Cricket World Cup retains its primacy and England is the best place for it | Matthew Engel

Despite the ICC’s attempts to muddy the waters every team will have a decent following for the 12th iteration starting next week

Jack Bannister, who died in 2016, was an influential figure in cricket: fine seam bowler for Warwickshire, pioneer of the players’ union, journalist, broadcaster, behind-the-scenes fixer. Shrewd? He could have had a Regius professorship in shrewdness. He also owned a chain of betting shops.

In 1983, halfway through the third World Cup final, Bannister had a brainstorm. An acquaintance shouted at him through the open windows of the old Lord’s press box: “What price India?” “100 to 1.” With Jack, such questions were never theoretical. He took the bet, and he paid.

Major unions must work together to ensure Test rugby has a future

World Rugby meets on Wednesday with the game at a crossroads as the Rugby Football Union considers a 13-team Premiership

The moment of truth is approaching – not so much on the field in various looming finals but off it. For better or worse the next two or three weeks could shape rugby union for the next decade and beyond, not just domestically but across the world. Not since the sport turned professional have so many executives leaned back in their office chairs, gazed up at the ceiling and silently prayed for deliverance.

And the really interesting part? No one is entirely certain yet how things will pan out. World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, will gather for its council meeting in Dublin on Wednesday, for example, still unsure whether its proposed Nations Championship is a runner. Those who want it to happen are encouraged that all the key stakeholders have at least agreed to re-examine the small print of a potential deal they have been advised could generate a collective £5bn over the next 12 years. No firm announcement is expected this week but some kind of resolution is anticipated early next month.

Niki Lauda obituary

Star racing driver who survived a near-fatal crash to win the Formula One world championship three times

Niki Lauda was attempting to win his second Formula One world title when he was almost killed in one of the most famous accidents in the history of motor sport. As his Ferrari caught fire after hitting a bank at high speed during the 1976 German Grand Prix, Lauda lay unconscious in the cockpit. Other drivers stopped and tried to help. One, Arturo Merzario, plunged into the flames to unbuckle the Austrian’s safety harness. Eventually he was extricated and taken to hospital, where he was treated for burns so severe that he was given the last rites.

England's 2019 Cricket World Cup squad – in pictures

From Eoin Morgan to Mark Wood: profiles of the 15 England players selected for the 2019 Cricket World Cup

Manchester City and PSG should be thrown out of Europe, says La Liga president

• Javier Tebas says the two clubs are ‘playthings of a state’
• City deny breaking Financial Fair Play rules

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are “playthings of a state” who should be kicked out of European competition for violating Financial Fair Play rules, the La Liga president has said.

Javier Tebas, who has run Spanish football’s top league for the past six years, also warned English clubs they would be making a huge mistake if they backed a proposed new European Super League as it would “ruin” domestic football.

County Championship: Lancashire v Worcestershire, Hampshire v Notts - live!

Arsenal’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan to miss Europa League final over safety fears

• Armenian will not travel to Baku for match against Chelsea
• Decision taken by club after talks with player’s family

Henrikh Mkhitaryan will not be involved in the Europa League final after Arsenal confirmed he would not travel with the squad.

The Armenia international’s safety was a concern due to the dispute between his country and host nation Azerbaijan.

Aidan O’Brien team favouring Epsom bid with Derby favourite Sir Dragonet

• Ballydoyle operation leaning towards Epsom over French Derby
• Too Darn Hot may make surprise switch to Irish Guineas

Epsom racecourse was bathed in sunshine for the annual Breakfast With The Stars event here on Tuesday to preview the Derby meeting next week, but the fog at the top of the ante-post betting for the Classic on 1 June scarcely lifted as both Aidan O’Brien and Hughie Morrison declined to firmly commit leading contendersSir Dragonet and Telecaster to the race.

Sir Dragonet, perhaps, seems more likely to put his unbeaten record on the line in the Classic after O’Brien told the audience that he expects to run “a good crew” of colts from his Ballydoyle stable on Saturday week. The trainer named Sir Dragonet on a long list of possible Derby runners, including Mohawk, Anthony Van Dyck, Broome, Circus Maximus, Cape Of Good Hope, Japan and Norway, in the Classic, with only Mohawk mentioned as possibly switching to the French equivalent at Chantilly.

Kevin Durant is the NBA's best player, but the Warriors are way more fun without him

Golden State have reached their fifth NBA finals in a row but KD has missed time through injury. His absence has brought joy back to the team

Talking Horses: How much does Aidan O'Brien crave French Derby victory?

The Ballydoyle trainer has four of the top six in the betting for the Epsom Derby but has even spoken of running likely favourite Sir Dragonet at Chantilly

This year, more than any other year, it has become important to anticipate Aidan O’Brien’s running plans for the Derby. The master of Ballydoyle has four of the top six in the betting plus other potential runners, only he’s considering sending a couple of them to the French Derby instead. He has even spoken of the possibility of Sir Dragonet, who would start favourite for Epsom if he ran there, turning up at Chantilly. A significant edge awaits any punter who can work out the plans in advance although he has been speaking this morning at the ‘Breakfast With The Stars’ press conference.

So, in an effort to climb inside Aidan’s head and work out his motivation, I had a look through his record in the French Derby. My tentative thesis was that the horses he’s run there over the years have not proved to be of any great consequence in the long run, reflecting the reality that it’s not a priority for him, and therefore he’d be unlikely to send such a promising young animal as Sir Dragonet.

David Squires on … Manchester City's dominance and football whataboutery

Our cartoonist on the FA Cup final fallout, Pep Guardiola’s treble and press box invaders

The fast show: Niki Lauda’s five greatest F1 races | Giles Richards

From the astonishing performance at Monza 42 days after serious injury, to his thrilling battle with Alain Prost in his final F1 victory

Finished: first

Bangladesh World Cup guide: gameplan, key player and prediction

Bangladesh are still recovering from events in Christchurch but upset the West Indies three times in the past month to win their first one-day series final

Big bats, high pace and leg-spin: that is how teams like England, India, Australia and South Africa will operate in this World Cup. Bangladesh will bring a different flavour to the tournament, with their ability to hold teams down to scores less than 300 with a skilled bowling attack, and a batting line-up that relies mostly on their ability to finding gaps along the carpet.

Baseball's 106mph barrier: have pitchers reached the limits of their velocity?

The 100mph fastball used to be a rarity: now it’s an everyday occurrence in Major League Baseball. But the human body may not be built for such speeds

Epsom Derby: Prendergast optimistic that Madhmoon can cure family itch

• Father Paddy just missed out at Epsom in 1960
• Madhmoon was fourth in 2,000 Guineas

If Madhmoon wins the Derby a week on Saturday, it will be a victory more than half a century in the making. The sturdy colt is trained in Ireland by Kevin Prendergast, whose father, Paddy, prepared winners of all the other English Classics but never quite managed to land the blue riband itself.

Jofra Archer named in England’s Cricket World Cup squad as Willey misses out

• Pace bowler has made rapid rise since qualifying for selection
• Dawson makes squad as back-up spinner in preference to Denly

Jofra Archer’s rapid rise was cemented on Tuesday morning when England’s selectors named the Barbados-born fast bowler in the 15-man squad for the Cricket World Cup.

Archer’s impressive displays in his three ODI matches against Ireland and Pakistan have earned his call-up while David Willey is the unlucky player to miss out having been named in the provisional squad despite the experience garnered in collecting 46 caps in four years.

Andy Murray hints at doubles spot at Wimbledon before possible singles return

• Scot confident he can return to competitive tennis
• ‘I don’t have pain, I just need to see how good the hip can get’

Tom Daley's husband says British Swimming lied in row over son's buggy

Organisers were ‘cruel’ and ‘thoughtless’ at Diving World Series, says Dustin Lance Black

The husband of Tom Daley accused British Swimming of telling lies as a row relating to the couple’s baby son’s access to poolside events escalated on social media.

'I did think I had time': England netball captain Agbeze upset by World Cup axe

• Gold-medal winning captain left out of Tracey Neville’s squad
• ‘I feel like my netball career has been a rollercoaster’

England’s netball captain, Ama Agbeze, has spoken of her frustration and disappointment after being left out of Tracey Neville’s 12-strong squad for the upcoming World Cup.

Agbeze, 36, who led her country to an historic gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in Australia only 13 months ago is now facing the end of her international career although she has been included in a group of players on standby for the squad.

More than a machine: Niki Lauda was an F1 rebel in his own way

Lauda was not an emotionless automaton but a driven competitor who cared little for others’ opinions

Bethpage’s baying, boorish galleries should have no place in golf

The heckling of Brooks Koepka by the crowd at the US PGA was unacceptable but is likely to be even worse for Europe’s players when the Ryder Cup comes to the course in 2024

“The fans here have been tremendous.” Suzy Whaley did not intend to raise eyebrows with a speech, typically filled with platitudes, at the conclusion of the US PGA Championship. Instead, given events of Sunday afternoon, the PGA of America president’s lauding of New York galleries was horribly misplaced. It was laughable, in fact.

Niki Lauda: the three-time Formula One world champion's life – in pictures

A look back at the life of the three-times Formula One world champion, who survived horrific burns following a crash in Germany in 1976 and is considered one of the finest F1 drivers ever

Moeen Ali: ‘What has happened to us? There’s so much hate in the world’ | Ali Martin

All-rounder is wary of social media but proud of his Birmingham roots, ahead of a World Cup and Ashes summer where he will write regularly for the Guardian

It’s a woefully wet Wednesday in south Birmingham but, in the shelter of Edgbaston’s cavernous indoor school, Moeen Ali is working on his spin bowling with his older brother Kadeer.

Caitlin Bassett finds form at right time with Netball World Cup looming large

The star shooter’s timing could not be better with the Diamonds’ squad for Liverpool to be announced next week

Did you hear that sound over the weekend? A deep, cleansing sigh of relief? It was Lisa Alexander. The Diamonds coach – who will meet with fellow selectors Anne Sargeant and Michelle Wilkins this week to pick Australia’s World Cup team – would have been delighted to see her captain, Caitlin Bassett, finally hit her straps as she helped the Giants beat the Queensland Firebirds on Sunday.

With her 193cm star shooter returning to form, the national coach has, it appears, one less thing to worry about as she heads into the single most difficult selection of her career, described by Sargeant as a “beautiful headache”. Early next week, the selectors will reveal their 12-player squad, plus four training partners.

Giroud signs new contract at Chelsea before possible transfer ban for club

• Striker gives Chelsea boost by signing a new one-year contract
• Club faces a transfer ban for the next two windows

Olivier Giroud has given Chelsea a boost by signing a new one-year contract for next season ahead of next week’s Europa League final. Giroud was due to be out of contract this summer, 18 months after his arrival from Arsenal, and had been linked with a return to France as he struggled for regular playing time at Stamford Bridge.

But with the club facing a transfer ban for the next two windows, subject to an appeal before the court of arbitration for sport, they were keen to keep a reliable performer in an area of the pitch where they lack depth.

Women’s World Cup ticket fiasco shows Fifa’s capacity for chaos

Organiser’s reaction when it emerged some tickets booked together are not next to one another left a lot to be desired

Vincent Kompany walks into a mess at Anderlecht – can he save them?

With no European football for the first time in 56 years and unrest off the pitch, the Belgian club’s appointment of their former defender as player-manager is a remarkable stunt

England’s Nikita Parris joins Lyon after leaving Manchester City

• Forward signs for the European champions
• Parris is part of England’s World Cup squad

The England forward Nikita Parris has joined the European champions Lyon after leaving Manchester City.

Parris, the all-time leading scorer in Women’s Super League, spent more than four years at City before confirming this month that she would leave at the end of her contract.

Bale digs in as face-off with Zidane over Real Madrid future intensifies | Sid Lowe

Relationship between the two men is broken but, with three years left on his contract and no other club likely to match his wages, the Welshman is in no mood to go quietly

Fifteen Canada Women players sign up for Common Goal project

• Players have more than 1,200 senior caps between them
• This is what our Canadian legacy is all about, says McLeod

Fifteen players and one member of the coaching staff from the Canada women’s national team have joined Juan Mata’s Common Goal campaign, where footballers pledge 1% of their salaries to charity.

Dominance and difficult questions for Manchester City – Football Weekly

Graham Potter’s appointment is not a gamble, says Brighton’s owner

• Tony Bloom: ‘Graham became the outstanding candidate’
• Potter: job is culmination of ‘14 years’ hard work and sacrifice’

The Brighton & Hove Albion owner, Tony Bloom, has insisted Graham Potter’s appointment as manager does not constitute a risk as the club seeks to establish itself more securely in the Premier League after this season’s relegation scare.

Women’s World Cup: tickets bought together may not be next to each other

• Fifa hope fans ‘will be able to enjoy matches as they envisaged’
• Buyers call for rethink in response to Twitter announcement

Fifa has told fans that ticketing arrangements for the forthcoming Women’s World Cup cannot be changed. The governing body said after receiving complaints it had made clear at the time of purchase that “not all seats would be located next to each other”.

Niki Lauda: looking back at the life of a Formula One legend – video obituary

'The best club': Kompany bids farewell to Man City after open-top bus parade – video

Manchester City celebrated their historic domestic treble with an open top bus tour through the heart of their home city. Celebrations culminated with an emotional speech from outgoing captain Vincent Kompany, who hailed City as 'the best club in the world' before leaving to become player-manager at Belgian team Anderlecht

'I'm a different species': Deontay Wilder celebrates first-round KO of Breazeale – video

'We should all appreciate Vincent Kompany's legacy for English football' – video report

Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany is leaving the club after 11 years to become player-manager at Anderlecht, where he played between the ages of six and 20.

Blood, sweat and fears: special report on abuse towards grassroots football referees – video

The FA has rebooted its Respect Campaign this season to protect grassroots referees in England but many continue to suffer both mental and physical abuse. There are some horrifying stories but hope remains: as of 2019-20 season a new sin-bin system will be rolled out across all grassroots leagues for anybody caught abusing a referee, with other initiatives also in the pipeline. 

Michael Butler meets four referees, as well as the FA, to find out just how bad the abuse has got, what is being done about it and if that is enough for the men and women in the middle. 

Vladimir Putin tops the scoring in ice hockey match ... then falls over – video

The Russian president burnished his action man status by scoring at least eight goals in an exhibition ice hockey game in Sochi. The 66-year-old leader was helped by some rather static defending as he helped his side to a 14-7 victory. The occasion was spoiled for Putin as he tripped on a red carpet and fell over during his victory lap around the rink

The Fiver | Barely audible above the loud honking sounds of Real Madrid’s Mbappé Klaxon

Football transfer rumours: Harry Maguire to Manchester City?

Today’s tell-all is twisting my melon, man

Malinga's IPL joy, safety car danger and Liverpool's kids are alright | Classic YouTube

This week’s roundup also features FA Cup finals, falling phones and a celebrating referee

The Spin | World Cup year means county cricket gives outgrounds chance to shine

Newport on the Isle of Wight will host first-class cricket for the first time while Lancashire are set to play at ‘home’ in Sedbergh

Glamorgan took the field against Gloucestershire on Tuesday morning on a well-tended ground in the suburbs of Newport with the rather unfortunate name of Spytty Park. They thus added a small footnote to their 98-year Championship history, making Spytty their 14th first-class ground.

In recent years such events have been rarities in county cricket. For decades the counties (and, with more regret, their followers) have been saying goodbye to the outgrounds and festival venues that once added hugely to the charm and variety of the cricket circuit.

Has the goal of the season ever been scored on the opening day? | The Knowledge

David Squires on … Manchester City's title win and how close Liverpool came

Our cartoonist on the Premier League’s final day, channel-hopping and Tranmere’s top boy

The Fiver | We will never have another referee like Mike Dean

Sports quiz: exceptional losers

Liverpool lost just one match in the Premier League this season but still finished second. They are not alone in their bad luck

Liverpool just lost one game in the Premier League this season but finished second. Which Italian club went a full season unbeaten but did not win the Serie A title?

Torino

Perugia

Juventus

Milan

Liverpool finished with 97 points in the Premier League – just one behind Manchester City. What was the record for a second-placed team before this season?

79

84

89

93

French cyclist Raymond Poulidor had three second-place finishes and five third-place finishes in the Tour de France, yet he never won the race and he never even wore the yellow jersey. What nickname was Poulidor given by cycling fans?

The Podium Poser

The Water Carrier

The Eternal Second

The Perfect Number Two

West Germany pulled off one of the great upsets in football history when they beat Hungary in the World Cup final in 1954. Hungary had gone unbeaten for 31 games across five years – including a victory over West Germany earlier in the competition. What was the score in that group match?

Hungary 2-0 West Germany

Hungary 4-1 West Germany

Hungary 7-1 West Germany

Hungary 8-3 West Germany

Jimmy White reached six World Snooker Championship finals but lost them all. Which of these players did not beat him in a final?

Steve Davis

John Parrott

Stephen Hendry

Alex Higgins

Jack Nicklaus won 18 majors in his golf career. How many times did he finish as the runner-up?

Never

Once

19

35

Which footballer has runners-up medals for the World Cup, the European Championship and the Champions League?

Dejan Lovren

Thierry Henry

Franck Ribéry

Michael Ballack

Franziska van Almsick won 10 Olympic medals but no golds. In which sport did she compete?

High jump

Swimming

Steeplechase

Shot put

Neither Rafa Nadal nor Roger Federer deserved to lose the men’s final at Wimbledon in 2008. At what time did Nadal win that epic contest?

7.59pm

8.25pm

9.15pm

11.40pm

In 2007, the New England Patriots won all 16 of their regular season games in the NFL, breaking the record for victories in a single regular season. Which team beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl?

Pittsburg Steelers

Denver Broncos

New York Giants

New York Jets

1 and above.

That is not an exceptional score

2 and above.

That is not an exceptional score

3 and above.

That is not an exceptional score

4 and above.

That is not an exceptional score

5 and above.

That's not an exceptional score. That's bang-average

6 and above.

That's not an exceptional score. That's bang-average

7 and above.

You are an exceptional loser

8 and above.

You are an exceptional loser

9 and above.

You are an exceptional loser

0 and above.

That is not an exceptional score

10 and above.

You're no loser

Premiership team of the season: Danny Cipriani shows his class | Robert Kitson

South African and Australian talent is to the fore alongside the best of British in Tom Curry, Joe Marler and Henry Slade

The fast-footed Argentinian will be missed when he swaps Devon for Bordeaux this summer: no other player in the league has beaten more defenders or skipped his way out of more potential trouble. Honourable mentions for the classy (and impressive full-kit celebrant) Alex Goode, perhaps the best No 10 England never had, and Newcastle’s Simon Hammersley.

At home with Vincent Kompany: 'Setbacks, racism – everything fed my fire'

The Manchester City captain talks frankly about the wrong path he nearly took as a teenager, ‘lunatic’ politicians and life after football

It is 10am on an early spring day when I pull up at the electric gates of Vincent Kompany’s home. In the drizzle, the Manchester sprawl has given way to the leafy streets of Cheshire, where long driveways announce the grand houses of the affluent. Kompany answers the door in a black T-shirt and jeans, having just finished a workout. It’s March, and Manchester City’s battle-hardened captain and central defender is only now returning to fitness after a six-week layoff for a calf injury. “I wasn’t feeling great today, so an extra session in the gym is the way to get through it,” he says, a towel draped around his neck, his gentle Belgian accent blending with Manc vowels.

At 6ft 4in, Kompany’s stature is reassuring rather than intimidating. He makes green juice in a whizzy little machine that the players are testing. “Sometimes I have a berry one as a treat,” he says, tidying up. We take them into his home office, where we talk for the next two hours. A whiteboard marked out with a football pitch stands against one wall. On the top row of his bookshelves, trophies line up like toy soldiers; below them are biographies of Mandela, Gandhi, Obama; histories of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country that Kompany’s father, Pierre, left as a political refugee in 1975; biographies of Sir Alex Ferguson and Kompany’s teammate Sergio Agüero.

Charles Leclerc: 'I lost my father quite early. It changes you forever’

The Ferrari driver talks about the sometimes traumatic personal history behind his development into one of the fastest-rising young stars in Formula One

Charles Leclerc’s tousled hair and boyish looks are disarming, his youth and softly spoken manner belying a motivated and talented driver who is surely a future Formula One world champion in waiting. Only 21 years old and in his second season in F1, Leclerc occupies the most sought‑after seat in motor racing.

Driving for Ferrari carries intense pressure and expectation. Yet Leclerc wears it like a veteran. For Ferrari and for F1, Leclerc is the future. It was tragedy, however, that brought perspective and maturity to this naturally attacking driver.

How female cricket coaches are blocked by the league of gentlemen | Raf Nicholson

Change is afoot but statistics make bleak reading as women struggle to break down barriers to coach top-level cricket

“I get given uniform that is down to my knees – they say it’s unisex but it doesn’t fit me. I’m humiliated trying to work in this environment that’s already intimidating.” This is the recent experience of one female coach working in men’s cricket in England.