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The Business | SPOWeRdnesdTay , SMarch 181, 20 19 Archer condemns racist abuse after being targeted online Financial fears spur Australian sport to play on despite virus LONDON: England fast bowler Jofra Archer has posted an image of racist abuse he received on social media and called on au - thorities to deal with the issue properly. The 24-year-old Barbados- born paceman, who helped England win the 50-overs World Cup last year, posted an image of the message he received on In - stagram and said he could not understand why someone would make such comments. "I (have) given a lot of thought about reacting to this and I hope no one else has to deal with stuff like this on a regular basis, it isn't ever acceptable and should be addressed properly in my opinion," Archer wrote on Instagram. "I will never understand how people feel so freely to say these things to another human being, it baffles me." Earlier this year, New Zealand banned a sup - porter from attending international and domestic matches in the country for two years after he admitted racially abusing Archer during a test in November. Archer has been out of action since January with an elbow injury. —Reuters British horse racing suspended until end of April

LONDON: British horse racing will be suspended until the end of April because of the spread of coron - avirus, the British Horseracing Authority said. “This is a na - SYDNEY: As events are scrapped around tional emergency the the world to counter the threat of coronavirus, like of which most of a handful of Australia's main sports are us have never seen be - doggedly pressing ahead, spurred by fear of fore. We’re a sport financial ruin. that is proud of its connection to rural communities and to PSL 2020 postponed While major competitions elsewhere have the local businesses that support our industry," said au - suspended their seasons in hopes of curbing thority Chief Executive Nick Rust. "But our first duty is to the pandemic, rugby league and football have the health of the public, our customers and to racing in - chosen to continue playing to empty stadiums dustry participants and staff so we have decided to suspend after the government banned public gatherings racing following the government’s latest advice." — due to coronavirus of more than 500 people. Players from the Reuters country's most popular spectator sport, Aus - Alex Hales says he’s in self-isolation, likely to be tested today tralian Rules (AFL), have stated they too want Australia bans public from The Business Report to carry on, with a decision still pending on whether games are played this week as sched - athletes LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League uled. At stake is not only Australian fans' deep has been called off with the knockouts to thirst for watching their favourite teams, but base due to go, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) an - lucrative broadcast commitments, with televi - virus nounced on Tuesday. sion money their lifeblood. "PSL 2020 postponed, to be resched - Making matters worse, the spiralling virus uled. More details to follow in due threat has struck at the start of the season for MELBOURNE: course," the PCB said in a post on Twitter. rugby league and AFL -- both big industries Australian authorities Former fast bowler was in in their own right. The National Rugby have banned the public agreement with the PCB and added that League (NRL) only kicked off last weekend from the national sports the decision should have been given a and the AFL is due to get underway on Thurs - institute in Canberra as week ago as matches, which were being day. According to Sydney's Daily Telegraph, part of efforts to reduce played behind closed doors, had lost their every weekend of rugby league is worth the risk of athletes con - charm. "It is at this time of hour we needed around Aus$1.2 million (US$740,000) to each tracting the coronavirus to do what the world was doing. The PCB of the 16 clubs in TV rights, not to mention in the leadup to the Tokyo Olympics. The curbs at the Aus - should have called off the tournament a ticket sales, corporate hospitality, merchan - tralian Institute of Sports (AIS) campus in Canberra start week ago as without the crowd it was no ments" The knockout matches of PSL were other in the evening fixture. The final of dise, and food and beverage income. from Wednesday, chief executive Peter Conde said. "We fun," Akhtar said. Former cricketer Sikan - scheduled to be played in Lahore today, the tournament was rescheduled to be don’t underestimate the value of the AIS campus to the com - "BIG TROUBLE" In confirming round der Bakht suggested that the unfinished however, the remaining matches including played tomorrow after the PCB moved two would go ahead without fans, Australian munity, particularly Canberra’s community, and we have tournament can be concluded before the Wednesday’s final has been postponed the tournament up to March 18 from every intention of resuming business as usual when we see Rugby League Commission chairman Peter start of the next year. He said that despite now. In the first semi-final March 22. A day earlier, the Pakistan and V'landys warned of dire consequences to the it appropriate," Conde said in a statement on Tuesday. the incomplete tournament, the PSL 2020 were set to face Peshawar Zalmi at 2pm at Bangladesh had decided to postpone the "However, with preparations continuing for the Tokyo viability of a sport seen as part of Australia's "achieved its target of showing the world the Gaddafi Stadium, while upcoming one-day international and Test social fabric. "I can't stress enough that our Olympics and Paralympics later this year, we are doing that Pakistan is safe to stage major tourna - and were set to face each in Karachi for a later date. everything we can to support Australia’s athletes, coaches game has never faced such challenges. The and sports to minimise any disruption to their training. "Our longer it takes, the more pressure on our fi - Australian athletes have been training much of their lives for nancial viability," he said. "Our money will this opportunity to represent their country and we thank the Years of continuous only last so long, and once it's extinguished, community for their understanding in these uncertain times." soccer on the cards on we are in big trouble." Broadcasters do not Australia's major sports have banned fans from stadiums in have to pay if games aren't played, the NRL the wake of a government advisory discouraging gatherings the back of potential said on its website, and V'landys has urged the of 500 or more people on Monday. Organisers have said the government to help the sport as part of its Tokyo Games will go ahead as planned from July 24 but the Euros postponement nearly $18 billion coronavirus economic stim - event has been thrown into doubt by the outbreak of the ulus package. The NRL announced a Aus$30 million surplus in its most recent financial re - coronavirus, which has infected more than 160,000 and ROME: Tuesday is decision day on soc - killed over 7,000 people worldwide. —Reuters cer's European Championship but if the coro - sults, but its reserves won't last long if games navirus epidemic forces it to be postponed are cancelled and salaries still need to be paid. Rugani 'doing well' after until next year, as is widely expected, it will Phil Gould, an influential ex-player, coach, be only the first of many such calls to be made administrator and current television pundit, coron - on the sport's ravaged calendar. questioned why the game's financial model European soccer's governing body UEFA had not left it with a bigger war chest. "We've avirus di - is holding a teleconference call with all 55 got to learn from what we've done in the past agnosis member associations on Tuesday and, amid and ask ourselves why we are so vulnerable as pressure to find time to complete the major a code right at the moment because we have domestic leagues that are all currently sus - to close down for a season," he said. Some MILAN: Juventus pended, shifting the Euros back a year looks players have voiced concerns about games defender Daniele Ru - the most obvious first step. A decision is ex - going ahead, saying the cancellation of global gani, the first Italian pected to be announced late in the European events, including the Australian Grand Prix top-flight footballer di - afternoon. Currently set to be held in 12 ven - after a McLaren team member tested positive, agnosed with coron - ues, with the semi-finals and final in London, should be setting off alarm bells. avirus, said he was it would obviously be a logistical and finan - NRL chief Todd Greenberg said he had lis - "doing well" and hoped cial challenge but one that UEFA would be tened to all opinions, but "it remains our plan his case "served to sensitise everyone" to the illness. "I'm fine, confident of carrying off. Next year, however, to continue to play games in round two this I reassure everyone. I've always been quite well, I haven't had is far from being the "fallow year" many peo - weekend". any serious symptoms. I consider myself lucky," Rugani told ple think. The women's European Champi - DOOMSDAY SCENARIO: The mas - Juventus TV. The 25-year-old Italian international was diag - onship is due to be held in England in the sively popular AFL faces a similar doomsday nosed last Wednesday with the Turin club saying he was summer 2021, while FIFA's revamped Club scenario, with its blockbuster season-opener asymptomatic. Since then a total of 11 Serie A players have World Cup in China is currently pencilled in between Richmond and Carlton at the Mel - being diagnosed with the illness which has killed more than from June 17-July 4 and will feature eight Eu - bourne Cricket Ground set to kick off with no 1,800 people in the Mediterranean country. "There was a ropean club sides. It will be the inaugural one there. Ordinarily, they would expect a huge media explosion right away. A lot of people wrote to staging of the expanded tournament, which bumper crowd. "A crowd of high 80s, 90,000, me and I thank them," said Rugani, who is currently self-iso - FIFA President Gianni Infantino has pledged would probably return a gate of Aus$1.2 to lating in a room at the team's J-Hotel, beside the Italian cham - "will become the best cup competition in the Aus$1.4 million. That's one game. You ex - pions' training centre. "I hope it served to raise awareness, world", but it would appear impossible for it trapolate that and it's a big number," said especially those who had not understood the seriousness of to retain its spot in the calendar if the Euros Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale. The this problem. "I'm going to get over it, we're going to get by are moved. Additional clashes are with the players' union on Tuesday said there was over - and I hope we'll all come out even stronger. "The quarantine European Under-21 Championship, set for whelming support to keep playing, but AFL is tough, even more so because you are alone, so I can't wait June in Slovenia and Hungary, and the UEFA administrators deferred their decision pending to embrace all my loved ones." —AFP DUBAI: A women's rowing team practice in Dubai's Marina rivet. Nations League finals. —AFP updated health advice. —AFP Euro 2020 set for postponement after UEFA cancels hotel bookings Some great records produced in PSL 2020 COPENHAGEN: ISLAMABAD: The HBL Pakistan Multan Sultans were leading the points 100 ), (Lahore Qalan - third and fourth spots on the table, re - The postponement of Super League (PSL) 2020 may have been table with 14 points followed by Karachi dars, 99 not out) and spectively. soccer's Euro2020 postponed, but there had been some great Kings (11 points), Lahore Qalandars (10 (Lahore Qalandars, 98 not out). Multan Sultans Sohail Tanvir (4 for Championship may records produced in the tournament, points) and Peshawar Zalmi (9 points). Mohammad Hasnain of Quetta Gladia - 13) bagged the second place while Mo - already have been de - whether it is of scoring runs, taking However speaking about the PSL tors out shined in the department hammad Hasnain of cided after UEFA last , grabbing catches or most dis - records, when it comes to hitting most bagging 15 wickets. Shaheen Shah Afridi remained fifth with 4 for 25. week cancelled its missals. runs Pakistan Skipper and of Lahore Qalandars was the second Most catches were taken by Moham - hotel bookings in Copenhagen, one of the host cities, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Karachi King’s top batsman Babar Azam promising bowler to take 13 wickets fol - mad Nawaz (8) of Quetta Gladiators fol - Reuters learned from the hotels on Tuesday. The CPH Tuesday postponed and rescheduled the was topped the batters as he scored 345 lowed by of Peshawar Zalmi lowed by Tom Banton (Peshawar Zalmi, Hotel told Reuters over the phone that UEFA had booked PSL semifinals and final, which were to runs in the league so far followed by on third with 11 wickets. Sohail Tanvir 7), (Multan Sultans, 6), 80 of its 102 rooms but cancelled them a little over a week take place in Lahore on Tuesday and (Lahore Qalandars, 284 and of Multan Sultans re - (Multan Sultans, 6) and Liam ago. The Marienlyst Strandhotel, where the Danish team Wednesday, respectively. The semifinals runs), Ben Dunk (Lahore Qalandars, 266 mained fourth and fifth on the table with Livingstone (Peshawar Zalmi, 6). usually bases itself, told Reuters in an email that UEFA were due to be played between Multan runs), Luke Ronchi (Islamabad United, 10 wickets, respectively. Luke Ronchi of Islamabad United had had cancelled the rooms booked on behalf of the Danish Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi 266 runs) and (Islamabad The best bowling figures in PSL were the most dismissals 7, as a wicketkeeper. side. UEFA is meeting with its member federations on Kings v Lahore Qalandars. United, 263 runs). led by of Lahore Qalandars He was followed by Chadwick Walton Tuesday, where a postponement of Euro2020 to 2021 is Earlier, PCB had rescheduled the PSL Lahore Qalandars Chris Lynn top who bagged four wickets for 5 runs (Karachi Kings, 7), Sarfaraz Ahmed expected to be announced following the widespread sus - matches by replacing the playoffs with scored with 113 not out in PSL followed while his team mates Shaheen Shah (Quetta Gladiators, 7), Zeeshan Ashraf pension of Europe's domestic leagues due to the coron - semi-finals on March 17 and final on by (Peshawar Zalmi, 101 Afridi (4 for 18) and Dilbar Hussain (4 (Multan Sultans, 6) and Dane Villas (La - March 18. runs), (Multan Sultans, for 24) also backed him and attained hore Qalandars, 5). —APP