Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - The Tall Blacks will play the Boomers in Australia in an Asia Cup qualifying game on 20 February.

The location is yet to be confirmed, but the basketball game is expected to be played in Cairns.

The game was organised after the Asia Cup qualifying event due to be held in the Phillipines was cancelled because of a Covid-19 enforced travel ban in the country.

Dates for the Tall Blacks other remaining qualifying matches against Guam and Hong Kong are still unclear.

For the game in Australia, head coach Pero Cameron will not call on the top Kiwis currently playing in the Australian National Basketball League, but NBL1 and ANBL development players based in Australia.

Former New Zealand cricketer Bruce Taylor dies

Bruce Taylor, the New Zealand cricket all-rounder who remains the only player in the world to have scored a century and taken a five-wicket bag on Test debut, has died in Wellington, aged 77.

New Zealand Test cap No.108, Taylor achieved the feat in the second Test against India at Kolkata in 1965, having been drafted into the playing 11 at the last moment.

Having begun the second day unbeaten on 13, and with his batting partner - Bert Sutcliffe, on 74, Taylor adopted a strategy of all-out attack against the host's bowling and, by the time Sutcliffe had reached 98, was on 88 himself and closing in on his milestone century.

When he was eventually dismissed for 105, the pair had racked up a record seventh-wicket stand of 163 in 158 minutes.

Taylor then celebrated with the new ball, taking five for 86 as India replied with 380, in what was eventually a drawn result. To demonstrate this was no flash in the pan - he followed that up with five for 26 in the next Test as India were bowled out for 88.

A tall, lean man with long levers, Taylor bowled brisk fast-medium with a high action and was an aggressive batsman, not averse to depositing the ball wide of off-stump high and handsome over the legside.

Taylor played for Canterbury from 1964-65 to 1969-70, and for Wellington from 1970-71 to 1979-80. His highest first-class score was 173 for Wellington against Otago in the summer of 1972-73.

Once his playing days had finished, Taylor filled selection roles for Otago, Wellington and New Zealand, and had a hand in selecting the New Zealand squad for the 1992 ICC World Cup.

Root continues strong run

England's Joe Root celebrated his 100th test with an unbeaten 128 against India as he puts the tourists in a commanding position in the opening test match.

The England captain had demanded a big first-innings total from his team after electing to bat at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium.

When they threatened to squander their strong start, Root partnered Sibley in a marathon 200-run stand to help England post a strong 263-3 at stumps.

Sibley made 87 before Jasprit Bumrah trapped him lbw with the final delivery of the day.

The series decides who New Zealand will play in the World Test Championship final.

Meanwhile, Anrich Nortje took five wickets as Pakistan were dismissed for 272 but South Africa's struggles with the bat in the sub-continent continued as they limped to 106 for four at the close on the second day of the second test in Rawalpindi.

- Reuters

Serena pulls out of semi

Serena Williams withdrew from the Yarra Valley Classic semifinals with injury, just days before the American begins her quest for a 24th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

Williams had advanced to a mouth-watering final four clash against world number one Ash Barty after getting past Danielle Collins 6-2 4-6 (10-6) and while she showed no sign of discomfort the WTA Tour later said the 39-year-old was pulling out with a right shoulder injury.

Barty had also needed a super tiebreaker to beat Shelby Rogers 7-5 2-6 (10-4) in her quarterfinal.

Williams, who had to pull out ahead of her second round match at Roland Garros last year due to injury, attended a media conference and spoke to reporters about her next match with Barty and there was no mention of any physical problem.

But her decision could be more out of caution with the year's first Grand Slam about to start from Monday.

Play on Friday was held under a closed roof at Margaret Court Arena on a rainy morning at Melbourne Park as the Australian Open warmups resumed following a Covid-19 scare.

- Reuters

Final four set in ATP Cup

Alexander Zverev shrugged off a tight loss to Novak Djokovic to end Serbia's ATP Cup title defence with victory in the doubles as Germany advanced to the semifinals of the team-based event in Melbourne.

Germany will meet Russia in the last four, with Spain to take on Italy.

Zverev, beaten 6-7(3) 6-2 7-5 in a high-quality match by world number one Djokovic earlier, stepped up to partner Jan-Lennard Struff to a rousing 7-6(4) 5-7 (10-7) victory over Djokovic and Nikola Cacic on Rod Laver Arena.

With Rafa Nadal still sidelined with a back problem, Pablo Carrena Busta guided a depleted Spain into the last four by claiming a 6-3 6-4 win against Greece's Michail Pervolarakis at John Cain Arena.

Though eliminated, Greece ended up winning the tie 2-1, with Stefanos Tsitsipas easing past Roberto Bautista Agut 7-5 7-5. Spain retired after losing the opening game of the doubles, handing Greece the win.

In a dead rubber between Austria and France in the evening, world number three Dominic Thiem's hopes of getting some match practice were cut short when his French opponent, Benoit Paire, retired while trailing 6-1.

- Reuters

Resistance over Champions League extension

Plans to reform the Champions League, expanding the competition from 32 to 36 teams and replacing the traditional group stage, face resistance over the allocation of the extra four places.

Europe's biggest clubs have been pushing for those places to favour the traditional powerhouses while smaller leagues and national federations want to see the spots open to them.

The new format, scheduled to begin in 2024, would see those places not available for teams in the qualifying rounds but distributed according to a yet to be agreed new method.

The European Leagues body, which brings together the continent's domestic competitions, is holding an extraordinary general meeting on Friday to discuss the plans after concerns that too much is being given to the big clubs and leagues.

Under the version of the plans discussed by UEFA, one extra place would go to the French league, while the others would be distributed according to UEFA's club 'co-efficient' rankings.

Sources say this aspect is causing concern among non-elite representatives as it would open the door to the Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga and Serie A having more than four clubs.

- Reuters

Thousands seek action against Tokyo chief

A petition calling for action against Yoshiro Mori, head of the Tokyo Olympics organising committee who caused an uproar with sexist comments, has gathered tens of thousands of signatures a day after its launch by Japanese activists.

Mori, 83, set off a storm on social media at home and abroad by saying women talked too much, in remarks made in a meeting with the Japan Olympic Committee (JOC).

He later retracted the comments and apologised but refused to resign.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday that Mori's apology had settled the issue, but Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said the games were facing a "major issue".

Student activist Momoko Nojo, who leads a group called 'No Youth, No Japan', said she and other activists started the petition on Change.org to convey the public's anger to Mori.

The petition calls on the JOC to take action against Mori, although it stops short of calling for his removal.

- Reuters

All-Star Game proposal 'slap in the face'

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James said the NBA's bid to stage an All-Star Game amid the Covid-19 pandemic was like a "slap in the face".

US media reported that the league and its players union had agreed to hold the annual exhibition event in Atlanta on 7 March, with an official announcement expected this week.

"I have zero energy and zero excitement about an All-Star Game this year," James told reporters. "I don't even understand why we're having an All-Star Game, but it's the agreement.

"Then they throw an All-Star Game on us like this, it's pretty much kind of a slap in the face. We're still dealing with a pandemic, with everything that's been going on, and we're going to bring the whole league into a city that's still open."

James, a 16-time All-Star, was among the leading vote-getters in the first round of fan voting and said he would be there in body .

"I'll be there physically if I'm selected. I'll be there physically, but not mentally," the four-times NBA champion said.

- Reuters