Players should use this break to stay fit: Pollard

Port of Spain

West Indies’ limited-overs skipper Kieron Pollard believes the break brought upon them by the coronavirus pandemic is a good time to “introspect” about their careers and players should use it to “stay mentally and physically fit”. “It is a good time for introspection, a good time for reflection, a good time to look at where you are as an individual in your career and what you want to achieve going forward,” he said. Pollard said it is time to work on his fitness and prepare for the season ahead. “You have to take this time in order to do that and also keep yourself in good physical shape, and mentally as well, because when the bell rings and they say ‘ok, everything is back to normal and we need to go on tour’, it might not be enough time to be prepared. You as an individual have to be prepared mentally in order to perform at your best,” he said.

Mumbai

Looks like Janata Curfew is being followed: Hesson

Former New Zealand cricket team coach Mike Hesson tweeted a video of an empty Bandra-Worli sealink in Mumbai, saying that the Janata Curfew seems to be a success in the city. “Have seen this view many a times from my hotel room over the years but not with less than 1,000 cars on it……..#India is having a curfew today for 14 hours to fight #covid_19 it looks like it’s being followed,” said Hesson, who has also coached IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore. “Unbelievable start to the #JantaCurfew, pin drop silence as they used to say in school. Hope this is extended beyond this day and social distancing can be adhered to in the days to come,” said Ashwin in his tweet. — Agencies

London

English Premier League eyes June return

The English Premier League is tentatively targeting a resumption on June 1 with a view to completing the season over six weeks before making an August start to the 2020-21 campaign, the Sunday Telegraph reported today. The report said the sketchy plan was a “best-case scenario” aimed at mitigating the heavy losses clubs are sustaining as they continue to pay wages while football remains shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. On March 13, all elite level soccer matches in England, including the Premier League, were suspended until April 4 with that stoppage subsequently extended until April 30.

SYDNEY

Australian rules season suspended after lockdown

The Australian Football League’s (AFL) attempt to forge on with the season despite the coronavirus outbreak lasted just one round before it was shut down today in the wake of a government crackdown on non-essential travel. The AFL, which runs the top flight Australian rules league, the National Rugby League (NRL) and soccer’s A-League had decided to press on with their seasons behind closed doors last week after bans on gatherings of more than 500 people.

Shanghai

Fellaini is 1st Covid case in Chinese Super League

Marouane Fellaini has tested positive for the coronavirus, his club Shandong Luneng said today, the former Manchester United player becoming the first known case in the Chinese Super League (CSL). He is the first confirmed case in the CSL, dealing a blow to the league’s hopes of starting the season as early as next month.

CAPE TOWN

Swimmer Le Clos faces uncertain training future

Olympics swimming gold medallist Chad le Clos had to leave his Turkish base in a rush after his training schedule for the Tokyo 2020 Games was thrown into disarray, and has doubts over whether the event will go ahead. Le Clos had set up in Turkey after an earlier camp in Italy had been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, but is now at home in Cape Town and uncertain of his immediate future plans. “There’s no real plan going forward. I have no coach, no training partners. I could be stuck here until the Olympics,” he told South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper.

Brussels

Covid claims financial victim as Anderlecht fire coach

Belgian giant Anderlecht have fired assistant coach Par Zetterberg to save money as the coronavirus football lockdown starts to bite. The Brussels club say they fired the 49-year-old Swede due to major revenue losses since the championship was suspended because of coronavirus.

London

F1 drivers race online, Buren wins virtual Indy!

Red Bull Formula One driver Max Verstappen pulled out of the second All-Star Esports Battle on Saturday but Rudy Van Buren, the ‘World’s Fastest Gamer’ in 2017, made sure there was a Dutch winner anyway. The 20-lap race on a virtual Indianapolis road course featured a cast of top drivers and gamers, competing remotely, after the fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak brought motorsport to a standstill. Van Buren, a former simulator driver for McLaren, finished third in last weekend’s first All-Star race and this time won from third on the grid. McLaren Shadow esports racer Kevin Siggy was second with Portuguese gamer Nuno Pinto third. Agencies