Chelsea sign Higuain to ignite attack
London: Chelsea signed Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain on loan from Juventus until the end of the season as boss Maurizio Sarri looks to ignite his spluttering attack. Higuain will be reunited with Sarri, who managed the 31-year-old at Napoli and made him his top target in the January transfer window. After spending the first half of the season in a disappointing loan spell at AC Milan, Higuain admitted he was keen to move to Stamford Bridge. "When the opportunity to join Chelsea presented itself I had to take it," he told Chelsea's website. "It's a team I've always liked that has a lot of history, a wonderful stadium and they play in the Premier League, a league I've always wanted to play in. "I now hope I can give back that trust Chelsea have shown me out on the pitch. I can't wait to start and I hope to adapt as soon as possible."
City survive agianst Burton
Burton-on-Tresnt: Pep Guardiola admitted he was relieved as Manchester City sealed their place in the League Cup final without any injuries in a 1-0 win on Burton's "dangerous" pitch. Guardiola's side had thrashed Burton 9-0 in the semi-final first leg earlier in January to effectively guarantee they would return to Wembley 12 months after winning the competition. Inevitably, City took it easier on the third tier minnows this time and Sergio Aguero's first half strike was the only goal of a low-key second leg. But for Guardiola, the tie had been fraught with danger due to the slippery state of the surface on a freezing night at the Pirelli Stadium. "The pitch was so dangerous, so slippery," he said. The English champions will continue their bid to win four major trophies this season when they face Burnley in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday.
Botha retires from int’l cricket
Hobart: Former South Africa all-rounder Johan Botha has announced his immediate retirement from all forms of cricket. Botha's Australian Twenty20 league team, the Hobart Hurricanes, announced the news late on Wednesday. It said Botha cited "wear and tear on his body and sheer physical fatigue." The 36-year-old Botha, who received his Australian citizenship in 2016, failed to take a wicket during Wednesday's nine-wicket loss to the Sydney Sixers. He had played all 10 matches for the first-place Hurricanes this season. Botha played for South Africa in five Test matches, 78 one-day internationals and 40 T20 Internationals from 2005 to 2012.
ole hopeful for Martial contract
Manchester: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes Anthony Martial will agree a new contract with Manchester United in the coming weeks as the club look to tie down a clutch of top players. France forward Martial and goalkeeper David de Gea are both out of contract at the end of next season after United triggered 12-month extension options shortly before Christmas. The club are in talks with both players as well as forward Juan Mata, whose contract expires this coming June. Martial is understood to be close to agreeing a five-year contract, while Spain international De Gea has made it clear he wants to remain at Old Trafford.
Dominant Aus in charge against SL
Brisbane: Some fine pace bowling from Jhye Richardson and Pat Cummins put a dominant Australia firmly in charge after the first day of the day-night Test against Sri Lanka in Brisbane on Thursday. Newcomer Richardson took three wickets and Cummins four as the home side dismissed Sri Lanka for just 144. Australian opener Marcus Harris then batted assuredly to finish on 40 not out at the close of play as the home side finished the day 72 for two. Richardson, who only came into the side after Josh Hazlewood was ruled out with injury, had figures of 3-26 to lead an impressive Australian display with the ball. Pat Cummins chimed in to clean up the tail, finishing with 4-39.
coa lift hardik, rahul suspension
New Delhi: The suspensions on Indian cricketers Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul were on Thursday lifted by the Committee of Administrators (CoA), two weeks after they were sent home from the tour of Australia due to their sexist comments on a TV show. The 25-year-old Pandya is expected to take the earliest available flight to join the team in New Zealand for an ongoing limited-overs series, while Rahul might play in either the domestic circuit or show up for India A in the home series against England Lions, a BCCI source said.