🗞 'Shocked and Disappointed'

January 12, 2021

G'day sports fans,

Classic Quote: “You can sum up this sport [boxing] in two words: ‘You never know.’” - Lou Duva.

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏏 Sorry, not sorry

👴🏼 World's oldest pro

🏎 Australian F1 postponed

🏏 Cricket

Steve Smith 'shocked and disappointed' at claims he erased guard in third Australia-India Test

Smith says he is "shocked and disappointed" at suggestions that he deliberately scuffed up the crease during the final day of the third Test against India.

The former captain was seen on the stump camera scraping the crease with his boot during a drinks break.

Smith denied accusations he was deliberately removing the marks used to guide India's batsmen at the crease.

"It's something I do to visualise where we are bowling," Smith told News Corp.

"It's something I do to visualise how the batter is playing our bowlers and then out of habit I always mark centre.

"It's such a shame that this and other events have taken away from what was a great batting performance by India yesterday."

Australia captain Tim Paine had earlier defended Smith, who was heavily criticised on social media, saying he was "certainly not changing a guard".

"I imagine if he was, the India players would have kicked up a bit of a stink at the time," Paine said.

"As we know, he has those many Steve Smith quirks - one of those is he is always marking centre."

Sport Journal at the SCG

Some Sport Journal readers got themselves a box and got to know each other at the SCG!

Expect to see more of this in 2021 (Covid allowing). We want to get as many of our readers together at sporting events all over the country. We'll send invites via the newsletter, so keep your eyes peeled.

🍻 Expect to see Sport Journal Banners and Beer Snakes at a ground near you soon!

'I'm human' - Paine sorry for sledging Ashwin

Tim Paine has apologised for his conduct at the SCG, admitting he let pressure get to him during the third Test and it affected his mood, captaincy and performance. With him putting down 3 on the final day.

"I'm someone who prides himself on the way he leads this team and yesterday was a poor reflection of that," said Paine, who was also fined 15% of his match fee for dissent to an umpire on day three.

Australia to make late fitness call on Pucovski's shoulder

Young opener facing an anxious wait after suffering a "shoulder subluxation" or partial dislocation of his right shoulder while fielding on the fifth day of the SCG Test (Cricket)

"He will continue rest and rehabilitation over the next two days before a decision is made on his fitness for the fourth Vodafone Test match," - a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.

⚽️ Football

Socceroos coach Frank Arok dies, aged 89

Tributes are piling in for Frank Arok after the former Socceroos coach died on Tuesday night at the age of 88.

Arok led the Socceroos in 89 internationals and a highlight of his career was overseeing the national team at the 1988 Olympics Games in Seoul.

His death, which came just eight days shy of his 89th birthday, was announced on the Socceroos' official Twitter account. (nine)

🏟 The early word on ticket sales suggests between 15,000 to 20,000 will attend the derby double-header between Western Sydney and Sydney FC in the A-League and W-League. (SMH)

🙋🏻‍♂️ Stoke City are keen to extend Harry Souttar’s contract. The club have started discussions to take his deal beyond 2022. Souttar has emerged as a key figure for Michael O'Neill since returning from 18 months on loan at Fleetwood Town.

✍🏼 Jonathan Aspropotamitis has signed a one-year contract extension with Perth Glory. (@PerthGloryFC)

53-year-old football marvel, former A-League star signs up for 36TH season

Veteran striker Kazuyoshi Miura, who turns 54 next month, has renewed his contract with Yokohama FC — extending his record as Japan’s oldest professional footballer.

🎾 Tennis

Eight tournaments in four weeks

It’s an Australian summer of tennis like no other - starting later, but being even more jam-packed than usual.

The men’s and women’s tours will descend upon Melbourne in mid-January for two weeks of quarantine, before a massive eight events in the space of a month including the Australian Open.

Here’s everything you need to know about the calendar and which events are on. ->> (continue to schedule)

🏍 Dakar Rally

Australian Toby Price airlifted to hospital after Dakar Rally crash

Star Australian motorcyclist Toby Price was on Monday night airlifted to hospital after crashing out of the 2021 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia.

The 33-year-old Red Bull competitor was rushed to Tabuk in the country's north-west to undergo X-rays on an injured left arm and shoulder after running into trouble 155 kilometres into the ninth stage of the race.

Price, who won the Dakar Rally in 2016 and 2019, was just one minute behind the leader of the race, Chile's Jose Ignacio Cornejo, at the time of the crash.

🙌🏼 Two other riders, Ricky Brabec and Sam Sunderland, lost 15 and 14 minutes respectively as they waited with Price for medical assistance. (nine)

🏉 Rugby

Silver Lake in talks to invest in New Zealand Rugby

US private equity firm is negotiating to take a 15% stake in the organisation that runs the All Blacks.

US private equity firm Silver Lake is in talks over a US$2bn investment in New Zealand Rugby, the body that runs the All Blacks, setting up a battle for influence in one of the world’s most popular sports.

If the deal is completed, it would make Silver Lake a powerful rival rugby investor to CVC Capital Partners.

New Zealand Rugby, which made a net loss of NZ$7.4m in 2019. (FT)

🏎 F1

Australian FI Grand Prix in Melbourne postponed until November

Organisers are saying the coronavirus pandemic meant "it is not feasible" to hold the race in March. (ABC)

Key points:

  • The Australian leg of the Formula 1 season is scheduled to be held on November 21

  • The Victorian Government welcomed the move to shift the date of the grand prix

  • The Formula 1 season will begin in Bahrain in late March

🇺🇸 USA

The divisional-round matchups are set. Here's everything you need to know, with X factors, what to watch for and more for all four games.

🏈 National Championship

Alabama capped a strange college football season with an immaculate performance, crushing Ohio State, 52-24, to win its 18th national championship.

MVP: Heisman winner DeVonta Smith caught 12 passes for 215 yards and three TDs — all in the first half.

🗞 Back on Friday!

📺 Live sport

TODAY

🎾 07:00 - ATP Delray Beach Open - Chris Harrison v Hubert Hurkacz (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 07:15 - Premier League - Burnley v Manchester United (Optus Sport 3)

⚽️ 07:15 - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton (Optus Sport 2)

⚽️ 07:30 - Spanish La Liga - Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 09:30 - Copa Sudamericana Semi-Final - Coquimbo Unido v Defensa y Justicia (BeIN Sports 1)

🏀 11:00 - NCAA Men's Regular Season - Michigan Wolverines v Wisconsin Badgers (ESPN 1)

🏀 11:00 - NCAA Men's Regular Season - Vanderbilt Commodores v Tennessee Volunteers (ESPN 2)

⚽️ 11:30 - Copa Libertadores Semi-Final - Palmeiras v River Plate (BeIN Sports 1)

🏀 12:00 - NBA Regular Season - Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Lakers (NBA League Pass or Sky Sports 2)

🎾 12:00 - ATP Delray Beach Open - Cameron Norrie v Sebastian Korda (BeIN Sports 3)

🏀 13:00 - NCAA Men's Regular Season - Kentucky Wildcats v Alabama Crimson Tide (ESPN 1)

🏀 14:30 - NBA Regular Season - Golden State Warriors v Indiana Pacers (NBA League Pass or Sky Sports 2)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Sydney Thunder v Sydney Sixers (Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports or 7)

🎾 21:00 - WTA Tour 500sWTA Abu Dhabi Open, Final, Day 8 (BeIN Sports 3)

THURSDAY

⚽️ 01:00 - Indian Super League - Odisha FC v Chennaiyin FC (Fox Sports More)

⚽️ 05:00 - Premier League - Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion (Optus Sport 1)

🏀 05:30 - EuroLeague Regular Season - Bayern Munich Basketball v BC Zenit St. Petersburg (Fox Sports More)

🎾 07:00 - ATP Delray Beach Open, Final (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 07:00 - Trophie des Champions - Paris Saint-Germain v Olympique de Marseille (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 07:15 - Premier League - Tottenham v Fulham (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 09:15 - Copa Libertadores Semi-Final - Santos FC v Boca Juniors (BeIN Sports 1)

🏒 09:30 - NHL Regular Season - Philadelphia Flyers v Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL.TV)

🏀 11:00 - NCAA Men's Regular Season - LSU Tigers v Arkansas Razorbacks (ESPN 2)

🏀 11:30 - NBA Regular Season - Boston Celtics v Orlando Magic (NBA League Pass)

🏀 11:30 - NBA Regular Season - New York Knicks v Brooklyn Nets (ESPN 1)

⚽️ 11:30 - Copa Sudamericana Semi-Final - Club Atletico Lanus v Velez Sarsfield (BeIN Sports 1)

🏒 12:00 - NHL Regular Season - Tampa Bay Lightning v Chicago Blackhawks (NHL.TV)

🏀 13:00 - NBA Regular Season - Phoenix Suns v Atlanta Hawks (NBA League Pass)

⚾️ 13:00 - ABL Regular Season - Adelaide Giants v Brisbane Bandits (Fox Sports More)

🏀 14:00 - NBA Regular Season - Los Angeles Clippers v New Orleans Pelicans (ESPN 1)

🏒 14:30 - NHL Regular Season - Colorado Avalanche v St. Louis Blues (ESPN 2)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Brisbane Heat v Melbourne Renegades (Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports or 7)

⚾️ 19:50 - ABL Regular Season - Adelaide Giants v Perth Heat (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 20:05 - W-League Regular Season - Perth Glory Women v Adelaide United Women (Fox Sports)