Paul Pogba has said that although he doesn't want Manchester United's fierce rivals Liverpool to lift the Premier League title, the French star admits Jurgen Klopp's team will be deserving winners.

Liverpool could become the first side to win the Premier League in March and are contenders to finish the season unbeaten.

Sources: Pogba expects Man United exit; club want over £150m

"They are so way ahead of everyone else," Pogba told ESPN, who has not played for Manchester United since Dec. 26 because of injury.

"They have not lost a single game yet this season in the league. They already have one hand on the Premier League trophy.

"As a Manchester United player and with the rivalry between us, we don't want them to win the title. We don't want anyone else to win apart from us, but as a football lover and a respectful player to opposition team, I have to say that they deserve to be where they are today.

"They have been even better than last season when they won the Champions League and the season before when they [lost the final to Real Madrid].

Pogba also paid tribute to Kobe Bryant on the day of memorial service at the Staples Center celebrating the lives of the Los Angeles Lakers' legend, his daughter Gianna, and seven others passengers after they died on Jan. 26 in a helicopter accident.

"It was a shock for me, for the world, for everyone," Pogba said. "For all the athletes and non-athletes, seeing what happened to a legend like him, a father, a human being, it gave everyone a knock on the head.

"He was an icon. His words, his advice and his determination were inspiring for me and for everyone. He was a hard worker and he influenced me and the world. He influenced everyone to work hard and to believe in their dreams. He showed that you can achieve your dreams.

"It showed that you could leave this world at any time. It can happen to any one of us, whether you are a superstar or working in the market. It is a reminder to everyone to enjoy life as much as possible."

Jos Buttler admits that he cannot continue to be picked on "potential" alone at Test level, after being retained in England's squad for next month's tour of Sri Lanka despite an off-colour showing during the recent Test series in South Africa.

In the midst of an otherwise upbeat run of performances from England's new-look Test team, Buttler's form was a notable exception. He mustered 115 runs in seven innings, with a highest score of 29 - a run that evoked a similar collapse in red-ball confidence on the tour of UAE in 2015-16, after which he played just three more Tests in the next three years.

And in the wake of England's 3-1 series win, there was inevitable speculation about Buttler's future as a Test cricketer - especially given his integral importance to England's white-ball fortunes, both in winning last year's World Cup on home soil and in challenging for three more titles in the next three years: back-to-back 20-over World Cups in Australia and India this winter and next, before the defence of England's 50-over title in 2023, by which stage he may well be the white-ball captain.

Buttler himself, however, insists he still has the drive to succeed in Test cricket, which he describes as "the best form of the game", and says that, despite a Test record that now comprises a solitary century in 73 innings, at an average of 31.74, he retains the "massive self-belief" required to become a world-class player across all three formats.

"I'm very committed to Test cricket," Buttler said. "It's the best form of the game, it's the hardest form of the game. That's what makes it - when you have good moments - the most rewarding. You want to be a part of that.

"My performances may have meant that decision would be taken out of my hands. But fortunately for me I'm on the tour [to Sri Lanka] and really excited about it. I enjoyed the last tour there that we won back in November 2018. I've got good memories from that tour and looking forward to going back."

Though he finished the South Africa tour on a relative high, with a 23-ball fifty in England's series-clinching victory in the third T20I, Buttler acknowledged that his form throughout the tour had not been where he wanted it to be. However, he insisted it was an "easy assumption" to put that down to any sense of a post-World Cup hangover.

"I've got massive self-belief in myself. I'm too old now to get picked on potential but I feel that I haven't got to the level I know I can get to, and that's a big driver for me"

Instead, he insisted that the challenge of "managing your energy" was something that all the world's top players had to get their heads around as they seek to make the most of their finite years at the top level of the sport.

"Definitely a lot went into the World Cup, not just that summer but for four years," Buttler said. "Probably the realisation of it coming together and achieving that, it confuses you a little bit - that's been your clear cut-off for a long time, then that's done. So you've got to quickly reassess.

"But at the same time, I maintain I just haven't played as well as I'd like and that's through decision-making, probably."

There's no let-up in Buttler's 2020 schedule. He sets off for Sri Lanka with the Test squad in early March before linking up with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL immediately after the conclusion of the second Test in the first week of April. Then he returns to England for three Tests against West Indies in June, by which stage the inaugural season of the Hundred will be coming into view. Further international engagements against Australia and Pakistan will complete the English summer, by which stage the T20 World Cup will be looming large. It promises to be a lot of chopping and changing if Buttler truly believes he can compete on all fronts.

"I think trying to manage your energy, it's actually a real skill of the best players around the world," he said. "Learning how to peak at the time you walk to the middle is a massive skill that comes with experience, but you can learn that from watching guys go about it and trying to work out how you do that authentically for yourself.

"Of course you need to find breaks in your schedule, because your mind is your biggest asset, and you need to make sure you can bring that to the best place when you turn up to games of cricket. But there's a crop of guys who are the best players in the world and they're the best players across all the formats.

"I've got massive self-belief in myself, and a lot of it is about fulfilling potential," he added. "I'm too old now to get picked on potential but I feel that I haven't got to the level I know I can get to, and that's a big driver for me. That's my aim every time I turn up to practice, to try and get better and try and reach that level I am capable of. I've always maintained that belief."

Instead of the prospect of any outright rest, Buttler believes that a change will do him just as much good, and said that the chance to cut loose in the recent T20I series came as a "big relief" after a run of ten Tests in a row against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

ALSO READ: Buttler's opening gambit leaves T20 top-order unclear

"I love T20 cricket and it allows you to go out without as many consequences and you can take more risks and move the game on," he said. "To play in that white-ball team again was great because that is the most fun team I have played in for a long time, so that was a great change up.

"I can't think of any times I've played well in Test cricket and gone out and been really aggressive in the way I do in the white-ball game," he added. "In white-ball cricket it might look like risky shots but it doesn't feel like a risk because of the way you break down the probabilities of the game.

"The same is the case in Test cricket, it is about risk management I think. And it is about managing your time when you are waiting to bat. You've got to be aware of what is going on in the game but it is about saving energy as well.

"Maybe if I look back to when I first lost my place in the Test team, I probably listened to too many people," he added. "Everyone's got an opinion on how you should play, and if you're not good with how you manage that, you can confuse yourself, which I certainly did four or five years ago.

"Maybe in South Africa I did that a little bit in terms of, after the first game, thinking I'm going to come out and counter-attack. When actually, you've just got to play the situation in front of you and react best and, as an individual, play how you see best according to that. I maybe didn't do that as well as I would have liked.

"The main skill, and the biggest one that I do well when I'm at my best, is making sure that when I walk out to bat I access being in my zone, whether I've been waiting for six hours or just have a 10-minute turnaround in a T20.

"When I walk out to bat, if I'm in the best frame of mind, that allows me to perform. And looking forward to Sri Lanka. I will try and do more of committing to my way, whether it's trying to block 1000 balls or slog 1000 balls. If that's what I want to try and do, I'll do it."

When Kagiso Rabada earned his fourth active demerit point in a 24-month period and was suspended from the final Test against England last month, his father sent him a little something to make him feel better and it's not what you might expect.

"I sent him a song about the ICC. To cheer him up," Dr Mpho Rabada said, at the launch of his new track, Ska Chechella Morago, a collaboration with family friend and music student Motswedi Modiba at the Red Bull Studios in Cape Town.

The song was inspired by the idea of being able to take flight and its message of positivity is quite unlike the one Rabada senior composed on the fly when he heard that his son had fallen foul of the game's governing body again. Neither of the Rabadas would share the content but Mpho Rabada said it was "quite hilarious," and hoped that "maybe one day," his son would release it. Judging by the look on Kagiso Rabada's face it will be a long time before that happens. But, asked if he could sing something to the ICC, Rabada brightened up and offered a few chords. "Please don't judge me," he started, before the room gave way to giggles.

At least everyone could see the lighter side of what has been a tough summer for South African cricket and Kagiso Rabada, who, at 24 years old, is already five years into his international career. In that time, injuries to more experienced quicks meant that he was quickly elevated to leader of the pack while he was trying to find a level of aggression that intimidated opposition but did not tip him over the ICC's code of conduct edge.

It's little wonder he needs an outlet off the field and he has found it on the turntables. "Music has always been a part of me and my family. It's something to get away and just think about something else," Rabada Jnr said.

His father shares a passion for the beat and the pair spend time together experimenting with sounds, mixing tracks and seeing what happens. That's where Modiba comes in. She is the daughter of Mpho Rabada's best friend and an aspiring singer, who is influenced by gospel music. While Modiba and Mpho have taken the step up and released a single, Kagiso has been working with DJ Da Capo on some house music, which the pair have yet to put the finishing touches on, given their busy schedules.

So for now, music remains a hobby for Kagiso Rabada, and a motivator as he goes about trying to get the South African team and his own performances back on track. Like many sportsmen, he can be spotted with headphones on when he gets off the team bus; most of the time, he is listening to traditional tunes. "For me to get inspiration, that comes from tribal music, African tribal. That gets me going, the different sounds, the chants, it's like I am bonding with my ancestors," he said.

With music such an important part of his process, it's not a surprise that he bonds with the crowd at St George's Park, famed for their brass band. Last Sunday, when South Africa beat Australia in a tense T20 to square the series and Rabada bowled a decisive penultimate over, he could feel the fans acting as a 12th man.

"The atmosphere was really electric. That was the first time in a while where I actually felt the crowd, other than being at the Wanderers," he said. "The Wanderers is my favourite ground because of the electrical atmosphere. Yesterday was similar to what I felt at the Wanderers, it was a sell-out and the band came out and we were in it together."

That is a rarity in South Africa, especially this season, when most of the spectators were traveling English supporters. During the white-ball games that changed, with capacity crowds of mostly local supporters and it is set to stay that way for the deciding T20 against Australia on Wednesday and the three ODIs that follow.

Generally, though, South Africans don't fill out cricket grounds and Kagiso Rabada thinks the team's performances have something to do with it. "We have to win and we have to entertain the crowd," he said "People need to feel an interest towards the game, even more of an interest than they feel already, to want to go the stadium and witness international cricket. If they realise that the skill level is going up, the professionalism is going up and they are going to be entertained, they might come."

Though South Africa's results have been poor of late, even when they were No.1 in the world Test crowds were thin, which could be attributed to anything from lack of interest to lack of time to lack of marketing. Cricket South Africa has been embroiled in various crises since the failed T20 Global League almost three years ago and has lost major sponsors. At best, they have appeared out of touch with their audience, at worst, uninterested.

Kagiso Rabada spent time last week experiencing the opposite when he traveled to the NBA All-Star game. While his highlight was seeing LeBron James because he "admires watching other sportsmen doing well in their craft," he also saw first-hand how a sport can speak the same language as its supporters.

"What fascinated me the most was how it's marketed and how it's really fresh and they keep with the times," he said. "It's got everybody talking about it. It doesn't have an age barrier. If you are older, you can go there and feel young because that energy is electrifying. Music and sport go together in America, the in-thing is trap music and the hip culture. It just feels as if the culture is so inviting and they are always staying on top of it. There is tradition, yes but they keep with the times."

Sounds like a message to cricket to get the DJs in and they know the Rabada household has a few they can start with.

Kansas is back on top of the college basketball world after knocking off Baylor in a matchup of Big 12 heavyweights, while the Bears dropped to No. 2 in the Associated Press men's poll Monday after their nip-and-tuck loss in Waco.

The Jayhawks (24-3, 13-1 Big 12) received 62 of 64 first-place votes from the national media panel to take over the No. 1 ranking for the second time this season. Kansas also was atop the poll for one week in December, when it seemed as if just about every school that ascended to No. 1 promptly lost in a topsy-turvy start to the season.

"We're a silent team that can make a run late in March," Jayhawks guard Devon Dotson said after the 64-61 victory Saturday. "We're not going to get complacent from this one. We're going to build off of it."

Baylor (24-2, 13-1) received two first-place votes and fell to second after its 23-game winning streak ended. Gonzaga was No. 3 after a loss to BYU, and Dayton jumped San Diego State for No. 4 after the Aztecs lost for the first time. It was a week in which every team in the top 10 found itself in a new position from last week.

The most notable change, of course, came at the top.

"Baylor is the best team that we've played against since I've been in the league, the last 17 years," said Jayhawks coach Bill Self, whose team begins its four-game finishing stretch against Oklahoma State on Monday night. "You could look at Oklahoma State in '04 and you could look at [Texas] Tech in '19, but I think Baylor has played better than both those teams at the same stage. I don't know how it's going to finish, but I certainly feel strongly about that."

Baylor coach Scott Drew, whose team spent five weeks at No. 1, was equally effusive in his praise for the Jayhawks.

"Kansas has really progressed since the last time we faced them," he said. "We had a heck of a run. I never thought I'd see anyone do what we did. The Big 12 is so tough. Six straight years we've been the No. 1 conference for a reason."

Baylor wasn't the only team to take its lumps during an upset-filled weekend.

The Cougars continued their climb to No. 17 after they knocked off Gonzaga on Saturday night, and UNLV ended the Aztecs' perfect start with a 66-63 victory. Two more top-10 teams went down in a Big Ten shake-up Sunday, when Maryland lost to Ohio State and Penn State lost to Indiana for its second defeat of the week.

"We lost, and it's the first time it's happened [this season], so it doesn't feel good," San Diego State guard Malachi Flynn said. "We were all just trying to win the game, and it's just played out the way it played out."

The Flyers (25-2) have won 16 straight to reach their highest standing in the poll since finishing third during the 1955-56 season, while the Aztecs (26-1) remain the nation's only one-loss Division I team. They were followed by Florida State, Duke, Kentucky, Maryland and Creighton in rounding out the top 10.

The Seminoles climbed two spots as they prepare for their high-profile ACC showdown with No. 11 Louisville on Monday night.

"Florida State is just a team, they're all really big, really long and really athletic," Cardinals star Jordan Nwora said. "We're going to pressure them, use the lane, and I feel pretty confident going into this game."

Rising and falling

The Blue Jays climbed from No. 15 into the top 10 for the first time since the 2016-17 season after beating then-No. 19 Marquette and then-No. 21 Butler last week. Their streak has moved them to within a game of Seton Hall -- which climbed from No. 16 to No. 13 this week -- in what has become an intriguing race for the Big East title.

The biggest jump this week came from BYU, which followed a victory over Santa Clara with a resounding 91-78 win over Gonzaga. The Cougars climbed six spots to No. 17 with their eighth straight victory.

Penn State took the biggest tumble, from ninth to No. 16, after losses to Illinois and Indiana, while West Virginia fell three spots to No. 20 and Colorado dropped three spots to No. 21.

In and out

Michigan shot back into the Top 25 at No. 19 this week after the Wolverines ran their winning streak to five straight and seven of eight with victories at Purdue and Rutgers. Texas Tech and Michigan State also returned to the poll with the Red Raiders at No. 22 and the Spartans at No. 24.

Marquette tumbled from No. 19 all the way out after losing to Creighton and unranked Providence. Butler fell out from No. 21 and Arizona from No. 24 after the Wildcats lost in overtime to Oregon on Saturday.

LOS ANGELES -- Vanessa Bryant gave mourners at the public memorial for Kobe Bryant and their daughter Gianna at Staples Center on Monday an intimate portrait of them both.

She said the world saw Kobe as a celebrity and basketball legend -- the Black Mamba -- but to her he was her best friend and protector. Vanessa described him as a loving husband and devoted father with a tender heart who was "the MVP of girl dads.''

He loved to watch romantic movies with them and put them to bed every night. Vanessa said she and Kobe planned to renew their vows and travel the world together. They talked about how they looked forward to becoming the "cool grandparents" after their kids have their own children.

She also fought back tears as she described Gianna as a sweet, thoughtful soul who loved always kissing her mother good morning and goodnight.

"Her smile was like sunshine," Vanessa said. "Her smile took up her entire face. Like me. Kobe always said she was like me. She had my fire, my personality and sarcasm. She was tender and loving on the inside. She had the best laugh. She had the best laugh. It was infectious. It was pure and genuine."

Vanessa said Gianna loved swimming, singing along with hit songs, baking cookies and watching "Survivor'' and NBA games with her father. She says the 13-year-old loved basketball so much she even offered the boys' school team advice.

Vanessa predicted that Gianna could have become "the best player in the WNBA.''

A host of NBA greats past and present were among the thousands in attendance at the public memorial -- including Jerry West, Phil Jackson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Pau Gasol and Steph Curry.

Late night host Jimmy Kimmel introduced Vanessa, who received a standing ovation from the crowd.

The memorial began with Beyonce singing her hits "XO'' and "Halo.''

Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others were killed last month in a helicopter crash in foggy weather while heading to a basketball tournament that Gianna was to play in.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES -- The widow of Kobe Bryant has sued the owner of the helicopter that crashed in fog and killed her husband and their 13-year-old daughter last month.

The wrongful death lawsuit filed by Vanessa Bryant in Los Angeles says the pilot, Ara Zobayan, was careless and negligent by flying in cloudy conditions on Jan. 26 and should have aborted the flight. Zobayan was among the nine people killed in the crash.

The 27-count complaint against Island Express Helicopters and Island Express Holding Corp. seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. The company issued a statement on Jan. 30 on its website saying the shock of the crash had prompted it to suspend service until it was appropriate for staff and customers.

The lawsuit asserts that Zobayan was negligent in eight different ways, including failing to properly assess the weather, flying into conditions he wasn't cleared for and failing to control the helicopter.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is still investigating the crash, said in a preliminary report earlier this month that the helicopter showed no sign of engine failure and that Zobayan became disoriented before crashing into a hillside in Calabasas, California while trying to get to clear skies.

The lawsuit was filed as a public memorial service for Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna and the other victims was being held at Staples Center, the arena where Bryant played most of his career.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

JUPITER, Fla. -- Derek Jeter wishes baseball could change the subject.

The Miami Marlins CEO, who masterfully steered clear of controversy throughout his Hall of Fame playing career, has watched with dismay each new headline in the Astros sign-stealing scandal.

"It's like a slow drip of responses coming out from everyone," Jeter said Monday at the Marlins' spring training camp. "You hope at some point people can just move on. But look, it's unfortunate. It's a black eye for the sport."

Jeter spoke publicly for the first time since commissioner Rob Manfred concluded the Astros violated rules by using a TV camera to steal catchers' signs during their run to the 2017 World Series title and again in the 2018 season.

Manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for one season and then fired by the team. The commissioner's punishment has been widely criticized because players were not disciplined.

"When you talk about people trying to get an edge in baseball, I don't think that's anything new. People have been trying to do it for years," Jeter said. "But, obviously, people took it way too far. And there are penalties for it. They're paying the price.

"Regardless of what the penalties are, others are going to have their opinions on what they think should happen. You hope that over time it passes. But I'm sure this is going to sting for a while."

Last month, Jeter came within one vote of being a unanimous pick for the Hall of Fame. As the New York Yankees' shortstop he was all about winning, but in his two seasons with the Marlins they've gone 120-203.

Miami's farm system is much improved, however, and while Jeter declines to predict when the Marlins might become playoff contenders, he believes the depth of young talent will begin to pay dividends in 2020.

"This organization is in a lot better shape than when we took over," he said. "We should be a lot better this year than we were last year. I've always preached competition. We have an organization that is layered with talent. Guys are going to start pushing, and that's a good thing."

Miami went 57-105 in 2019, the worst record in the National League. Many projections have the Marlins winning around 70 games this year.

Another challenge for Jeter is to put more fans in the seats. Last season the Marlins finished last in the NL in attendance for the 14th time in the past 15 years.

"From the interactions I've had, people are starting to get excited," Jeter said. "We're trying to earn the trust of the fan base. It takes a little time. We're hoping more people are starting to trust us, and they come out and give us a chance."

NEW YORK -- Attempts at cheating are a part of sports, Major League Baseball said in urging a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by fantasy contestants.

Five men sued MLB, MLB Advanced Media, the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox in federal court in Manhattan, claiming fraud, violation of consumer protection laws, negligence, unjust enrichment and deceptive trade practices by teams that violated MLB's rules against the use of electronics to steal catchers' signs. The five said they participated in DraftKings fantasy baseball contests.

"Rules violations -- large and small, intentional and unintentional, technical and game-changing -- are a never-ending source of sports television, talk radio, web and elevator commentary by sports pundits and fans alike," MLB said Friday in papers submitted to U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff. "And fans' general awareness of the potential for infractions is underscored in this case by the fact that clubs were publicly disciplined for electronic sign-stealing violations during the 2017 regular season."

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred ruled last month that the Astros violated sign-stealing rules during home games en route to their World Series title in 2017 and again in 2018. He suspended manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow for one season each, and both were fired by the team. Manfred fined the Astros $5 million, the maximum under MLB rules, and stripped the team of its next two first- and second-round draft picks.

He also is investigating allegations against the Red Sox.

In its papers, MLB cited a 2010 opinion by Judge Robert Cowen for a 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel that upheld the dismissal of a suit by a New York Jets season-ticket holder against the NFL, New England coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots over the Spygate scandal.

"It appears uncontested that players often commit intentional rule infractions in order to obtain an advantage over the course of the game," Cowen wrote.

MLB maintained that "plaintiffs got exactly what they bargained for: contests determined by baseball players' actual performance on the field, whatever the contributing factors, predictable or unpredictable, may have been" and added "not one plaintiff claims to have lost any fantasy baseball contest as a result of sign-stealing or otherwise."

Houston submitted papers to dismiss, citing the Astros' better performance on the road in 2017: The Astros hit .279 at home with 395 runs and 115 homers at home vs. road stats of .284, 501 runs and 123 homers.

Two-time World Cup winner Ben Franks is to retire from professional rugby at the end of the 2019-20 season.

The Northampton front row, 35, won 47 caps for New Zealand, helping the All Blacks lift consecutive World Cups in 2011 and 2015 alongside brother Owen.

Franks won two Super Rugby titles with Crusaders and has since played in England for London Irish and Saints.

"The end of this season is the right time for me call time on my career," he told the Northampton website.

"I've loved my journey in rugby; from playing back home in New Zealand, to representing the All Blacks alongside my brother, and then coming over here to experience the challenge of the English Premiership."

Franks is one of 21 players to have lifted the World Cup on two occasions, and he and sibling Owen became only the second pair of brothers to represent the Kiwis.

He has made 37 Northampton appearances since signing in 2018 and says his younger brother will "continue to play on" for the club, having himself arrived at Franklin's Gardens last summer.

Saints director of rugby Chris Boyd said: "Ben's had an incredible professional career that has spanned over 15 years, and amongst all the players I've ever coached, he is right up there amongst the most professional of them all."