Proteas captain du Plessis calls for coaching ‘clarity’

Johannesburg: South Africa captain Faf du Plessis today said that full-time appointments concerning the national team’s coaching staff and selectors needed to be made urgently. Speaking on the team’s return from a three-Test trouncing in India, du Plessis said uncertainty over key positions was “a massive red flag”. Cricket South Africa fired coach Ottis Gibson, his back-up staff and the selectors after a poor World Cup campaign. Former ODI player Corrie van Zyl and 37-year-old Enoch Nkwe were appointed in an interim capacity. 

Wellington
Black Caps skipper to miss England T20 series

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will miss the upcoming T20I series against England after a recurring hip injury flared up, team officials today. Paceman Tim Southee will lead the team in Williamson’s absence, with the batsman hoping to return for a two-Test series against the tourists in late November.

TOKYO 
Olympics: IOC firm to move marathon despite plea

The International Olympic Commission (IOC) will not change its decision to move the 2020 marathon to Sapporo to avoid the heat, a top Tokyo Olympics planning official said, despite pleas from Tokyo’s governor to keep the race in the capital. The announcement came in the latest round of an unusually public spat between host city Tokyo and the IOC over the prestigious race after the IOC announced suddenly last week, fewer than 300 days before the games, that it wanted to move the marathon and race walks to Sapporo, on Hokkaido island, due to concerns over Tokyo’s summer heat. 

Paris
Pepe rescues Arsenal as United eke out rare away win 

Nicolas Pepe came off the bench to rescue Arsenal at home against Vitoria Guimaraes with two late freekicks in the Europa League on Thursday. Arsenal came from behind to win 3-2 and stay perfect in Group F. Manchester United are one of the teams on seven points and need just one more win to ensure they qualify from Group L after eking out a 1-0 win against Partizan on an emotional day in Belgrade.

San Francisco
NBA: Clippers roll, ruin Warriors’ debut in new home 

Los Angeles Clippers scored the first 14 points in the regular-season history of Golden State Warriors’ new home, the Chase Center here, and rode balanced scoring to a 141-122 romp over the five-time defending Western Conference champions on Thursday. Warriors’ Stephen Curry was the game’s leading scorer with 23 points.

Kuala Lumpur
AFC Cup final moved yet again

The location of the AFC Cup final between North Korea’s 4.25 SC and Lebanon’s Al Ahed has been switched yet again and will now be played in Kuala Lumpur, the Asian Football Confederation said today. Earlier this week, the continental governing body moved the final to Shanghai from Pyongyang due to international economic sanctions affecting North Korea. AFC did not provide any reason for the latest switch. Agencies