21% of their salary. The size of those hits in terms of gross salary lost would range from about $8m for Golden State’s Stephen Curry to about $189,000 for players on minimum contracts.

An option that has been discussed by the league and the union is for NBA teams to take some money out of upcoming checks and holding it in escrow in anticipation of at least some games being cancelled; players would get the money back if games are played, or would take less of a hit in future checks if the season is cancelled.

LA Clippers' Deandre Ayton (top, left) and LA Lakers' Trae Young taking part in the NBA 2K players virtual tournament.

NBA legend Magic Johnson