Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - New Zealand driver Scott McLaughlin won't return down under to compete in Australia's great race.

After his rookie season in Indycars in the United States, McLaughlin has decided not to attend the Bathurst 1000 because of Covid-19 quarantine regulations.

Ford has confirmed it's drivers for Bathurst with Anton De Pasquale and Tony D'Alberto teaming up in one car and brothers Will and Alex Davison in the other.

DJR boss Ryan Story says timing didn't work for McLaughlin this year, but they hope he can make it in 2022.

McLaughlin won at Mount Panorama in 2019.

Fellow New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen will defend his title with Garth Tander.

Deadline looming for Auckland NPC teams

Clarity around the draw for the remainder of rugby's National Provincial Competition won't come until the national body knows the fate of the three Auckland-based sides.

New Zealand Rugby are still waiting on government approval for players and staff from Auckland, North Harbour and Counties Manukau to move outside the region.

the three teams have played just two games each this season because of Covid restrictions and two previous applications to relocate the teams have twice been turned down by the government.

NZR head of community rugby Steve Lancaster says they have a deadline for the final to be played, with or without the Auckland-based teams.

"Once we understand the position on the Auckland teams ability to rejoin the competition then we'll be in a position to confirm the finals format and the final date, but it won't be any later than the 17th of November," Lancaster said.

"We're at a critical point now and really need to know by the end of this week."

Pau Gasol retires

Spanish basketball great Pau Gasol is retiring from the sport after a 23-year career.

"I'm here to tell you that I'm going to retire from professional basketball. It's a difficult decision after so many years but it's a decision I've taken carefully," 41 year old Gasol said.

Gasol, who stands 2.16 metres (7 feet 1 inch), made his professional debut in 1998 with Barca as a centre before being signed by NBA side Memphis Grizzlies in 2001.

He won NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010 while being chosen in the All-Star team on six occasions.

Gasol later played for Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs and had a brief stint with Milwaukee Bucks plus four months at Portland Trail Blazers, where injury prevented him playing.

He returned to Barcelona earlier this year, helping his boyhood club end a seven-year wait to win the Spanish championship in June.

Gasol was a talisman for Spain, helping them win the Olympic silver medal at the 2008 and 2012 Games plus bronze in 2016.

-Reuters

Future of Afghani footballers remains uncertain

The Afghanistan women's football team are uncertain about their future after evacuating to Australia following the Taliban takeover in August, captain Shabnam Mobarez said.

Australian evacuated more than 50 Afghan women football players, athletes and their dependents after the Taliban seized control of the capital, Kabul, on Aug. 15.

Mobarez, who lives in the United States, said the evacuated Afghan players were receiving good care in Australia, but were still confused about their future.

"It is very unsure, the situation they are in right now," Mobarez told Sky Sports. "It was a traumatising experience getting out. Now they are trying to get used to this whole normal new life.

"I am sure they are very confused and in shock because they left family and friends behind."

During their previous period of rule from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban severely curtailed women's rights, including banning them from education and work.

Last month, a senior Taliban official told Australia's SBS News women would not be allowed to play cricket, a popular sport in Afghanistan - or possibly any other - as it was "not necessary" and their bodies might be exposed.

-Reuters

Barty unlikely to play again this year

A return to court for Ash Barty this season looks less likely after the world number one was omitted from Australia's team for next month's Billie Jean King Cup finals in Prague.

The Wimbledon champion, who returned to Australia after a third-round exit at the U.S. Open in September, led her country to the final of the last completed edition of the Fed Cup in 2019.

The women's team tournament was cancelled because of the global health crisis last year and subsequently renamed in honour of American trailblazer King.

Former U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur, another Fed Cup stalwart, will also miss the Nov. 1-6 finals with world number 47 Ajla Tomljanovic joined by Astra Sharma and Storm Sanders as well as debutants Ellen Perez and Olivia Gadecki in the team.

Australia won the Fed Cup seven times, with the last title coming in 1971.

Barty missed most of the 2020 season as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold around the world, opting to stay in Australia where the new coronavirus was initially successfully suppressed.

The 25-year-old returned to the tour this year and won five titles, including a maiden Wimbledon title at the All England Club in July.

-Reuters

Sheffield Shield competition remains limited

Victoria and New South Wales have given up on playing other state rivals in Australia's Sheffield Shield before Christmas after being barred from travelling due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Victoria and NSW will instead try to schedule three matches between each other in the country's first class cricket competition, while rivals Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania play off elsewhere, a Cricket Australia website said.

COVID-19 outbreaks in Victoria and NSW have cut off the southwestern states from other parts of Australia, where authorities have shut borders and installed travel curbs to reduce the risk of transmission.

Authorities in NSW and Victoria will start to loosen COVID-19 restrictions in coming weeks as vaccination targets are reached, which may open the border between the two states.

Test players from those two states who are not going to the T20 World Cup include spin bowler Nathan Lyon, batsman Will Pucovski and paceman James Pattinson.

Playing Shield cricket may be their only chance to impress selectors ahead of the Ashes in the home summer.

-Reuters