Hooker Schalk Brits will play at number eight for the first time in more than a decade when South Africa take on minnows Namibia on Saturday.
The former Saracen, 38, retired in 2018 but was convinced to return to rugby by Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus.
Elsewhere Herschel Jantjies and Elton Jantjies replace rested half-back pair Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard.
Namibia make 10 personnel changes from the team that lost to Italy, but centre Johan Deysel only makes the bench.
Deysel, who scored Namibia's only try in their 58-14 defeat by eventual champions New Zealand at the 2015 tournament, missed his team's Pool B opener with a shoulder problem.
The Springboks have also made wholesale changes from the team that lost to New Zealand on Saturday with only centre Lukhanyo Am and wing Makazole Mapimpi retaining their places.
Bath flanker Francois Louw, Saracens prop Vincent Koch and Sale-bound second row Lood de Jager all come into the forwards, while S'Busiso Nkosi, who has scored seven tries in eight Test appearances, is named on the wing.
Namibia have trained with South-African provincial side the Sharks and played in South Africa's domestic Currie Cup competition as they seek to improve on defeats by their neighbour of 105-13 (just before the 2007 World Cup) and 87-0 at the 2011 tournament.
Teams:
South Africa: Gelant; Nkosi, Am, Steyn, Mapimpi; E Jantjies, H Jantjies; Mtawarira, Mbonambi, Koch; Snyman, De Jager, Louw; Smith, Brits.
Replacments: Kitshoff, T Du Toit, Etzebeth, Kolisi, Mostert, Reinach, De Allende, Kolbe
Namibia: Tromp; Plato, Greyling, Walters, Klim; Loubser, Jantjies; Sethie, Van der Westhuizen, De Klerk; Retief, Uanivi, Forbes; Katjijeko, Booysen
South Africa number eight Schalk Brits on his return to rugby: "When Rassie spoke to me I was sipping cocktails in Ibiza.
"I can always do an 8am-5pm job, but I can't always play. It's been a great decision. It is unbelievable to be part of this group of players.
"When you consider where we were 18 months ago to where we are now, it has been an upward path."
Namibia centre Justin Newman: "Studying in South Africa and watching them on TV, I always wondered what it would be like playing against them so I am excited to compare myself with guys I never thought I would.
"To see how they play, to see the level they play at. They are just flesh and blood but it will be an awesome experience."
WEBSTER CITY, Iowa — Two former USRA national champions, a past Iron Man Challenge titlist and a previous event winner were among the four drivers to visit victory lane Thursday night as the Hamilton County Speedway kicked off the sixth annual Summit USRA Nationals presented by MyRacePass.
Seven years after winning the USRA Modified national championship, Brandon Davis took another step toward securing his second crown with an impressive $1,000 Thursday night triumph.
Davis led all 20 laps while 2014 Summit USRA Nationals winner Rodney Sanders edged Lucas Schott for the second spot.
Dustin Sorensen was fourth at the checkered flag and track champion J.D. Auringer was fifth.
Eric Stanton won the Mensink Racing Products USRA Hobby Stock feature race Thursday to set himself up at a run for a second Summit USRA Nationals crown. The racer from Carlisle captured the win at the inaugural event in 2014.
The two-time defending track champion emerged on top after a furious 16-lap battle with runner-up Dustin Gulbrandson and Tyson Overton.
Despite falling back to third on the start, Stanton picked his way around Overton on lap four and then snuck by Gulbrandson three laps later but not before Overton overtook both of them to complete the seventh lap.
It only took Stanton two more laps to get back around Overton before pacing the last half of the race. While Stanton picked up the win, Gulbrandson narrowly edged out Overton for runner-up honors while Brandon Nielsen and Brady Link competed the top five.
In a repeat of a wheel-to-wheel battle here during the “Rumble By The River” in June, Kris Jackson bested a tough field of Out-Pace USRA B-Mods to capture the opening night win.
The defending Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series national champion tussled with track champ Ty Griffith after he led the first 13 laps, but once in front there was no catching Jackson-the current national points leader.
It was the 25th feature win of the year for Jackson, who holds a slim lead over 2017 national champion Ryan Gillmore.
Gillmore used a last-lap pass to snag the runner-up paycheck from Arnold Motor Supply Iron Man Challenge points leader Jared Boumeester on the final lap.
Griffith held on for fourth with two-time defending Iron Man champ Dan Hovden taking the fifth spot.
In American Racer USRA Stock Car action, 2016 Iron Man points champion Kyle Falck led wire to wire in claiming the victory over Dillon Anderson.
Lynn Panos came from eighth to claim the third spot while graphics great Stefan Sybesma clawed his way from 14th on the grid to fourth at the finish line.
LOCUST GROVE, Ark. — After having the first two scheduled nights postponed due to rain, the third annual Race For Hope 71 got underway Thursday night at Batesville Motor Speedway.
Ninety-five of the best IMCA Modified drivers from across the country were checked in for action at the high-banked three-eighths mile oval.
Inaugural Race For Hope 71 champion, Ricky Thornton Jr. cruised to the 30-lap qualifying A-main feature win. Thornton started on the inside of row two and quickly moved by front row starters D.J. Shannon and Curtis Cook.
Once out front, Thornton distanced himself from the rest of the field.
“The car was really good. We were able to get into the lead on the first or second lap, then I just kind of rolled around the bottom,” said Thornton. “I looked at the track right before our feature and decided to make a few changes. I think that really helped us a bunch. We should be sitting on the front row for Saturday night, which I think will help us a lot.”
Thornton will indeed line up in the middle lane of the front row of Saturday’s 30-car, three-wide championship main event.
Perhaps the best battle on the track midway through the feature was the fight for second between David Stremme and Zane DeVilbiss.
Stremme and DeVilbiss raced hard for the runner-up spot for several consecutive laps. Both drivers fought for the bottom groove around the fast and tacky racing surface, but ninth-place starter, Stremme, was able to hold off DeVilbiss, who was charging his way forward from 13th.
MANCHESTER, England -- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does not expect Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial to be fit for Manchester United's clash with Arsenal on Monday with Paul Pogba also a doubt.
Martial has missed five games with a thigh problem while Rashford sat out the Carabao Cup penalty shootout victory over Rochdale because of a groin injury.
Pogba was not able to take a penalty against Rochdale or attend a team meal on Wednesday after aggravating an ankle injury and could miss Arsenal's visit to Old Trafford.
"I wouldn't put my life on it [having Martial and Rashford available]," Solskjaer told a news conference on Friday.
"It's part of the game, working with what you have.
"The situation [with Pogba] is he finished the game [against Rochdale] but he got a knock to his ankle which is very swollen so it was better for him not to go there [to the meal] with the team and he's in a race for Monday
"Luke [Shaw] is back in training [on Friday]. He's working really hard and we hope to see him before the international break. Maybe Monday."
Injuries to Martial and Rashford could mean a first Premier League start of the season for 17-year-old Mason Greenwood, who scored for the second consecutive game against Rochdale.
The teenager is the only fit striker in the squad and Solskjaer insists he would have no problem picking him to play Arsenal.
"He's proven when he's been on the pitch -- Astana and Rochdale -- when you get him in the box he's dangerous," Solskjaer said.
"What's pleased me about him is he doesn't turn down chances to finish.
"He's proved in those games he's ready for it. I'll have the weekend to think about it."
United will line up against Arsenal -- who have not won in the league at Old Trafford since 2006 -- eighth in the table after winning just two of their opening six games.
Goals have been a problem with United only scoring more than once in a game on one occasion so far this season.
United have scored eight league goals -- fewer than Norwich in 16th -- and failed to score more than once in 17 of their last 20 games in all competition.
"You can see how much we've improved defensively, that;'s where we put the big money in," Solskjaer said.
"We don't concede many chances, concede too many goals.
"The other way going forward is where we've struggled with injuries. We've had some bad luck in that respect, about building relationships, doesn't help when you lose players but sometimes the finishing could be better.
"I never said it was going to be easy this season. There are going to be ups and downs, highs and lows, and when we lose a game we have to trust ourselves and what we're doing."
Lawyers representing Barcelona and Neymar will meet in court on Friday in the end after a late U-turn in negotiations to settle a dispute over an unpaid loyalty bonus.
Sources had told ESPN FC that both parties would ask for the case to be delayed following a meeting between Neymar, his father and Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu in the Catalan city on Thursday.
The meeting followed days of discussions between Barca representatives and Neymar's lawyers and sources said there was a positive outcome, with Neymar flying back to Paris on Friday morning.
There was no universal agreement on how to settle the case, but there was a desire for everything to be resolved in a friendly manner.
Talks were expected to continue between the two parties with the hope of reaching a resolution without the need to appear in court, but sources have told ESPN FC there was a late twist when Barca refused to accept various demands put on the table at the eleventh hour by Neymar's representatives.
The Spanish champions and Neymar are in dispute regarding a payment related to the contract he signed with the club in 2016.
He was paid an initial €14 million when he penned the terms but was due an additional €26m on July 31, 2017, just four days before his world-record €222m transfer to Paris Saint-Germain was made official.
Barcelona refused to make the payment, though, depositing the money with a notary at first as they awaited the outcome of the forward's switch to PSG, arguing that "the agreed conditions [had] not been met."
Barca subsequently sued Neymar for breach of contract, claiming they are also owed money which the player was paid as the first part of his bonus when he signed a new deal at Camp Nou in 2016. They are also claiming €8.5 in damages plus interest.
The case was originally due to be heard in January, but was postponed until March and then until September before this latest delay.
During that time, the relationship between Barcelona and Neymar, which deteriorated when he quit for PSG, has improved. The Blaugrana even tried to re-sign him this summer, but failed to come to an agreement with the French champions over a deal.
Neymar had told PSG that he wanted to leave and that his desire was to return to Barcelona, where he previously spent four years between 2013 and 2017 after joining from Santos.
It was instructive to hear Mauricio Pochettino's response to Tottenham's defeat at Colchester in the Carabao Cup this week. His postmatch comments basically waved a broad hand of blame at these unnamed malcontents in the squad and the club's failure to buy more players in the summer, as if the reason his side lost to the team 10th in League Two was because Christian Eriksen fancies a move to Real Madrid or they didn't get the Paulo Dybala move over the line, rather than anything to do with him.
Pochettino may have a point in the wider scheme of things, but the result on Tuesday and their general performances throughout the season have been so devoid of inspiration and direction that it's impossible to think there aren't deeper problems at Spurs. Like water collecting on a flat roof for months before eventually the ceiling falls in, Tottenham allowing their squad to go stale could ultimately manifest itself in a spectacular collapse this season, unless they really turn things around. That needs to start at Southampton on Saturday.
Will Liverpool use some sensible rotation?
Liverpool are currently in the middle of a run in which they play seven games in 21 days. Then it's the international break, which is fine in theory, but most if not all of their players will then embark on long trips with their countries. After that it's another seven in 21 days before the next international break, then we're into late November and before you know it, the madness of the Christmas schedule.
Liverpool have a good enough squad now that Jurgen Klopp can afford to rotate a little, to give his most overworked stars a bit of rest, but he will have to choose the times to do that judiciously. So will he regard a trip to Sheffield United -- a newly-promoted side but one who have proved ticklish to say the least so far this season -- as a time to do that, or does he play it safe and use the big guns, in the knowledge that there might not be another good time to rest them on the horizon?
Will the return of some first-choice defenders boost Arsenal?
Not many reliable conclusions can be drawn from Arsenal flexing aside Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, given the performance of their Championship opponents. But one plus from the game was the return to fitness of Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin, the latter of whom set up a goal within a minute of coming on as a substitute.
Admittedly, neither man can do much to solve the chronic issues the Gunners have in the centre of defence, but Arsenal can only benefit from the addition of what could potentially be the best full-back pairing in the division outside of Liverpool. Against a fragile Manchester United, even that could be enough.
THE GAME YOU'RE NOT PLANNING TO WATCH ... BUT SHOULD
If you've got room on your DVR or in your busy schedule for one match this weekend away from the title race, we've got you covered.
Wolves vs. Watford
Broadly speaking the reason we watch Premier League football is to see good quality play, to witness the sides at the top of their games display their skills. But sometimes you also want to see a couple of desperate sides scrapping away for whatever they can get, and that's what you'll find at Molineux on Saturday afternoon. The last two sides without a victory meet to see who can clamber out of this spiral of incompetence, with the very real possibility that whoever loses will graduate from "poor start" to "actual relegation battle."
A TEAM THAT NEEDS A BIT OF LUCK
Luck is everything in sports. Get acquainted with ESPN's Luck Index as we pick out the team most desperate for good fortune amid a difficult run. Here are the big takeaways from the 2019 edition as explained by Gab Marcotti.
Everton: It wasn't so long ago that Everton watchers were purring after their side beat Wolves, but two avoidable defeats in their last two games have awoken discontent in the Goodison Park stands. Questions are inevitably being posed about Marco Silva's tenure, about his selection and balance of his team, so they could really do with a straightforward game to get their heads right. No such luck: Manchester City are in town on Saturday, fresh from sticking eight past Watford last weekend. If Everton get a bit of luck, maybe they can sneak a result against City...but they will need that luck.
Last week Aguero became the first player to score in each of the opening six games of a Premier League season. He only notched one of Manchester City's goals in their 8-0 thrashing of Watford, but he deserved more, hitting the woodwork twice.
Wolves are 19th in the table, but they host the only team below them in Watford on Saturday. Raul Jimenez has just two goals so far this season, but had 13 (and seven assists) last year, and could break out this week.
Silva was promoted from Tier 2 to Tier 1 following his hat trick against Watford, but he only scored seven goals in 36 appearances last season. There are much better options in this tier, including teammates Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne, and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.
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Will Man United finish outside the top 6?
Stewart Robson examines Manchester United's squad and shares his thoughts on where they'll finish this Premier League season.
ONE THING THAT WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN
Manchester United's defence will get a chasing from Arsenal
Despite spending north of £130 million on defenders this summer, Manchester United's backline has hardly been watertight. Even a 16-year-old from Rochdale got the better of them in midweek, and while the personnel will be very different for the visit of Arsenal on Monday, you can be sure that they will be in for a difficult night against whoever plays in attack for Arsenal. Alexandre Lacazette won't be around, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe will provide a handful enough for the likes of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof: if United can keep them quiet, that's half the battle.
Information provided by ESPN Stats & Information Group
- Liverpool have a 15-game winning streak in the Premier League, tied for second longest in English top-flight history. Only Man City has a longer streak having won 18 in a row in 2017. The Champions League holders have outscored opponents 42-13 during the streak and last dropped points in the league on March 3 vs Everton.
- Chelsea have won all eight of their league meetings against Brighton. A win on Saturday would set the English record for the most wins against an opponent without a loss or draw since the Football League began in 1888.
- Tottenham have won seven of their last eight Premier League home matches against Southampton, losing the other 2-1 in May 2016. Meanwhile, Southampton are looking to win three consecutive away road matches in the top flight for the first time since February 2015, when they had won four in a row.
MAN TO WATCH
Christian Pulisic: Admittedly, Frank Lampard was not involved in Chelsea's decision to buy Christian Pulisic in January. It's nevertheless slightly odd that the £58 million signing has only thus far made three starts under Lampard, especially when you would think this is a team that needs all the inspiration it can get. Pulisic stayed on the bench against Liverpool last weekend and started in their 7-1 thrashing of Grimsby Town. But he could play against Brighton on Saturday, and with Callum Hudson-Odoi returning to fitness with a fat new contract in his back pocket, might this be Pulisic's last big chance for a while to make his case for more regular selection?
OUR BOLD/RECKLESS PREDICTIONS
Sheffield United 1-3 Liverpool: The Reds train should keep on rolling Tottenham 2-2 Southampton: This draw will feel like a loss to Spurs Wolves 1-2 Watford: Hornets will be buzzing after shipping eight to City Aston Villa 1-0 Burnley: Villa will climb out of the relegation zone Bournemouth 1-2 West Ham: In-form Hammers will continue to rise Chelsea 3-2 Brighton: Elusive clean sheets continue for the Blues Crystal Palace 2-1 Norwich City: The Man City win seems a long time ago Everton 1-4 Manchester City: The holders will pile on the Toffees woes Leicester 3-1 Newcastle: No shock to see the Foxes stay in top four Manchester United 1-3 Arsenal: Further proof of United's poor form
She is 36, and she recently gave up T20I cricket. But Mithali Raj is far from done with top-flight cricket, and wants a "last chance" of winning the top prize in ODI cricket, a trophy she has twice led India to within one win of.
India reached the final of the 50-over World Cup in 2005 and in 2017, both times with Raj as captain. She is still the captain of the ODI team, and is motivated enough to play - and try to win - the 2021 edition.
"Something that has motivated me to think about and have a goal of 2021 is the World Cup. Twice India has been to the final and we could not cross that line," she told Mumbai Mirror on the sidelines of a promotional event in Mumbai on Thursday. "This is the last chance I would have. I wanted to give myself another go at the World Cup and win the title that has eluded the Indian team and me for a couple of times."
Raj is the leading run-scorer in women's ODIs, with 6720 runs at an average of 51.29, followed by former England captain Charlotte Edwards (5992 runs at 38.16), with West Indies' Stafanie Taylor (4561 runs) at fifth place and the closest to Raj among active players. Raj has been a star performer at World Cups too, with an average of 54.23 from 31 games across five tournaments.
She started playing international cricket in 1999 at just 16 years of age. Raj said she would have benefitted more if the scheduling then was as it is now.
"More than the [T20] leagues, what I have felt is that if we had more ratio of international series back then, things would have been much, much better. Because we would not have struggled to again develop momentum for a series," she said. "It was a very challenging phase for any cricketer. If you had a good five-match one-day series, the next series would be like eight months [later]. So again you are going back and restarting your momentum. By that time the series is over.
"Whereas now you have back-to-back series so any player who is in good form can continue it. Any player who is struggling for form also knows that there is another series they can get."
Raj was part of one of the most high-profile bust-ups in Indian women's cricket - then team coach Ramesh Powar the other - last year, a war of words that made headlines for weeks. The change in the way women's cricket in India has received media attention over the last couple of decades is also something Raj has experienced closely.
"See I have come from a generation where we did not have much of media coverage, to a time when we are scrutinised for everything, whatever we say or do. Initially it took a while to adjust. But I have come to realise that it is part of the sport now," she said. "It is important that women's sport comes to a point where people follow it, but this is the other side of it.
"It cannot be all good. There will be criticism. There will be people who will not like it. But at the end of the day, if you are very clear as to what your priority is, it gives clarity in your mind."
Yuvraj Singh has rued the lack of support from the India team management, which left him with the regret of not playing another World Cup match after his Man-of-the-Tournament performance in India's 2011 win. Yuvraj believes he deserved another shot with an average of 41.33 and a strike rate of 98.67 in his last comeback that lasted 11 matches. It ended unsatisfactorily for Yuvraj, who was left out after the 2017 Champions Trophy because of a failed yo-yo test, but wasn't brought back after he cleared the endurance test.
Yuvraj feels the same lack of trust in his replacements - Manish Pandey, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik - was the big reason for India's failure at the 2019 World Cup, a tournament in which he felt India had no business exiting before the final. He warned India against doing the same with Pant in the lead-up to next year's T20 World Cup in the light of public criticism of his batting by captain Virat Kohli, coach Ravi Shastri and batting coach Vikram Rathour.
"That regret will be with me," Yuvraj said in an interview with the news channel Aaj Tak. "But people should be happy for me too that after such a grave illness [cancer during the 2011 World Cup], after struggling in domestic cricket for two years, working hard, I made a comeback and scored my highest ODI score [150 in January 2017, against England from 25 for 3]. That is also a big achievement. That is the other side. Yes, there will be regret, but there was a number of issues. There was no support, hardly any support from team management or people around. If that support had been there, I would have played another World Cup. Whatever cricket I have played, I have played on my own terms. I didn't have a godfather. I feel proud that I have played so much cricket despite the illness."
Expanding on the subject of support (or the lack of it), Yuvraj spoke of the circumstances he was dropped in. "I remember, in the eight-nine ODIs I played, I won two Man-of-the-Match awards [including one against Pakistan in the 2017 Champions Trophy]. My strike rate was 98 and I was averaging 42-plus so I was doing really well in the middle order.
"If you want to get the best out of somebody, you have to make them feel secure. A player can never perform when he's insecure. That was the big reason India didn't win the World Cup."
"After the injury [during the West Indies tour just after the Champions Trophy], I was told to not play the last T20I and prepare for the Sri Lanka tour [later in 2017] and then suddenly the yo-yo test came in between. Whoever failed the test did not get selected. Suddenly there was a U-turn in my selection. And then, obviously, I had to go back and prepare for the yo-yo test, at the age of 36. After I cleared the yo-yo test, I was told to play domestic cricket, which I played."
Yuvraj felt these were just excuses on the part of the men in charge. "They actually thought I wouldn't be able to clear the yo-yo test because it will be difficult at this stage," he said. "And after that, obviously, 'it'll be easy to tell him'. I felt it was a bit of that [excuses]. 'He wouldn't be able to do the test.' Once it happened, they got caught in a space where they didn't know what to say to me. The thing was unfortunate. A guy who has played international cricket for 15-17 years, you should sit him down and tell him [why he is being dropped]. No one told me.
"They didn't tell Virender Sehwag, they didn't tell Zaheer Khan. Compared to them, I haven't played that much cricket. But regardless of who the player is, the person in charge should talk to them upfront that 'this is the case, we are looking at the youngsters and we have taken this step'. You feel bad at first but you at least give them the credit that they were honest with you, that they told the truth to your face."
He argued that the same lack of clarity, which led to lack of stability, hurt India at the World Cup, where India failed to recover from a top-order collapse in the semi-final against New Zealand. "I was dropped, then Manish Pandey came in, then one-two other players came in, then KL Rahul came in," Yuvraj said. "KL was tried, then Raina came back, then they went with Rayudu. Rayudu played for eight-nine months, he scored 90 in NZ, Man of the Match, and your team should have been set there. Then before the World Cup, you lost to Australia 3-2, Rayudu had a bad tournament, suddenly Vijay Shankar came in.
"And the highest score by an India No. 4 at the World Cup was 48. I don't really understand that. The captain, coach and selectors should have known that No. 4 is a very important spot especially in conditions in England, where the ball seams. The No. 4 batsman has to be technically strong and has to be given a number of opportunities.
"Vijay Shankar didn't have that experience. Rishabh Pant didn't have the experience. Dinesh Karthik, who was experienced, was sitting out and suddenly goes to bat in the semi-final. I really don't understand what the think tank was thinking. If you want to get the best out of somebody, you have to make them feel secure. A player can never perform when he's insecure. That was the big reason India didn't win the World Cup. I thought India and England were the best teams in the World Cup. There was no reason why India shouldn't have played the final."
Yuvraj said he saw shades of himself in the big-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman Pant, but felt the youngster needed more support and understanding from the team management. "The big hitters are always talked about, but I had support from [Sourav] Ganguly and there was nobody criticising me every day," he said. "Everybody is criticising him. When things are not happening, talk to him, try to understand his mind. I feel that Rishabh's issue is his mental make-up. How do you get the best out of his mental make-up? He has made runs in the Ranji Trophy and has scored two away Test hundreds; 150 in Australia, one in England. He's played some big knocks. He's shown his talent, he's been fantastic in the IPL. He's played eight-ten ODIs, so what are you expecting of him?
"Obviously he didn't pick the best shots to hit, but how will you get out his best? You can't suppress him and get his best. You will have to put an arm around his shoulder, praise him, take him to the nets. You will have to sit with him in the evening, talk to him over dinner: 'what's going on in your mind?' Somebody like the batting coach should take that opportunity to get the best out of him. Statements like "fearless and careless" is not going to help anybody's case. It is going to spoil his mental make-up."
There was a dig at the selectors too. "That is the decision the selectors… well, selectors actually don't make that many decisions… the team management has to sit with the chief selector and decide let's make the guys secure first. If we lose, it's okay. If we lose again, it's still okay. The team is not that bad. It will still win. They need to groom guys."
Yuvraj also called for more support for wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal as India opt for less attacking spinners who provide depth in batting. He said it was "stupid" to aim for depth at the cost of proper bowlers.
Newlands might lose hosting rights for the 2020 New Year's Test between South Africa and England. Cricket South Africa has raised concerns about the Western Province Cricket Association's administrative and financial affairs, and the potential disruption caused by a massive construction project currently underway at the ground, with CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe saying, "We are worried as CSA that Newlands may not be able to host the New Year's Test."
An IOL Sport report on Thursday said that the association is in significant financial strife and in danger of missing out on the hosting of the marquee event as it continued its attempts to raise money for building developments at Newlands, and there are signs of a troubled state of affairs in the organisation's administration.
"We are concerned with the finances of Western Province, so as CSA we want to understand some of the decisions they have taken and what their plans are in terms of moving themselves out of the hole they have put themselves in," Moroe explained. "They may not be able to [host the New Year's Test] but I'd like to think that with us sitting around the table and working together as the mother body and the affiliate partner that we ensure that the Test match stays there and we are ready to host it."
The WPCA has not held its annual general meeting this year, and last week CSA announced that it had appointed an administrator to take over the administrative, governance and financial affairs of WPCA "until all these respective functions have been placed on a satisfactory footing".
In February, the WPCA announced a R750 million (approx. US$50 million) upgrade to Newlands that would see the construction of four new office blocks on the site, as well as refurbishments to the Western Province offices and President's Pavilion at Newlands. South African financial services and investments group Sanlam was to have taken on 51% of the costs, with WPCA covering the other 49%.
"This is a journey that started around ten years ago and the main purpose of this journey was the sustainability of cricket," Cape Cobras chief executive Nabeal Dien had said at the time. "I don't think we would have gone into this, and neither would Sanlam, unless we saw a viable outcome."
However, last week CSA suspended the WPCA board, appointing former chief executive Andre Odendaal as an administrator, with Odendaal due to present monthly progress reports as CSA takes a hands-on approach to the WPCA's affairs.
"CSA will exercise its rights until such time that it is reasonably of the opinion that the WPCA administrative and financial affairs are being conducted according to best practice and that the association can assure equity partners and stakeholders that projects currently underway will unfold as planned," said CSA President and board chairman Chris Nenzani.
CSA is clearly unhappy with WPCA's progress, and the fate of the marquee New Year's Test fixture is set to be decided at a meeting between CSA and the WPCA next week.
"This includes getting the City of Cape Town involved and there's a big construction project going on there," Moroe said. "There's the concern of safety as fans are concerned. The construction is going to disrupt a little bit in terms of how the Test match is generally hosted‚ but there's a figurative and literal hole that needs to be filled.
"From a security perspective‚ we need to adhere to all the requirements and all involved have to be safe. We also need to uphold the ICC's hosting standards and make sure that the English also feel safe in coming to the grounds and that we can cater for all the spectators because we are expecting quite a big number of English supporters."
Newlands has hosted the New Year's Test 21 times since South Africa's readmission into international cricket in 1991, with the last one played against Pakistan from January 3, 2019.
New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball watched, as seemingly everyone else did, as a clip of his father, LaVar, calling him "damaged goods" made the rounds last week.
The clip, from the "Ball in the Family" show on Facebook, was fodder for social media mavens and talk show hosts alike. But to Lonzo, it was just a disagreement, albeit one that was captured for the world to see.
"That's part of life. I'm growing up. He has his ways, I have mine. We just got into it. That's what fathers and sons do as time goes on. At the end of the day, it's always love at the end. I know he loves me, I love him. We're just not always going to agree on everything. That's all it was."
Lonzo enters the 2019-20 season with a new team -- and with new shoes on his feet. On The Woj Pod, he explained how he wouldn't do anything different and has no regrets about wearing Big Baller Brand shoes to begin his NBA career.
"It was different, but at the same time, we were trying to build a brand," Lonzo said about coming out of UCLA and wearing his own shoes. "I had to wear them. But there was no way we could play in the shoes I had in summer league. There was no way they would make it to the NBA court.
"I'm grateful we got to link up with Brandblack for getting me a better shoe. ... I played in Kobes my whole life, then switching it up at the last stage, it was different for me. But I don't make excuses. I don't regret anything I did."
As he prepares to start the next chapter of his career in New Orleans, Lonzo will do so as he pushes away somewhat from his father's control. The first sign of it was when Lonzo decided to sign with CAA.
"What makes it easier is I'm controlling everything now," he said. "You really can't tell me what to do. It's my life, my career. I'm making all the decisions now. I chose to go to CAA. I think me becoming my own man is going to make it easier honestly."
The youngest Ball brother, LaMelo, is playing what would have been his freshman year in college in Australia as a part of the NBL's Next Stars program. He has a chance to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, which would be one spot higher than Lonzo was taken in 2017.
Unlike Lonzo, LaMelo will have a chance to go through meetings when he's ready to be sponsored by a shoe brand as he hits the NBA, something the Ball brothers have talked about.
"He gets to go through the real, actual process," Lonzo said. "When I was coming out, we were just working on my shoe, Big Baller Brand, that's just what it was. I didn't take any meetings. It was already kind of set for me.
"But I tell him all the time, this is going to be your decision. Go talk to Adidas. Go talk to Nike. Go talk to Puma. Go talk to everybody. Take every meeting. Whoever wants you the most, go with them. I told him, make sure you take control of your career now. Don't wait like I did. Hopefully that helps him. He seems like he's taking it all in. I'm excited for him."
The two have also talked about LaMelo's career on the court and where he can improve the most.
"Now it's just about making sure he's making the right play every time," Lonzo said. "Right now I have him focusing on his turnovers. I know his first game [in the NBL] he had a couple more than I would like. But staying on the right path, listening to his coaches... He knows he's probably the most talented kid when he steps on the court but it's more than talent. Everyone has talent in the league."
When it comes to his own game, Lonzo is focused on trying to play all 82 games for the first time in his career after playing in just 47 games as a rookie and 52 games last season.
He mentioned getting a chef and even joked that Pelicans guard E'Twaun Moore told him to watch how much he eats because it's easy to gain a "quick 10 to 15" pounds thanks to New Orleans cuisine.
Lonzo also believes that even though the Pelicans are young, they have a chance to compete in the Western Conference.
"I tell everybody take it one game at a time," Lonzo said. "We're in the West. There's no off nights. When you think it's an off night, it's not. You can lose any night. I think we have the pieces to do it and go where we need to go. But my advice to them is take it step by step."
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