Eoin Morgan says it would be a "hell of an achievement" for injury-hit England to beat New Zealand and reach the T20 World Cup final.
England and the Black Caps do battle at Zayed Cricket Stadium on Wednesday in a repeat of the 50-over World Cup final in 2019, when Morgan's side were crowned champions in the most dramatic fashion at Lord's.
Jason Roy has joined Tymal Mills on an injury list that already included Jofra Archer, Sam Curran and Ben Stokes.
England have won three of their past four T20 World Cup matches against New Zealand, one of those coming in a semi-final five years ago.
Captain Morgan says it would be a huge feat if they could defeat Kane Williamson's side once again in Abu Dhabi to set up a showdown with Pakistan or Australia.
The batsman said: "I wouldn't say [England are] strong favourites. New Zealand have a full-strength squad, we've obviously been hampered with a lot of injuries throughout this tournament.
"I think of all the things we've done well throughout this tournament, probably the strongest point has been the resilience within our squad to be able to find a way to move forward and forge on.
"We're playing really good cricket, the guys are extremely excited about the challenge against New Zealand and potentially the opportunity that might follow that.
"You might only get to the final and lose but getting to the final would be a hell of an achievement. We can't wait."
Morgan refused to be drawn on who will replace Roy at the top of the order to partner Jos Buttler, with another bowler coming into the side being one of the options.
"Within the group we’ve made a decision, I'm not willing to share that, unfortunately, but also the balance of the side will be determined on how the wicket looks and how we match-up against the Black Caps," Morgan added.
"Replacing him with another bowler would mean that you have 28 genuine overs on the field and a lot of options. If you were to go with a batter, it would mean a like-for-like replacement.
"Depending if it's a really good batting wicket, predicting if it's going to be a really good batting wicket, we might need the extra bit of bowling. If it's not, you might need the extra bit of batting.
"We're lucky, we have guys who queue up and want to bat in that top three, which is great because they want to go head-to-head with the big-name players in the tournament and big-name bowlers in the opposition."
Black Caps skipper Williamson knows England have the strength in depth to replace Roy.
He said: "I suppose whenever there's an injury, someone else comes in and you're not to know who they are until the toss. But you try and prepare and plan as best you can and then when you go out there, you're sort of competing in the moment.
"And that all matters then. But Jason's a big player for England and has been playing really nicely and getting the team off to good starts along with Jos.
"But as I mentioned, the depth on the England side is one of their strengths and we'll try and plan accordingly to the best of our ability.
"But largely [we] want to focus on the sort of cricket that we want to play as a group and keep developing on that as we've been doing throughout this tournament."
Rohit Sharma has been named captain for India's upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.
The three-match home series, which begins on November 17, will be the first since Virat Kohli's decision to step down after the T20 World Cup.
Kohli, who will stay on as ODI and Test captain, led India in the short format for the final time on Monday, as the pre-tournament favourites bowed out of the World Cup with victory over Namibia.
The 33-year-old captained his nation in 50 T20Is – winning 30 and losing 16 – while scoring 1,570 runs, including 114 boundaries and 59 sixes.
Kohli is one of several notable absentees from the squad to face the Black Caps next week along with Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan are among the players to come into the squad.
Rohit will take over as skipper – with KL Rahul as his deputy – although it is yet to be confirmed whether he will be given the role on a permanent basis.
Following his knock of 56 against Namibia, Rohit became one of only three players – along with Kohli – to reach 3,000 T20I runs, while he has averaged 32.66 in 108 innings.
India T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj.
Germany's national team director Oliver Bierhoff has confirmed Niklas Sule is the player to have tested positive for coronavirus.
It was announced earlier on Tuesday that a member of Germany's squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Armenia had returned a positive PCR test result and had immediately gone into isolation, though the player was not named at the time.
Four other players who were judged to have been close contacts also had to isolate, though no other positive results had been recorded within the camp.
At a subsequent news conference, Bierhoff confirmed Bayern Munich centre-back Sule was the player to have contracted COVID-19.
Sule is double vaccinated, and the earlier update stated he had not shown any symptoms.
His club-mate Joshua Kimmich, who has publicly confirmed he has not yet received either dose of his vaccine, is one of the other four players to have gone into quarantine.
Kimmich, 26, explained last month that he is not opposed to the prospect of getting vaccinated at some stage, but he wishes to wait for further research to be conducted.
Fellow Bayern players Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala have also been forced into isolation, given they were part of the same travelling party to the training camp, while Karim Adeyemi also has to quarantine.
"The squad is still strong, and we will prepare for the two games in World Cup qualification from noon today and make them successful," said Bierhoff.
"The situation is not easy for the players, but there is no huge concern now."
Asked about Kimmich, Bierhoff said: "It was clear that if someone in his environment tests positive, he would be put in quarantine.
"Of course, that's difficult to accept when you have acted correctly and paid attention to everything."
Bierhoff was joined at the media conference by Germany's team doctor Tim Meyer, who explained the length of the quarantine will depend on the regulations set by the local health authority in Wolfsburg.
Asked if Gnabry, Musiala and Adeyemi were vaccinated, Dr Meyer said: "I won't give you any information about that. The vaccination plays a role in the decision, but also how close the contact was.
"I have already given my personal opinion on vaccination against COVID-19. Joshua Kimmich's opinion is also known. We have to accept that."
Dr Meyer added that four other players have been classed as contacts, though will be allowed to remain at the accommodation and will be tested again in the coming days.
Germany have also lost Florian Wirtz and Nico Schlotterbeck to muscular injuries, with Kevin Volland and Wolfsburg duo Ridle Baku and Maximilian Arnold added to the squad.
The European Tour will become the DP World Tour from the start of the 2022 season in what has been described as a "ground-breaking evolution."
Prize money will increase to over $200million for the first time, with a new minimum prize fund of $2m for all tournaments solely sanctioned by the DP World Tour.
There will be 47 tournaments in 27 different countries, including new events in the United Arab Emirates, Japan, South Africa and Belgium, along with an expanded Rolex Series comprising of five events.
The Abu Dhabi Championship, the Dubai Desert Classic, the Scottish Open, the BMW PGA Championship and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship will be the Rolex Series events.
The Barbasol Championship and the Barracuda Championship in the United States and the Scottish Open will be co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour.
The Joburg Open will be the opening event of the DP World Tour from November 22-25.
Keith Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour group, said: "Today’s announcement is undoubtedly a momentous one in the proud history of our Tour. The launch of the DP World Tour in 2022, coinciding with both of our 50th anniversaries, will herald a new era in global golf, and crucially it will benefit everybody involved – all our players, caddies, fans and partners – as well as making an important contribution to wider society.
"The entire ecosystem of our Tour will be strengthened because of this hugely significant deal, and that was essential to us and to DP World, who have been an incredible supporter of our Tour as well as golf more widely, from grassroots through to the elite professional game.
"The DP World Tour is, therefore, a natural evolution of our decade-long partnership, and the presence of ‘World’ in our new title better reflects our global reach."
Jay Monahan, commissioner of the PGA TOUR and board member of the European Tour, added: "Thanks to the support of long-standing partner DP World, today's announcement significantly elevates the European Tour on a global basis.
"We are excited for the continued growth and evolution of the European Tour, as well as the momentum this provides toward our Strategic Alliance. I've said before that our respective Tours are positioned to grow – together – over the next 10 years faster than we ever have at any point in our existence, and today's announcement is another point of proof in those efforts."
England will be without Joe Marler when they face Australia at Twickenham on Saturday after the prop tested positive for coronavirus.
Marler returned a positive lateral flow test on Monday and immediately went into isolation.
The 31-year-old will isolate for 10 days after a PCR test confirmed he has contracted COVID-19.
All of the other England players and staff returned negative lateral flow tests, with additional PCR test results not yet received.
Owen Farrell rejoined the squad on Monday after he missed the 69-3 hammering of Tonga on Saturday, having tested positive for coronavirus last week.
Marler came off the bench in that thrashing at Twickenham, but will play no part against the Wallabies.
He will hope to be available to return when Eddie Jones' side take on world champions South Africa on November 20.
New Zealand suffered a heartbreaking defeat to England in the 2019 Cricket World Cup final but they have a chance to gain a measure of revenge on Wednesday.
England were crowned 50-over world champions at Lord's in the most dramatic fashion, with a Super Over needed to finally separate the two teams in a thriller.
The Black Caps and England do battle in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup at Zayed Cricket Stadium after qualifying from the Super 12 stage along with Pakistan and Australia.
England have won six of the past nine T20Is against New Zealand, including another Super-Over triumph in their last meeting in November 2019.
They have also won three of their past four T20 World Cup matches against New Zealand, one of those coming in a semi-final five years ago.
The top-ranked side in the world will have to do without explosive opening batsman Jason Roy, who joined paceman Tymal Mills on the injury list when he suffered a torn calf in the loss to South Africa on Saturday.
New Zealand took second place in Group 2 by beating Afghanistan on Sunday, their fourth win in a row after starting with a defeat to Pakistan.
Stats Perform looks at selection decisions to be made in Abu Dhabi and pick out who might be the key players in a blockbuster last-four showdown.
A Germany player has tested positive for coronavirus, with four others also forced into quarantine.
The player in question, who has not been named, is fully vaccinated and currently asymptomatic, according to a DFB statement issued on Tuesday.
All players and staff were PCR tested upon their arrival at Germany's training camp ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Armenia.
Only one player tested positive, but four others have been placed into isolation after being judged to be close contacts.
According to reports, Germany subsequently cancelled their training session on Tuesday, though the DFB statement did not confirm this.
Oliver Bierhoff, director of the national teams and academy, said: "The number of coronavirus cases has risen sharply across the country.
"Therefore, we will continue to implement the hygiene and behavioural measures in place for the final international game of the year, in order for us to handle the current situation as responsibly as possible.
"This news coming so soon before the final two World Cup qualifiers is very tough, both for the coaching staff and the whole team, but health and welfare is our top priority, of course.
"I hope the player who tested positive recovers soon and that he remains asymptomatic."
Germany has seen a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks. Indeed, last week, 169,483 cases were recorded (according to World Health Organisation statistics) – the largest spike in the country since December 2020.
Nikola Jokic said "I need to protect myself" but admits he regrets the "stupid play" that saw him ejected for a violent shove on Markieff Morris in the Denver Nuggets' 113-96 win over the Miami Heat.
League MVP Jokic reacted angrily when Morris came in with a hard foul midcourt, catching his opponent with a left elbow to the chest.
Jokic furiously chased Morris down and responded with a right forearm shove to the back, sending the Heat star crashing heavily to the court.
A suspension and fine could now be on the cards for Jokic, who later rued his moment of madness.
"It's a stupid play. I feel bad. I am not supposed to react that way," he told reporters.
"I thought it was going to be a take foul. I think it was a dirty play. And I just needed to protect myself. I felt bad. I am not supposed to react that way, but I need to protect myself."
He added: "I don't know who showed me the clip, and actually his head snapped back [after the shove], so I feel really bad. It's a bad move."
It poses a potential dilemma for Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who was without the already injured Jamal Murray on Monday, while Michael Porter Jr. was absent with a lower back issue.
If Jokic is suspended as well, the Nuggets could be without their three best players when they face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
"I will concern myself when they tell us he's suspended," Malone said.
"I am not going to waste any of my time looking into my crystal ball and my tea leaves. I don't have any of that.
"He's available until they tell me he's not. And I don't see any reason why he wouldn't be available Wednesday night."
Jokic's indiscretion came with just two minutes and 39 seconds remaining in a game where he had produced a triple-double of 25 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra labelled Jokic's retaliation as "uncalled for".
"That was a very dangerous and dirty play," he said.
"Keef took a foul, and it was one of those fastbreak-take fouls, and he did with his shoulder. You might deem that maybe as a little bit more than just slapping somebody, but after watching it on film, it was a take foul.
"That's how I saw it. And the play after, that's just absolutely uncalled for."
The Nuggets moved to 6-4 with the win to sit sixth in the Western Conference, while the 7-3 Heat are second in the east.
The sight of Stephen Curry dazzling in the NBA will never get old for Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
Curry was in sensational form once again as the Warriors moved to a league-best 9-1 for the season with a 127-113 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks.
He had a season-high 50 points, to go alongside 10 assists. In 35 minutes, he was 14-for-28 from the field, nine-for-19 at the three-point range and drained each of his 13 free throws.
The accolades just keep on coming for an all-time NBA great. This performance marked the 10th 50-point game of his career, while he joined Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry as the only Warriors players in franchise history to put up a line of 50 points and 10 assists.
At 33, Curry is now also the oldest player to record a 50-10 game, surpassing the legendary Chamberlain, while only Michael Jordan (5) has more than his four 50-point games at the age of 32 or older.
"That was just a stunning performance by Steph," Kerr said of Curry.
"He was amazing. I want to say I've never seen anything like it but I've been watching it for seven years, so I have seen something like it and still it's just incredible to watch.
"It doesn't get old, for sure."
Curry's final act of the evening was typically brilliant as he drained a 16-footer with just under four minutes of time remaining, leaving the court to a standing ovation at the Chase Center.
"It's always nice. You never come out with like a certain number in mind," Curry said.
"It's just when you get it going, you just keep going."
Stephen Curry posted 50 points and 10 assists to guide the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors to a 127-113 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Curry enjoyed a season-high night in terms of points as the Warriors won for the ninth time in their opening 10 games of the 2021-22 campaign on Monday.
The two-time MVP became the only NBA player in the last 25 years to have 50-plus points, 10-plus assists and a plus-minus of 30 or better in a single game, according to Stats Perform.
Curry, who had seven rebounds and nine three-pointers, also joined James Harden as the only players to put up 50-plus points, 10-plus assists in 35 minutes or fewer in the last 40 seasons.
The three-time champion became the third Warriors player in franchise history with at least 10 50-point games.
Bulls stop star-studded Nets
Kevin Durant recorded 38 points and 10 rebounds but the Brooklyn Nets still lost 118-95 at the Chicago Bulls. All of Chicago's starters – DeMar DeRozan (28), Zach Lavine (24), Nikola Vucevic (11 and 13 rebounds), Lonzo Ball (11) and Javonte Green (11) – finished with double-digit points to snap Brooklyn's five-game winning streak.
In the absence of Joel Embiid (health and safety protocol), Andre Drummond had 14 points and 25 rebounds for the Philadelphia 76ers. He became the first 76er with 25-plus rebounds in a game since Charles Barkley in 1987. Shorthanded Eastern Conference leaders the 76ers lost 103-96 to the New York Knicks, however.
Russell Westbrook (17 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds), Anthony Davis (32 points and 12 rebounds) and Carmelo Anthony (29 points on seven-of-10 three-pointers) helped the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Charlotte Hornets 126-123 in overtime. LaMelo Ball had a triple-double of 25 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists for the Hornets.
Jokic loses his head
The Denver Nuggets upstaged the high-flying Miami Heat 113-96, despite having reigning MVP Nikola Jokic ejected. Jokic registered a triple-double of 25 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists before he was tossed for violently slamming his shoulder into Markieff Morris late in the final period.
Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr. will be sidelined for the "foreseeable future" due to a back injury.
Porter left Saturday's 95-94 win over the lowly Houston Rockets in the opening quarter because of back tightness and sat out Monday's NBA game against the high-flying Miami Heat.
Prior to Denver's matchup with Miami, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said Porter will continue to undergo testing on his back.
"There's no doubt, regardless of his mood, we all have to support Michael, just like we support Jamal [Murray]," Malone said.
"And again, Michael could be back in a week, it could be more than that. So when I say, 'foreseeable future,' I'm not really sure what that means, I just know that he's not playing tonight."
"This is a process where we're being very cautious, talking to doctors, getting imaging all that kind of stuff," Malone added.
Porter, who signed a max contract before the start of the season, has been averaging 9.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 2021-22.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was awestruck as the Milwaukee Bucks became the first NBA champions to visit the White House in five years.
An annual tradition of the NBA champions making their way to the official residence of the United States president in Washington was put on hold during Donald Trump's term – the Cleveland Cavaliers were the last titleholder to visit the White House when Barack Obama hosted in 2016.
That hiatus ended on Monday when superstar Antetokounmpo and the Bucks – who claimed their first championship since 1971 last season – took centre stage alongside president Joe Biden.
"This is awesome," Antetokounmpo said. ... "A kid from Sepolia, Athens, Greece — grew up from two Nigerian parents who were struggling every day to provide for us. ... It's an unbelievable opportunity to be able to be in the White House meeting the president of the United States.
"I could not be as honoured and happy that something like this — that I've accomplished something like this in my life."
Antetokounmpo added: "For everybody out there, this is a great example that with hard work, with sacrifices — if you dedicate yourself to waking up every single day and try to get better in anything you do, in anything you love and believe in your dreams — you can accomplish great things in life.
"Man, as I said. I've done that my whole life. And I'm in the White House."
Biden hailed the Bucks for their efforts to promote coronavirus vaccinations and for speaking out following the 2020 police shooting of Jacob Blake.
The NBA postponed games in 2020 after the Bucks announced they would not participate in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series, Milwaukee seeking to shed light on racial injustices.
"You took a stand for justice and peace in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and you've gotten people engaged," Biden said.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not thinking about retiring from professional football despite needing a physio to watch his every step.
Since returning to Milan in January 2020, Ibrahimovic has scored 30 goals and supplied nine assists in 54 games in all competitions.
However, the striker has struggled with injuries and featured in only half of the Rossoneri's Serie A games in 2020-21, while he was forced to pull out of Euro 2020 duty with Sweden.
Still, he became the fourth-oldest scorer in Serie A history this season when he struck against Bologna last month and took his domestic league tally to 400 versus Roma a week later.
Ibrahimovic acknowledged he has had to learn to listen to his body more and seek treatment as quickly as he can, though it has not made him think about hanging up his boots.
"Last season I had more injuries than I usually have and have had before. But it's because I didn't think about taking it easy when I felt something, I just powered on. I have that mentality. I give 200 per cent," said Ibrahimovic.
"After I turned 30, I noticed the pain does not go away, it just moves within the body.
"What I have changed is that now I have a physio that follows me everywhere in Italy 24 hours a day. At the very least, he is right there poking.
"That's the only change I made. As soon as I feel something, I want to take care of it immediately."
He added: "We always want to play, but I have to find the right balance considering the injuries I've had.
"You learn something new every day. I get to know by body better with every day that passes. But as my body ages, my head becomes younger and I look more handsome.
"I haven't set a date to quit. I want to continue as long as possible and not think about when it will end. I don't want to be sad, like someone who quits thinking he could've played again."
Ibrahimovic retired from international duty after Euro 2016 but has since returned to the fold, making his comeback for Sweden in March.
An Achilles injury forced him to withdraw from the squad in the previous international break, but Sweden boss Janne Andersson has been impressed by his recovery.
If Sweden beat Georgia on Thursday, they will go into their final World Cup qualifier against Spain three days later knowing a point will be enough for them to top Group B and book their place in Qatar – assuming La Roja beat Greece beforehand.
Andersson refused to confirm whether Ibrahimovic was ready to play in both games, though.
"If we're talking about Zlatan and his physique, he has looked surprisingly good. Last night [the Milan derby] I think he looked fit – the matches before that too," said Andersson.
"A few weeks ago he looked a bit rusty but he has looked great since, so we will see how much I will play him."
Philippe Coutinho hopes Xavi can achieve success with the existing group of players at Barcelona.
Xavi was presented as Barca's new head coach on Monday, returning to the club that formed him as a player and with whom we won 25 trophies during an illustrious 17 years.
The former midfielder is the permanent successor to Ronald Koeman, who was sacked following the 1-0 defeat at Rayo Vallecano on October 27.
Sergi Barjuan stepped in for the interim and took charge of a win and two draws, the last of which saw Barca throw away a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Celta Vigo. They now sit ninth in LaLiga after 12 games, 11 points adrift of leaders Real Sociedad.
However, Coutinho believes Xavi could well be the man to turn things around at Barca following the exits of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann.
"Xavi was a great player, an idol, and now he's back home at Barcelona," he told a news conference while on international duty with Brazil. "I hope he can be very successful with the group we have.
"I was able to talk to him once when I had to visit some doctors in Qatar. I know what a great guy he is. He will definitely do a great job at Barcelona."
Coutinho, who returned from nine months out with a knee injury in September, was accused by Catalan newspaper Sport of being lazy when warming-up on the sidelines against Celta.
He denied that was the case and insisted he is keener than ever to put in work as he prepares to make his first Brazil appearance in over a year.
"I was kind of surprised when I got home and saw the story. I've never lacked professionalism in my life. I've always respected everyone I work with. But it's okay. I respect the opinion of you journalists," he said.
"On my selection [by Brazil], I'm very happy and really want to be here. I'm focused on working, to achieve things through working, in the 10 days I have here."
He added: "I feel very good. It's obvious that being injured for nine months is not easy, returning from three surgeries in a row on the same knee.
"But since I came back I haven't had any pain or discomfort. I feel good."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
