Cycling: Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford will be asked for his “personal perspective” on sport’s fight against doping if he accepts an invitation to appear before MPs in Westminster. Clerks from the Culture, Media and Sport select committee have contacted Team Sky about Brailsford’s availability, with December 19 being the preferred date as that is when the panel is talking to senior figures from British Cycling and World Anti-Doping Agency president Craig Reedie.
Women's rugby: Holders England could face Scotland in the pool stage of next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland. England, crowned world champions two years ago after beating Canada in Paris, have been grouped with the United States, Italy and a European qualifier. The remaining European place will be filled by Scotland or Spain, who meet over two legs in Glasgow and Madrid later this month to decide the fourth Pool B team.
Basket, NBA: Indiana Pacers forward Paul George has been fined $15,000 for kicking the ball into the stands that hit a fan in the face, the National Basketball Association said yesterday. The three-times NBA All-Star was given a technical foul and ejected from the game for the incident, which occurred late in the third quarter of the Pacers’ home win over Chicago Bulls on Saturday. George, who won a men’s basketball gold medal with Team USA at the Rio Olympic Games in August, is averaging a team-leading 20.4 points for a Pacers team that have struggled to a 3-4 start to the NBA’s 2016-17 season.
ROWING: Double Olympic rowing champion Heather Stanning has announced her retirement from the sport, with the Briton saying she had nothing left to prove. Stanning’s retirement brings an end to her partnership with Helen Glover. The pair have not lost a race since the World Rowing Championships in Slovenia in 2011. “I don’t feel I’ve got anything else to prove to myself,” the 31-year-old said. “I wanted things to get back to normal before I made the decision firmly and I wanted to make sure it was the right decision.”
Cricket: England’s Joe Root hit a sparkling century and Moeen Ali was unbeaten on 99 as the tourists finished the opening day of the first cricket test against India in a strong position on 311-4, yesterday. Root was out for 124 after putting on 179 for the fourth wicket with left-hander Moeen after England were 102-3 at lunch. Moeen was one run short of his fourth test hundred at the close with Ben Stokes unbeaten on 19. England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first on a Rajkot pitch he regarded as a traditional Indian wicket that would assist the slower bowlers.
Athletics: Mo Farah (picture) has been named as one of three finalists for the IAAF men’s world athlete of the year. The four-time Olympic champion, who retained his 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres crowns in Rio this summer, is up against Usain Bolt and South Africa’s 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk for the men’s award. The three athletes in contention for the women’s award are Ethiopia’s 10,000m world record holder Almaz Ayana, Jamaica’s Olympic 100m and 200m champion Elaine Thompson and Polish hammer thrower Anita Wlodarczyk.