Cody Dorman, who was closely associated with dual Breeders’ Cup winner Cody’s Wish, has died.
The teenager, who was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome – a rare genetic condition that meant he could not speak and was wheelchair-bound – had been a key part of the Cody’s Wish journey since Bill Mott’s five-year-old was a foal.
The pair first met when the Dorman family visited Gainsborough Farm Stud and the then foal, who would go on to be named Cody’s Wish, approached the wheelchair-bound Dorman and placed his head in his lap.
That was the beginning of an unbreakable bond which would last the duration of the Godolphin-owned colt’s racing career, with Dorman trackside for both of his big victories at the Breeders’ Cup.
Having witnessed Cody’s Wish bow out in style when bravely defending his Dirt Mile title at Santa Anita, Dorman died while travelling home from California to his family home in Kentucky.
A statement released to Godolphin by parents Kelly and Leslie Dorman, read: “We are heartbroken to share the news that our beloved Cody suffered a medical event on our trip home to Kentucky and he has passed away.
“On Saturday, Cody watched his best friend, Cody’s Wish, display his usual perseverance and toughness in winning a second Breeders’ Cup.
“Those are the same characteristics Cody has showed time and again for the 18 years we were blessed to have him.
“We have been completely amazed to experience the impact Cody has had on so many people, through the journey that this wondrous racehorse has taken us all on.
“From Churchill Downs to Keeneland, to Saratoga to Santa Anita this weekend, we could not move 20ft without someone stopping to tell us just that.
“With Cody’s diagnosis at birth, we always knew this day would come, but we were determined to help Cody live his best life for however long we had him.
“Anyone who has seen him at the racetrack, especially around Cody’s Wish, understands that in many ways he taught us all how to live, always keeping a positive attitude and being more concerned about those around him than himself.
“As people of faith, we are comforted in the knowledge that Cody has gone home. We pray that he watch over us all, especially Kylie, the best little sister in the world.
“We are sincerely grateful for all those who have shared this journey with Cody and our family. The joy that his interactions with Cody’s Wish have brought him the last five years is indescribable. We will rely on those memories to help us through an unimaginably difficult time.”
The Breeders’ Cup organisation were also keen to pay their respects and in a statement added: “The entire Breeders’ Cup team is devastated by the news of Cody Dorman’s passing yesterday.
“His story captured our hearts and minds, and his strength, spirit, and determination were fittingly embodied by his namesake’s commanding performances in his honour.
“We send our sincere condolences to the Dormans, who gave our sport so much by welcoming us into their family.”
Novak Djokovic could still win three majors next year but Gilles Simon reminded tennis fans the world number one is not "eternal" as he heads towards the end of his career.
Djokovic triumphed in three of the four majors in 2023, with September's US Open success taking him level with Margaret Court's record 24 grand slam triumphs.
Defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final, Djokovic – aged 36 years and 111 days – became the oldest winner of the men's singles title at the US Open, as well as winning a trio of majors in a year for the fourth time.
That saw him surpass Roger Federer – who won three grand slams in a year on three occasions.
Simon, though, warned that Djokovic cannot play on forever.
He told Stats Perform: "I think he can win some [majors, but] I think he's getting to an age where it is going to become difficult.
"Most of the observers want to believe that a player is eternal but none are more eternal than the others.
"I think he can win a lot next year; will he win one, two or three? Next year he can do one more big year, but I also think that it will be his last."
The 36-year-old Djokovic acknowledged the retirement speculation after his US Open victory, asking how long he can continue.
Simon likened the twilight of Djokovic's career to fellow great Federer, whose playing days were curtailed by injury and fitness issues.
"At one point like every player there's going to be a break, that was the case for Roger Federer, remember when he won in Australia at the age of 37 playing incredible tennis," Simon added.
"At Wimbledon, he could have won because he lost against Novak Djokovic on match point. Time never had a grip on him, he had never been injured, he played really well, and then all of a sudden he disappears."
Another of tennis' 'Big Three', Rafael Nadal has not played since January 18 at the Australian Open – again owing to injury problems as years of toiling on the court takes its toll on even the best.
"We have Rafael Nadal who we hope to see again next year, who got us accustomed to more traditional injuries, longer injuries and with doubts," Simon continued.
"Once again he wins the Australian Open, he wins at Roland Garros even with his history with his foot, he again has a semi-final at Wimbledon.
"We say no about Novak because he is more careful, but we said the same about Federer, he expends less energy, he has a more fluid game and technique, he preserved himself from injury.
"I think next year will be very interesting because it’s a year where he can again win, where he still has an advantage [ahead of the rest] but we saw him lose against [Carlos] Alcaraz at Wimbledon.
"I thought he would have more advantage on grass because of the experience he has compared to others and his game works so well on grass – but he is beatable."
Age has shown no sign of slowing Djokovic down yet after he lifted the Paris Masters trophy for a seventh time on Sunday, defeating Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets.
That victory marked his second hard-court ATP-1000 title of 2023, Djokovic managing multiple Masters titles in a single season for the ninth time in his career. Only Federer, having won multiple such events in a year six times in his time, can get near to that feat.
Yet Simon suggested 30 major triumphs may be out of Djokovic's reach due to the emergence of Alcaraz, who won at Wimbledon this year, and a gruelling schedule.
"He's so strong he knows how to prepare himself, but he can't do a series of tournaments," said the Frenchman, who won 14 career titles and reached a high of number six in the ATP rankings.
"If everything was going well he would be playing every week like when he was 25 years old, so that is what is missing.
"He looks after himself, ultra-professional and very strong. The US Open was important for him, I see him maybe doing one or two next year, but I am waiting to see for the next few years after that.
"I can't see him reaching 30 [majors] for example when Carlos Alcaraz could win two or three a year – I wish it for him but I don't see it like that."
The Rolex Paris Masters became the first Masters 1000 to broadcast its qualifying matches on Twitch, live on Rivenzi's channel.
Sparks Fly may not have won for the final time this year as the unstoppable filly takes aim at a Saint-Cloud return.
Trained by David Loughnane and owned and bred by Dave Lowe, the three-year-old has soared through the ranks this season since making her debut on the all-weather in January.
Synthetic surfaces clearly were not to her liking, but since switching to the turf she has been expertly guided by Loughnane to a superb run of eight victories – and she may not be done just yet.
Her one and only blip was a beaten effort in the Listed Lyric Stakes at York over a mile and two and a half furlongs, but connections still gained something from the experience as it highlighted that her ideal trip was a mile.
With that in mind she journeyed to France for the Prix Isola Bella, a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud in late October, and astonished all involved when bolting to totally unchallenged 12-length success under regular rider Laura Pearson.
The filly barely saw a rival as she cruised up the inside rail and gained black type in emphatic style, potentially booking herself in for a return to the same track for the Prix Tantieme later this month.
“It was an unbelievable moment actually, David was over in France and I was at home watching it,” said Lowe.
“It’s sort of disbelief, we couldn’t even get emotional, normally you’d be cheering your horse on but we were just flabbergasted. Where did that come from? Unbelievable.
“The commentator was joking that they’re going to nickname that rail the Sparks Fly rail.
“Laura gets on so well with her, it was a masterstroke from the start as she just came from that mid-draw and just went over to that rail. She knew she was going to angle that way but that wasn’t the intention, she thought she’d go down the middle of the track and if they hung that way, fair enough, but there’s no point fighting her – she likes getting her own way!”
Lowe and Loughnane make a successful partnership and the owner-breeder is quick to credit the trainer with producing her from a 59-rated maiden to a 102-rated Listed winner.
“He has brought her through really, really well,” said Lowe.
“That race in France was perfect for her, we found out more about her from the York race when she was disappointing.
“We always thought she would get more than a mile but it turns out a mile is the perfect distance for her and the perfect ground is basically bottomless. She will run on good, it’s not out of the question, but that’s the recipe for success by the look of it.
“She’s been on the go since January but she’s come out of the race really well, I dare say she’s never looked better. We’re looking at another run in Saint-Cloud again on the 17th of this month, we’ll enter up for that and if she’s telling us she wants to run again then she’ll run again and if she’s telling us she’s had enough then we’ll put her away.”
A winter break then beckons, after which Sparks Fly will return to training to for 2024 and may set her sights higher as a four-year-old.
Lowe said: “Dave has said to me that he thinks she’ll make an even better four-year-old, which is quite scary. He thinks we can definitely get a Group race with her next year with everything going our way.”
Lowe bred Sparks Fly from the mare Stepping Out, a three-time winner he owned in a partnership and took on when an injury ended her career, a shrewd move that has provided him with three winning offspring; Sparks Fly, Queen Mary third Caroline Dale and four-time winner Baby Steps.
“I only ended up with her by accident, she was a horse I was involved in with three other people and she got injured and the intention was to sell her,” the owner said of Stepping Out.
“I thought, ‘well I can’t just sell her if she’s injured. I don’t want anybody racing her again and causing more problems’, so I took her under my wing and sort of just fell into breeding but now she’s had three very successful foals.
“We thought we’d reached a peak with Caroline Dale coming third in the Queen Mary, but then this one comes along and just blows her away!”
Edin Terzic has warned Borussia Dortmund they will have to be even better than they were at St James’ Park if they are to complete a Champions League double over Newcastle.
Felix Nmecha’s goal secured a priceless 1-0 victory on Tyneside a fortnight ago to belatedly kickstart the Bundesliga side’s campaign, although they needed the help of goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and the woodwork to return to Germany with three points.
They will head into the return at the Signal Iduna Stadium still smarting from Saturday’s 4-0 drubbing by arch-rivals Bayern Munich, and with head coach Terzic expecting a Magpies backlash.
He said: “We need to improve because we know that they (Newcastle) are not happy with the way that they performed at St James’ Park and they will want to do much better tomorrow, so if they are going to do it better, we have to do it better.
“That’s something we have focused on, this is something we’re going to talk about with the team this afternoon, again to be ready for tomorrow, and then we’ve got to do everything to also use the chance to get a home win tomorrow and make a big step in the group.”
Victory against the Magpies eased Dortmund into second place in Group F, above Eddie Howe’s men – who also have four points from their first three fixtures – by virtue of their head-to-head record.
But Terzic, who has doubts over skipper Emre Can and defender Ramy Bensebaini, is acutely aware of the task facing his team, with Newcastle having edged past Arsenal 1-0 in a Premier League arm-wrestle on Saturday evening.
Asked if that served as a warning, he said: “To be honest, we don’t need a warning because of course we know the quality of Newcastle. We found out how good they are two weeks ago.
“Then they’ve had three games since, a draw against Wolves and in the cup they beat Manchester United and then they beat Arsenal at home, so we know their quality.
“We know they are not happy with the way they performed two weeks ago. They are not happy; we are not happy with how we performed last Saturday.
“We know that we have to be ready from the start and as you saw from the game two weeks ago, they had two great chances at the end of the game, so it means we need a good start, we need a good performance during the game, we need to stay focused until the end.”
Terzic was keen to draw a line under Saturday’s horror show against Bayern, who went 2-0 up within nine disastrous minutes as Dayot Upamecano and Harry Kane – who went on to score a hat-trick – struck at the Signal Iduna.
He said: “We were really honest in our analysis and then tried to take the lessons from that to look forward and to focus on the next task, which is tomorrow.
“Why we are confident is that we were already way better three days before the Bayern match (against Hoffenheim in the DFB Cup) and also two weeks ago in Newcastle. Now our focus is on the next task.”
India added to the list of huge winning margins at this year’s Cricket World Cup while Virat Kohli made individual history in Sunday’s rout of South Africa.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the statistical significance of the result.
India win big again
Four of the World Cup’s top 10 winning margins by runs have come in this year’s tournament, with hosts India now ranking second and joint-seventh on that list.
Sunday’s 243-run success – Kohli’s hundred setting up a total of 326 for five before the Proteas were skittled for 83 – followed three days after they beat Sri Lanka by 302 runs.
That was only the second win by 300-plus runs in World Cup history, the first coming just over a week earlier when Australia beat the Netherlands by a record 309 after scoring 399 for eight.
The 2015 tournament saw Australia win by 275 runs against Afghanistan while South Africa beat the West Indies by 257, matching India’s win over Bermuda in 2007.
Australia beat Namibia by 256 in 2003 while India’s win over South Africa matched Sri Lanka’s margin against beleaguered Bermuda in 2007.
South Africa beat the Netherlands by 231 in 2011 and their 229-run success against England this year matched Australia, against the Dutch in 2007, for 10th place.
Teams batting first have not had it all their own way this year, with New Zealand beating England by nine wickets while there have been four eight-wicket margins and five by seven wickets.
Kohli matches Sachin
Kohli’s 101 not out at Eden Gardens was significant beyond just the immediate contest with the Proteas.
His 49th one-day international century matched the record set by his illustrious compatriot Sachin Tendulkar for the most in the format.
The “Little Master” played a record 463 ODIs between 1989 and 2012 and scored 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83 in his 452 innings.
Kohli has got there in just 289 games and 277 innings, scoring 13,626 runs in total with his average of 58.48 – over 13 runs higher than Tendulkar’s.
The latter does still have more half-centuries, 96 to Kohli’s 70, as well as the higher individual innings with an unbeaten 200 against South Africa in 2010.
That is the 10th-highest score in ODI history and makes Tendulkar one of only eight men with a double-century in the format – current India captain Rohit Sharma has three to his name including a record 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014. The feat has also been achieved twice in women’s cricket, by New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr and Australia’s Belinda Clark.
Kohli’s best is 183 against Pakistan in 2012, ranking 22nd on the all-time list.
The Champions League returns this week with England’s four clubs all hoping to make a big step towards the knock-out stages, while Celtic are in need of a spark to ignite their campaign.
Holders Manchester City can seal their place in the next round with a win, while Arsenal also top their group, but Newcastle and Manchester United have work to do.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the teams the British contenders face in the latest round of fixtures.
Manchester City v Young Boys (Tuesday)
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The Swiss Super League leaders will come to Manchester on Tuesday hoping for a night similar to the one they enjoyed on the other side of town back in December 2021. Having already beaten Manchester United 2-1 in Bern, Young Boys earned a point from a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford as Fabian Rieder cancelled out Mason Greenwood’s early goal.
The challenge at the Etihad is likely to be very different, however. City top Group G after opening up with three straight wins, the last of them a 3-1 victory over Young Boys in Bern, and can secure qualification with a win.
Young Boys, the reigning Swiss champions, are playing in the Champions League for the 10th time, and the first since the 2021-22 campaign, when they finished bottom in their group despite taking four points off United.
Since their last meeting with City, Young Boys have played three straight games away from home, and come into the match on the back of a 4-1 league win over Winterthur.
Borussia Dortmund v Newcastle (Tuesday)
Newcastle will travel to the famed Westfalenstadion level on points with Dortmund in the so-called ‘group of death’, Group F, and looking for revenge after losing the reverse fixture 1-0 at St James’ Park.
But Bayern Munich demonstrated it is far from an impenetrable fortress as recently as Saturday, and Dortmund, who have made it to the knock-out stages in eight of their 10 most recent Champions League campaigns, come into the game bruised from a 4-0 home hiding by their rivals.
But Dortmund, the 1997 European champions, are no pushovers in this competition, and have lost only two of their last 10 Champions League group-stage matches, winning four and drawing four.
However, they have struggled for goals in the competition this season, with Felix Nmecha’s goal in Newcastle the only one they have scored in their opening three games, having lost 2-0 to Paris St Germain and drawn 0-0 with AC Milan.
Atletico Madrid v Celtic (Tuesday)
In need of a win to have any chance of getting off the bottom of Group E, Celtic face a daunting trip to take on two-time Champions League runners-up Atletico Madrid.
Brendan Rodgers’ side managed to frustrate Atletico at Celtic Park in a 2-2 draw last month. That was the seventh time the two sides have met and the third draw, with Atletico having won the other four matches.
That result saw Diego Simeone’s men surrender top spot in the group to Feyenoord, having taken five points from their opening three fixtures but at least avoiding defeat up to this point.
They were not so lucky in LaLiga at the weekend as a 2-1 defeat at Las Palmas ended a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
Copenhagen v Manchester United (Wednesday)
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United needed a stoppage-time penalty save from Andre Onana to preserve a 1-0 win when these two sides met at Old Trafford last month, a defeat which left Copenhagen bottom of the group with only one point from their opening three games.
Jacob Nestrup’s side have taken their frustrations out on the Danish Superliga, scoring nine goals in their three domestic games since to take nine points, the most recent win a 4-2 victory away to Randers, results that have kept them top of the table.
The Danish champions began their Champions League campaign in the second qualifying round, routing Iceland’s Breidablik 8-3 on aggregate, but had a harder time seeing off Sparta Prague and Polish champions Rakow Czestochowa on their way to the group stages.
United striker Ramus Hojlund, 20, could come up against 18-year-old twin brothers Oscar and Emil, both part of former club Copenhagen’s squad for the competition, with Oscar having appeared as a late substitute in Manchester.
Arsenal v Sevilla (Wednesday)
Arsenal’s 2-1 win at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium last month kept Sevilla winless in Group B and in urgent need of points if they are to find a way through to the knock-out phases.
Sevilla drew their opening two fixtures. They led French side Lens 1-0 at home in their opener courtesy of Lucas Ocampos’ early strike, but had to settle for a point after Angelo Fulgini levelled.
They were pegged back once again in a dramatic conclusion to their trip to PSV Eindhoven, where they were 1-0 up and 2-1 ahead before Jordan Teze snatched a 2-2 draw deep into stoppage time.
Wins have been hard to come by and they have not enjoyed one in LaLiga in their last five, drawing four straight after losing at Barcelona, and that has seen them slip to 15th in the table.
Newcastle’s sporting director Dan Ashworth believes the club is on “an upward trajectory” as he revealed their aims for the next few years.
The Magpies continued to show their strength competing in the Premier League’s top six after handing Arsenal their first league defeat of the season on Saturday.
Newcastle still have plenty of other competitions to challenge in and this season marked their return to the Champions League, where they face Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.
Eddie Howe’s side also earned a huge victory at Old Trafford last week, beating Manchester United to secure a spot in next month’s Carabao Cup quarter-finals, and Ashworth said challenging for trophies is something the club are aiming to achieve.
“The next number of years is to fight and get into the top six on a regular basis and compete for trophies,” he said.
“But in football it can flip around really quickly as well. You can lose two or three on the trot and all of a sudden…we lost three games on the trot at the start of the season and it was ‘okay, what’s happened?’
“Football is peaks and troughs, success has never been a straight line. I know it’s a bit of a corny phrase, but especially in the Premier League where anyone can beat anybody – things can happen really quickly.
“We’re on an upward trajectory, but there are definitely some bumps in the road and that’s the nature of football, but we’re on the right pathway.
“What’s really difficult is to be able to compete commercially as well, some of those clubs have been a global brand for decades. That’s one of the big challenges for Peter (Silverstone), Darren (Eales) and the team as well.
“We’ve all got to try and work together to try and get ourselves into a situation where not only are we a top-six club on the pitch, but also a top-six club off the pitch and really try and drive the revenues and interest in the club as well, which gives us more ammunition in order to be able to compete on the pitch.”
Since officially joining the club in June 2022, Ashworth’s time with the club has seen quite the turnaround.
As well as finishing fourth last season, the Magpies reached their first major final since 1999 earlier this year against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final, where they were beaten 2-0.
Newcastle’s women’s team also reaped success after earning promotion to the National League Northern Premier Division and became the first full-time professional football club operating in the league.
Improvements have also been made to the training ground and Ashworth is determined to keep driving the club forward.
He said: “Complacency is a dangerous thing isn’t it? Certainly there’s no complacency here, we want to keep striving and keep pushing.
“Whether that’s with our academy from under-9s, whether that’s our women’s first team, whether that’s improving the provision and psychology and player care around the team, whether that’s making improvements to the training ground, we’ve got to keep pushing.
“If you start to stand still in professional sport, you’re stuffed. It’s about keep pushing, keep pushing, keep driving in all areas of the football club.”
Erling Haaland remains a fitness doubt for holders Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Young Boys on Tuesday.
The prolific Norway striker was withdrawn at half-time of Saturday’s Premier League victory over Bournemouth with a twisted ankle.
The player was due to be assessed after a training session on Monday afternoon.
Asked if Haaland would be fit for the game, manager Pep Guardiola said at a press conference: “We train this afternoon. We will speak with the doctor. I don’t know.
“Yesterday he told me he felt much better than the day of the game but I don’t know.”
With City closing in on qualification for the last 16, there could be a temptation to rest Haaland ahead of Sunday’s trip to Chelsea anyway.
Guardiola, however, insists he will give the forward time to prove his fitness.
The City boss said: “I will listen to the doctors. If he says he is ready and does not have pain I will consider him to play because from Tuesday to Sunday there’s a lot (of time), it is not Wednesday.”
City, who have won their first three matches in Group G, will qualify for the knockout stages with two games to spare if they beat the Swiss champions for a second time.
Guardiola said: “Tomorrow we will try to finish and qualify for February and the next stage. It means a lot to the club. Being there is a success.”
Novak Djokovic immediately set his sights on the next big goal after clinching a record-extending 40th Masters series title in Paris.
The Serbian’s loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final appeared to mark a real shift in men’s tennis but Djokovic has not lost a match since.
He collected a 24th grand slam title at the US Open and has also won titles in Cincinnati and now the French capital, a winning run of 18 matches, six of them against top-10 players.
At 36, Djokovic plays sparingly, but, when he does take to the court, he remains clearly the best player in the world – he has lost only five matches in 2023 and won three grand slam titles.
Next up, Djokovic will aim to win a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title in Turin before trying to lead Serbia to a second Davis Cup crown.
“I try to be a good student of the game and keep track with the numbers but, at the same time, I also want to be able to just direct my attention to the next challenge,” Djokovic told reporters in the French capital.
“As long as I’m an active player, I guess that’s going to be kind of the mentality I will nurture. It’s great, but it’s already behind me.
“This is, fortunately or unfortunately, the way it works for me, and the way I think is the correct mentality moving forward. Because, while I’m still active, I still want to win more and I still want to play at the highest level.
“Obviously grand slams and Masters events are the most valuable tournaments in our sport.”
An insatiable desire to win biggest titles and an almost super-human ability to peak both for the most important tournaments and matches and the key moments within those matches have combined to keep Djokovic at the top of the tree while the sands have shifted around him.
He is nearly a decade older than any other player in the top 13 and struggled with a stomach bug in Paris but was still able to lift the trophy.
This undoubtedly does not reflect particularly well on Djokovic’s rivals, albeit they are taking on one of the greatest athletes of all time, while he again had to confront boos from the crowd on several occasions.
The Serbian’s complex relationship with tennis fans is nothing new, and Parisian crowds have a justified reputation for their willingness to jeer players, which was especially evident at the French Open this year.
Djokovic may wish he was received differently but he has also admitted being portrayed as a villain has driven him on, while it should not be overlooked that he has a sizeable army of devoted fans around the world.
He clearly takes great delight in keeping the young pretenders at bay, and, with his body holding up generally very well, it would be no surprise to see him continue to do so into 2024.
He is only two weeks short of hitting 400 weeks at world number one while he will be the hot favourite to win an 11th Australian Open title in January, which would put him out on his own as the most successful grand slam singles player in history.
Steve Harmison has called on England to send Ben Stokes home from the World Cup or risk losing their Test captain for the start of their forthcoming series in India.
Stokes has revealed he will undergo surgery on his longstanding left knee injury once England’s tournament is over but, with the defending champions no longer able to reach the semi-finals, they could decide to cut their losses and bring things forward.
The first Test of a major five-match series starts in Hyderabad on January 25, with a training camp in Dubai beginning two weeks earlier, meaning Stokes is already on a tight recovery schedule for a major operation.
The 32-year-old’s instincts will be to see a grim campaign through to the bitter end, with games against the Netherlands in Pune and Pakistan in Kolkata still to come, but former England quick Harmison feels decisive action is needed to take the decision out of his hands.
“I am amazed Ben is still in the country, I don’t see any point in him being there,” Harmison told the PA news agency.
“I’m sure that conversation has been had but it needs strong leadership. It needs someone to say, ‘Ben, you’re going home. Here’s a ticket, there’s the plane, get on it’.
“I think Rob Key, as director of cricket, should probably take that decision and if I was (Test coach) Brendon McCullum I’d be doing everything I could to encourage him. I’ve got a good relationship with Ben and I know for a fact he won’t thank me for saying this, but I’m saying it because it’s what is best for the England cricket team.
“He has the chance to get a 10-day head start and it’s common sense to take it. You never know what they are going to find with a big op, or what the rehab looks like. So give yourself the extra time because it could be the difference between being fully fit for the first Test or the third.”
Despite his fitness struggles, Stokes has led England in all 18 games since he took over the red-ball reins from Joe Root. His bold, aggressive captaincy style has helped rebuild the side in a completely fresh image and Harmison cannot imagine taking on India in their own back yard without him at the vanguard.
“The single most important person in that Test setup is Ben Stokes. They need their leader and that’s why he has to go home,” said Harmison, who is commentating in India for Star Sports.
“This tour is going to be twice as hard as the Ashes given the conditions, so he’s going to be more important than ever.”
Harmison also called on England to put their faith in Harry Brook for the last two games of the World Cup, with the rising star bafflingly kept on the sidelines for the last three games despite repeated batting failures.
“I struggle to understand how Brook doesn’t get on. I know we’ve been picking world champions but they’re not playing at a champions’ level,” he said.
“England should have been brave enough to say, ‘this bloke needs to play’. We are talking about someone who is the best we’ve produced in a long time. He’s not the finished article by any means but he probably makes our best XI.
“The problem is England are picking names who haven’t performed and hoping it gets better. One bad game turns to two, two turns to three. It needs leadership and a bit of bravery to make a big decision.”
Inter Milan defender Benjamin Pavard faces a spell on the sidelines after suffering a dislocated kneecap.
The 27-year-old was forced off in the first half of Inter’s 2-1 Serie A win at Atalanta on Saturday.
“Benjamin Pavard underwent a medical examination at the Humanitas Institute in Rozzano this morning,” the Serie A leaders said in a statement on Monday.
“The tests ascertain that he has suffered a dislocated kneecap.
“The French defender will need to wear a knee brace for 3/4 weeks before starting his rehabilitation process.”
World Cup winner Pavard joined Inter from Bayern Munich at the end of August and has made nine appearances for the Nerazzurri.
Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews became the first player to be timed out in 146 years of international cricket during a controversial World Cup clash with Bangladesh.
After Sadeera Samarawickrama was caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary with Sri Lanka on 135 for four, Mathews walked to the crease with the bat in hand but appeared to notice his helmet strap was broken before marking his guard.
The Sri Lankan number six signalled for a new helmet before facing a ball and Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan then appealed to the umpire for the batter’s wicket, as he was not ready to face his first ball within the two minutes required by the competition rules.
After much deliberation and no withdrawal of the appeal, Mathews was forced to walk off the field having not faced a ball.
While within the laws of the game, questions will be asked over whether the dismissal is also within its spirit.
The World Cup rules state that “after the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless time has been called, be ready to receive the ball or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within two minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, timed out.”
Mawj will be prepared for a winter campaign in Dubai following her agonising defeat at the Breeders’ Cup on Saturday.
The daughter of Exceed And Excel provided trainer Saeed bin Suroor with his first British Classic success in 14 years when edging out Tahiyra in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May, but subsequently missed the middle part of the season after suffering injury.
She made a successful return from five months off the track in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in October, though, and remained in America to take on the colts in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Mawj looked likely to prevail after taking over the lead approaching the final furlong at Santa Anita under Oisin Murphy, but was reeled in by fellow Godolphin runner Master Of The Seas, with just a nose separating them at the line.
Having had a couple of days to reflect on the narrowest of reverses, Bin Suroor remained typically gracious in defeat.
He said: “She ran a huge race and we thought she was going to win, but she was beaten by a good horse, also a Godolphin horse, and I’m happy for Charlie (Appleby).
“Our filly is tough and hard and it was the first time she ran with the colts. She proved herself good enough to be with them.
“Oisin gave her a very good ride, he did everything right and she ran a huge race.”
Mawj will now head to Bin Suroor’s home country for the winter carnival at Meydan before returning to Britain next season in search of more major prizes.
“Now she is going back to Dubai and we’ll try and find a race for her, maybe the Jebel Hatta and then the Dubai Turf. After that we’ll find races for her in the UK and Europe,” the trainer added.
“I think a mile is her best trip, but sometimes it can be hard to find races for her. I know she won over nine furlongs at Keeneland, but at the mile I think she is at her best.”
Ange Postecoglou feels he already has a very healthy relationship with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, but will not go white water rafting with him any time soon.
Postecoglou will on Monday night come up against former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, who once revealed in his book ‘Brave New World’ that a staff-bonding exercise in Argentina resulted in himself, Levy and his coaches taking to the water.
While Postecoglou laughed off any prospect of a repeat occurring, he did acknowledge the importance of gaining Levy’s trust and gave credit to the previously under-fire chairman for a strong start to the new season.
“Nah, it’s not happening. Nothing against Daniel but I’m not going white water rafting,” Postecoglou said.
“Look my relationship with Daniel is pretty consistent with the relationships with all the people I’ve worked with at other clubs that have major influence as decision-makers.
“I need them to believe in me. That’s the basic core of it and you can get to that space in many different ways. It doesn’t mean you have to socialise with them, it doesn’t mean you have to talk to them every day.
“It’s about gaining their trust and belief, because without their trust and belief, I can’t do what I want to do. I can’t make decisions around staff, bringing players in, all these things unless the people above me have total faith and trust.”
Chants calling for Levy to leave Spurs were a regular occurrence during the second half of last season, but the discontent has quietened following a flying start to the campaign, although protests over ticket pricing has continued.
Postecoglou, whose side will return to the top of the table if they beat Pochettino’s Chelsea on Monday evening, said: “It’s not an unusual position. When I walked in at Celtic, the board weren’t too popular at the start either, but they backed me.
“They believed in me and when they do that, yes of course they deserve the credit because they’re the ones that have made the decisions and backed me to bring the club to where it is currently.
“So, of course they should get the credit, but I’ve treated those relationships all the same.
“The number one task I have when I go into a club is to get people to believe in me, trust me. Whether that’s the person working on the floor down here or the person who runs the club. It’s the same.
“I’ve got to get all of them to believe in me because I can’t do what I want to do by myself. It just doesn’t work that way.
“I’ve had a really healthy working relationship with Daniel and hopefully I’m gaining more of his trust to continue to do what I want to do.”
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