Ian Watmore has been named as the ECB's new chairman and will succeed Colin Graves when he leaves the post in November 2020.

Watmore, 61, was chief executive of the FA for nine months in 2009-10, during which time he launched the Women's Super League and the St. George's Park project, and more recently was an independent board director of the Rugby Football Union. His appointment will be ratified by the ECB at their AGM on May 12

"I am incredibly proud to be appointed to such a prestigious position and look forward to continuing Colin's work and making the most of the tremendous momentum that cricket is currently enjoying," Watmore said.

"I feel privileged to be given this opportunity to help a sport that I care passionately about. All my life, I've seen the power of sport to unite communities. I look forward to working with the ECB and its stakeholders to grow the international, domestic and recreational game and make a positive difference to society."

After graduating in maths and management science at Cambridge, Watmore was appointed CEO of Accenture UK before going on to hold various Permanent Secretary positions in the Civil Service, as well as chairing the Board of Civil Service Commission, a post he will hold until 2021.

His record of widening participation in grassroots sport, including during the Rugby World Cup in 2015, was a key factor in his appointment, including at his local Lindow Cricket Club where his four sons played.

Lucy Pearson, speaking on behalf of the ECB Board, said: "Ian brings such a wealth of experience from the highest levels of business, sport and the public sector environment. With his broad skillset and deep understanding of all levels of the game, he is perfectly placed to support the ECB in delivering on our ambitions over the next five years.

"Ian has a lifelong passion for the sport and, in an incredibly strong field of candidates, he was the stand-out all-rounder."

Graves, the current Chair of the ECB, said: ''I am delighted that Ian has been appointed to be the next ECB Chair. When I took the post back in 2015, I could not have dreamed that the game would be in the shape it is today. The opportunity to grow cricket and bring more people into the game has never been so significant."

Phoenix Suns forward Kelly Oubre Jr. might miss the rest of the season because of a torn meniscus in his right knee, ESPN has confirmed.

The Suns have looked for possible buyout candidates or free-agent additions to replace Oubre, with the expectation that the fifth-year forward will miss the rest of the season, sources told ESPN.

Oubre will seek a second opinion on the injury, according to Yahoo Sports, which first reported the injury.

Oubre, 24, is averaging career highs of 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in 56 games this season.

The Suns (24-35) are 4½ games behind the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies (28-30) in the Western Conference standings.

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Griffin Canning will undergo an MRI on Thursday after experiencing soreness in his elbow, manager Joe Maddon said.

Canning pitched two scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday and had discomfort after coming out of the game, Maddon said.

Maddon acknowledged his concern, saying, "He's had a history, so of course you're concerned."

The 23-year-old right-hander went 5-6 with a 4.58 ERA last season before being shut down in August with elbow inflammation.

The Angels had expected that Canning, a second-round pick out of UCLA in 2017, would take a spot in the rotation this season.

"He's got a fabulous arm," Maddon said. "He's got a great future. We want him well."

The Italian Rugby Federation has not yet received any indication from its government that the men's Six Nations match with England in Rome should be called off because of the coronavirus.

England's men's, women's and under-20 sides are all scheduled to play in Italy on 14 and 15 March.

The women's game is to be played in Padua, one of the lockdown areas, but Rome has yet to be affected.

The Ireland v Italy games on 7 and 8 March were postponed on Wednesday.

The Irish government had advised that all games - men's, women's and under-20s - should be rearranged.

Officials are meeting at a pre-arranged World Rugby summit at the start of next week, with Six Nations unions set to take this opportunity to continue discussions around rescheduling the cancelled games.

While France can still clinch the Grand Slam, if they were to lose one of their remaining matches then the men's Championship may not have a winner unless Ireland's game with Italy in Dublin is rearranged.

Six Nations sources have indicated that matches will only be called off in the event of a governmental directive.

While the Italy against England women's match is under more threat because it is being staged in Padua in Veneto, the virus has not yet spread to Rome, where the men's Italy against England game is taking place.

The Italy against Scotland match in the women's Championship was called off last weekend because it was being staged in the Lombardy region, which is one of the affected areas.

After being away for two years, Fernando Alonso wants to make a return to Formula One in 2021.

He will turn 40 on July 29, 2021. But Alonso is not worried.

“I don’t think age will be a problem,” Alonso said in an interview with F1 Racing. “These cars, with no fuel stops, are not so demanding. You drive seven or eight seconds (a lap) slower on a Sunday than you do on a Saturday. Also, with the new 18-inch wheels it will change the handling of the car, and everyone will need to reset the way they drive.”

If Kimi Raikkonen remains in F-1 in 2021 he will be 41. Lewis Hamilton will be 36 in 2021.

It is possible to take a year or two off from F-1 and still be able to win when you come back. Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Niki Lauda proved that.

But Michael Schumacher struggled when he returned after three years away. He was 41 when he joined Mercedes in 2010.

To be fair, the team was not all that competitive during Schumacher’s three seasons with the team. It finished fourth or fifth in the constructors’ championship. Schumacher had just one podium finish and no wins.

Mercedes had just one win during those three years, and that was in 2012 with Nico Rosberg.

It was only in 2013, after Schumacher had retired again, and when Hamilton had joined the team, that Mercedes started to be quick. Schumacher probably could have won in 2013, although he would have been 44 by then.

“Michael came back to F-1 in an era of Pirelli when the tires were very sensitive,” Alonso said. “We had developed skills to take care of the tires and not overheat them, and he was struggling more because of that. In 2021 this won’t be a problem for me.”

Hamilton was asked at last year’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix what he thought about a possible Alonso return to F-1.

“I’d be more just happy that I won’t be the oldest here!” Hamilton quipped. “Fernando’s obviously a well-accomplished driver. It’s interesting to see in the past, with drivers wanting to come back, like Michael (Schumacher), and it’s something you’ve done your whole life. Ultimately, there are a lot of young kids on their way up and there are only 20 seats. He has also had his period of time there, but if there are no other good youngsters coming through, then (there could be a seat for Alonso).”

There is another factor in all of this. Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari aren’t interested in Alonso, and would he be interested in driving for a team that does not have a realistic chance of winning?

STAMFORD, Conn. – James Hinchcliffe, a current Indy car driver for Andretti Autosport and fan-favorite in the open-wheel paddock, has joined NBC Sports as a motorsports analyst.

He will serve as a driver analyst for a majority of NBC Sports’ IndyCar Series race coverage, providing reports from pit road. Hinchcliffe will make his debut at the season-opener in St. Petersburg, Fla., March 13-15.

Hinchcliffe’s on-air schedule will include the Grand Prix of Long Beach on the streets of Long Beach, Calif.; his home race, the Honda Indy Toronto on the streets of Toronto; and the season finale at Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif.

He will also be part of NBC Sports’ comprehensive coverage in the week prior to competing in the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 on NBC.

In addition to his role on IndyCar Series coverage, Hinchcliffe will provide analysis during NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Fourth of July weekend.

He will also serve as an analyst for select IMSA races, beginning with Sebring on March 20-21, and will contribute to Indy Lights coverage on NBC Sports Gold’s IndyCar Pass throughout the year.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the NBC Sports team and covering so many awesome racing series in 2020,” said Hinchcliffe. “NBC Sports has covered IndyCar for more than a decade and I’ve gotten to know Diff (Leigh Diffey) really well over that time. I used to bang wheels with PT (Paul Tracy) and Townsend (Bell), so our relationships go way back and it will be great getting to work with them, and all the behind the scenes staff at NBC Sports, throughout the season.

“I’ve always loved educating people on the finer points of IndyCar racing and I’m excited to jump in and share my expertise and perspective as a current driver with all of the fans and viewers.”

Last week, it was announced that Hinchcliffe would run three races for Andretti Autosport – the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, the Indy 500, and the Genesys 600 – this season.

Hinchcliffe is a six-time Indy car race winner and made his debut in 2011 when he was named rookie of the year. He recorded eight top-10 finishes in 2019, including a third-place finish at Iowa Speedway, where he won in 2018.

“James Hinchcliffe is one of the most dynamic personalities in motorsports and we’re excited to bring ‘The Mayor of Hinchtown’ to the NBC Sports team for 2020,” added Sam Flood, executive producer and president of NBC Sports and NBCSN. “James’ engaging personality, combined with his unique perspective of what these drivers are experiencing in real time, will be a great addition to our motorsports coverage.”

DUQUOIN, Ill. – Past Shamrock Classic winners Justin Grant and Cannon McIntosh are among the latest entries for the fifth annual NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series event on March 7 at the Southern Illinois Center.

The list of competitors for this year’s Shamrock Classic has grown to 33, with more entries continuing to be filed for the race at the sixth-mile indoor dirt oval.

Competitors can enter the Shamrock Classic presented by Dooling Machine Products Midget event at this link until Thursday, March 5 at noon ET.

After that deadline, entries for the midget division will increase to $100.

Early entry is highly suggested as officials prepare to set heat race lineups with a draft, similar to those used previously at DuQuoin’s Junior Knepper 55 in 2018 and the 2019 BC39 at the IMS Dirt Track.

Grant, the 2017 Shamrock winner, will pilot a car for RAMS Racing, with whom he captured a victory one year ago during the Indiana Midget Week round at Gas City I-69 Speedway.

Reigning Shamrock victor McIntosh will compete as one of four entries from the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports team, alongside five-time series winner Zeb Wise and standout Rookie of the Year contenders Buddy Kofoid and Daison Pursley.

Additional entries come from Hayward Motorsports and drivers Tanner Thorson and Gage Rucker. Thorson, the 2016 USAC National Midget Series champion, was victorious in the 2020 season opener at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., in early February.

Petry Motorsports has filed Shamrock Classic entries for Kevin Thomas Jr., who scored the team’s first two triumphs with the series in 2019 at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway and Arizona Speedway, and Tanner Carrick, the 2017 USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year and last year’s USAC Most Improved Driver.

Collinsville, Oklahoma’s Tyler Thomas, a winner in both AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car and NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget competition during his career, will drive his familiar No. 91T, entered by Brian Thomas.

Earlier entries for the Shamrock including reigning series champion Tyler Courtney, also a past victor in USAC midget competition at the sixth-mile indoor dirt oval. Courtney captured the non-points special event Junior Knepper 55 in December of 2016.

Brady Bacon, the 2014 and 2016 AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series champion, is undefeated thus far in USAC national features in 2020, sweeping both nights in an AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla. in mid-February.

Bacon is one of just two drivers to have started in the feature event of all four previous editions of the Shamrock Classic, with fourth place finishes in both 2016 and 2017 serving as his best.

Chris Windom leads the NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series standings entering the event following a victory on the second night of the Winter Dirt Games in Ocala.

The 2016 USAC Silver Crown and 2017 National Sprint Car champion took ninth in his first career Shamrock Classic start a year ago.

Among the other early Shamrock Classic midget entries include reigning NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year Andrew Layser, who comes into the event off his best career series result of third in Ocala.

Layser finished eighth in his Shamrock debut in 2019.

Tyler Nelson, a USAC Regional Midget winner at Gas City (Ind.) I-69 Speedway in 2019 and a Shamrock Classic starter in 2018, is entered as well.

Nelson will be joined by last year’s USAC Western States Midget titlist Robert Dalby, five-time USAC Western States Midget champion Ronnie Gardner and 2017 USAC Gulf Coast Midget champion Kyle Jones, all of whom are vying for their first Shamrock Classic starts.

To view the full Shamrock Classic entry list, advance to the next page.

Real Salt Lake has signed former Manchester United and Italy striker Giuseppe Rossi, the club announced on Thursday.

Rossi, who was born and raised in the United States, has never played in MLS.

Deception and subterfuge are key parts of the armoury of a T20 death bowler, but for Tom Curran, Rajasthan Royals' latest English recruit, those traits may have to be deployed in the nets at Jaipur too. That's because, with the T20 World Cup looming large on the horizon, a number of his IPL colleagues - not least the team's Australian head coach, Andrew McDonald - are likely to be grateful for an insight into his mindset come October.

Curran's growing reputation in the crunch moments came to the fore in England's recent T20I win in South Africa, where he held his nerve with the series on the line to seal a two-run win in the second match at Durban.

ALSO READ: Five series takeaways for England's T20 World Cup preparations

Having started the final over of that game with a healthy 15 runs to defend, Curran and England were pushed to the brink of a series defeat when Dwaine Pretorius connected with a six and a four from consecutive balls to take the requirement down to five from three.

But from that point on, Curran found the resolve to seal the contest, producing a pair of fine yorkers followed by a perfectly executed back-of-the-hand slower ball, that the new man on strike, Bjorn Fortuin, could only flick over his shoulder to short fine leg.

"That's cricket, it can go the other way very quickly," said Curran during a Rajasthan Royals event in London. "But that game was really big for me. At the start of the over I should have been defending it anyway but, with three balls to go, they were on top. So looking back on it, I was really proud of that. The fact that, in that moment, I had no choice but to execute and I managed to do so."

As Curran recalled, there had been a meeting of England's brains trust before that final delivery, with the captain and vice-captain, Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, in on the discussions, along with the experienced Chris Jordan. But ultimately, as soon as Curran was clear in his own mind what needed to be done, that was the end of the matter.

"I was weighing up the options," he said. "I'd just bowled two good yorkers, so if he tries to stand there and whack it, if it's on the money then a yorker is still a good option. But I just thought a slower ball, he actually has to hit it for four, whereas a yorker you can still nick it for four.

"I just went with my gut really, and when I said that to Morgs and Jos, everyone was like 'cool, let's go with it'. Luckily it came off."

No doubt his new employers were watching that performance closely. For, with Jofra Archer, Rajasthan Royals' go-to at the death, set to miss at least the first half of the tournament as he recovers from an elbow fracture, Curran knows that the coming tournament offers him a massive opportunity to cement a role, and his reputation, ahead of the World Cup.

"It's an unbelievable standard at the IPL, so it's a great experience for me," he said. "These are sold-out games and it's proper loud. So it's mirroring as close to the biggest games on the international circuit, what they'll be like. It will be a great experience. If guys go there and do well, they'll take a lot of confidence from that. That's what it's all about."

Curran has had one previous taste of IPL action when, in April 2018, he was called up by Kolkata Knight Riders as a late replacement for Mitchell Starc, and performed creditably with six wickets at an economy rate of 11.60 in five matches. This time, however, he was picked up by Rajasthan for his base price of INR 1 crore (approx. £110,000), where his profile will doubtless be raised by the presence of two of the most influential members of England's white-ball squads, Buttler and Ben Stokes.

"I'm really looking forward to it," he said. "I've already played a lot of cricket now with the guys there, so it makes it that much easier. Especially being somewhere like India, where it's a busy hectic schedule, to have those familiar faces there will be nice."

Not all the familiar faces will be on the Curran's side come October, however. Rajasthan's squad contains two overseas stars in particular - Australia's Steve Smith and South Africa's David Miller - who may find themselves at the other end of the pitch come the World Cup. And when it comes to sharing knowledge during the IPL, weaknesses as well as strengths, Curran conceded he'd have to be cautious about being too open.

ALSO READ: 'Test cricket is the best form of the game' - Jos Buttler

"I don't think you chat weaknesses with loads of people anyway," he said. "There's a few people who you might trust, and you might ask, 'what does Steve Smith do in this situation?' but it's more about developing and getting better, which we players focus more on.

"If I'm bowling in the nets to some of the Indian guys, I'm not going to be showing them all the tricks. But that's a huge benefit of having Jos, Stokesy and these guys. I think you actually learn a lot too. Speaking to Jos I'll learn about batting. You just need to have some of the players on the international stage to talk to, and try things with."

However, Buttler, who was also present at the event, added that there was some merit in sharing a bit more of your repertoire with future rivals, because too much knowledge can be used against your opponent in the heat of battle.

"It evolves, as well," said Buttler. "TC will show someone his slower ball - you can use it both ways. It can be a bluff as well. He might say: 'Yeah, I always bowl this slower ball.' But there will be times when TC says at the end of his mark, 'Yeah I said to Smith in the nets that I bowl this ball, so let's bowl something else.' That might become part of your [repertoire].

"It definitely does happen," Curran added. "You'll be aware of it. If you have it in the back of your mind that I'll throw in the odd curveball in there."

As for McDonald, Rajasthan's highly-rated new head coach, Curran insisted that his dual status as Australia's assistant coach would have little bearing on their relationship, even though the Aussies are set to go into their home World Cup as favourites after winning nine of their last ten completed T20Is.

"It seems to be the way things are going now," he said of McDonald's roles. "I don't think it will make too much of a difference. It will be great to work with him there and he'll be fully involved once he gets to India.

"I haven't worked with him full-time but I have bumped into him," he added. "Nowadays you tend to bump into people and have conversations, so it will be a really good experience.

"You're always going to have coaches, but it's about filtering information. There are things that people say… some people you're going to listen to, and you almost build up that relationship over time from working with someone.

"If a [new] coach comes and gives you some information, you take it with a pinch of salt. You don't want to be making massive technical changes mid-tournament, but it's different for everyone."

Quetta Gladiators 190 for 5 (Roy 50, Cutting 42*, Sarfaraz 33, Abdullah 2-17) beat Islamabad United 187 for 7 (Ingram 63, Naseem 2-23) by five wickets

Quetta Gladiators pulled off PSL 2020's highest successful chase on the back of Ben Cutting's unbeaten 17-ball innings of 42, that helped them chase Islamabad United's 188-run target in a five-wicket win. The result keeps them on top of the tournament points table.

When Sarfaraz Ahmed was out at the start of the 16th over, Gladiators needed a further 55 runs in 29 balls, but Cutting's two fours and four sixes - in the company of Mohammad Nawaz - sealed the win with two balls to spare.

Cutting makes full use of Roy, Sarfaraz innings

Despite losing Shane Watson early in their chase, holing out to deep midwicket, the other Gladiators opener Jason Roy consolidated with a 38-ball fifty to keep them within the scoring rate.

Ahmed Shahzad entertained with two sixes off Shadab Khan but was out for his five-ball cameo of 12, stumped trying a third big shot while Azam Khan did not last long either. Azam, in particular, was bogged down by the accumulation of dot balls, bowled by Ahmed Safi Abdullah. Roy's six fours and two sixes though took Gladiators past the 100-run mark in the 12th over, but he fell in the same over when he struck Abdullah into the hands of long off.

Sarfaraz, the Gladiators captain, then find the gap intermittently to hit 33 off 20 balls, but when he fell in the 16th over, the required run-rate was more than 11. That's when Cutting took charge, first collecting 11 off Rumman Raees' 17th over and then smacking 17 off Faheem Ashraf's 18th. That made the equation 16 off 12 balls, which Cutting finished with two sixes in the 20th over to earn their third win in four games.

Second half of first innings hurts United

After 14 overs, Islamabad United were cruising. At 140 for 4, Colin Ingram was on 42 while Asif Ali had just walked in to cause more damage, but three wickets in the next three overs deflated United's second-half flourish, making only 33 runs in the last five overs.

The innings had begun with Luke Ronchi crunching 11 runs in four deliveries to hand United a flying start but was bowled by Naseem Shah early. Dawid Malan followed Ronchi back two overs later, but Colin Munro held one end up hitting Mohammad Hasnain and Naseem to all parts. Although Munro fell inside the Powerplay, by the time he was out, United were at 52 for 3 and positioned for a sizeable total.

United's No. 5 Ingram picked up from where Munro left off. His leg-side play saw many boundaries hitting the midwicket fence, and he anchored United's innings thereafter.

With six overs to go, they were prepared for an assault that would take United past 200, but the dismissals of Asif and Ashraf in quick succession exposed their lower order, forcing Ingram to change his approach. Despite 15 runs off the final over, which helped Ingram reach his 39th T20 fifty, all United could manage was 187. It turned out to be too little on a true batting surface.