Sports
NCAA gambling inquiry widens pre-hoops season
As the college basketball season prepares to tip off, an NCAA gambling investigation with links to the NBA betting scandal is impacting the status of multiple players at several schools, according to sources familiar with the probe.
One player has been dismissed from a team, and at least two are being withheld from competition due to eligibility concerns related to the investigation, according to the sources. The NCAA said in a release last week that it had opened investigations into potential betting violations by approximately 30 current or former men’s basketball players. Some of the cases have already been adjudicated, including ones involving former players for Eastern Michigan, Fresno State and San Jose State.
Western Michigan told ESPN on Thursday that senior guard Justice Williams would not be participating in competition, “pending the results of a recent NCAA investigation of events that precede his enrollment” at the school. That investigation is the NCAA’s gambling probe, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge.
Williams did not play in Western Michigan’s exhibition game on Wednesday night. The Philadelphia native started his college career at LSU before transferring to Robert Morris, where he did not play last season because of injury. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.
On Friday, Sports Illustrated reported that Eastern Kentucky guard Amarr Knox is also currently ineligible. Knox transferred from Alabama State, which SI reported is a school of interest in the ongoing probe. Eastern Kentucky confirmed to ESPN that Knox is ineligible under NCAA rules but declined further comment.
Earlier this week, two other schools said that players were held out or dismissed. Multiple sources with direct knowledge told ESPN these actions were related to the NCAA’s gambling investigation.
Wisconsin announced Tuesday that senior forward Elijah Gray had been dismissed from the team because of “events preceding his enrollment” at the school. Gray began his college career at Fordham and played last season at Temple.
Dayton announced Sunday that it was withholding sophomore guard Adam Njie from competition after being notified by the NCAA of potential eligibility concerns “connected to matters that occurred prior to his enrollment at the university.” Njie played previously at Iona.
“In light of these concerns and the ongoing review process, Adam will not be participating in athletic competition at this time,” Dayton athletic director Neil Sullivan said in a statement posted on social media.
Attempts to reach Gray and Njie were unsuccessful. A spokesperson for Dayton declined additional comment Tuesday.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is also investigating allegations of point shaving in college basketball, according to sources with direct knowledge of the federal investigation. Federal authorities have interviewed multiple college athletes, the sources told ESPN. Some of the same bettors indicted in the NBA betting scandal have been linked to suspicious betting on college basketball.
ESPN previously reported that Marves Fairley, who was federally indicted last week in the betting case involving the NBA’s Terry Rozier and Damon Jones, placed suspicious wagers on college basketball games at a Mississippi casino and had been banned from betting companywide. At the time, Fairley denied any involvement in point-shaving schemes when reached by ESPN.
The NCAA announced in September that it is investigating 13 former men’s basketball players at six schools — Arizona State, Temple, North Carolina A&T, Eastern Michigan, University of New Orleans and Mississippi Valley State — in its gambling probe.
ESPN previously reported that indictments are expected. The college basketball season tips off Monday.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello contributed to this story.
Afghanistan set India a daunting 311-run target in the second semi-final of the ICC U19 World Cup at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday, courtesy of centuries from Faisal Shinozada and Uzairullah Niazai.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, openers Osman Sadat and Khalid Ahmadzai gave Afghanistan a steady start, adding 53 runs for the first wicket. India struck in the 13th over when Kanishk Chouhan dismissed Khalid for 31 off 39 balls.
Faisal then joined Osman and the pair added 64 runs for the second wicket, taking the total to 117 before Osman was removed by Deepesh Devendran after scoring 39 off 70 deliveries.
Faisal and Uzairullah then took control of the innings, sharing a 148-run partnership off 130 balls.
Faisal’s knock of 110 off 93 balls ended in the 46th over when he was bowled by Deepesh.
Uzairullah remained unbeaten on 101, while late contributions from Azizullah Miakhil (12 off 9 balls) and Abdul Aziz helped Afghanistan post 310-4 in their allotted 50 overs.
For India, Deepesh and Kanishk claimed two wickets each.
The winner of the game will meet England in the final on Friday, who booked their place with a 27-run victory over Australia in the first semi-final on Tuesday.
Batting first, England posted a competitive 277-7 in their 50 overs, thanks to a brilliant century from skipper Thomas Rew and crucial contributions from Caleb Falconer, Joseph Moores, Ben Mayes and Farhan Ahmed.
Defending 278, England bowled out the Australians for 250 in 47.3 overs despite a valiant century from captain Oliver Peake, who scored 100 off 88 balls, featuring 10 fours and a six.
This is a developing story and is being updated with further details.
Sports
PSL 11: Islamabad United announces the amount of players retained for the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). – SUCH TV
Islamabad United has retained Shadab Khan in the Platinum category for Rs 70 million.
PSL 11: Islamabad United announces the amount of players retained for the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Salman Irshad has been retained in the Gold category for Rs 1.4 million and Andreas Goss in the Silver category for Rs 1.2 million.
Islamabad United had Rs 450 million for the auction, of which the franchise has spent Rs 960 million.
Franchises were required to inform the PCB about the amount of players being retained, with an additional Rs 5.5 crore set aside for direct signings.
In a positive development, Pakistani players registered significant improvements in the latest ICC Men’s T20I rankings, led by opener Saim Ayub’s return to the top of the all-rounders’ chart, just days before the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Ayub has been rewarded for his excellent recent form by regaining the No 1 position on the ICC Men’s T20I all-rounder rankings, the International Cricket Council (ICC) stated in an official statement.
The star opener player returned to the top spot following a series of strong performances for Pakistan in their 3-0 home whitewash of Australia, replacing Zimbabwe veteran Sikandar Raza at the summit of the rankings.
The development comes at a timely moment for Ayub and Pakistan, with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup set to begin on February 7, as the Asian side looks to claim its second title in the 20-over showpiece and its first since lifting the trophy in 2009.
Ayub scored 119 runs and picked up three wickets across the three-match series against Australia.
He was not the only Pakistan player to benefit from the latest rankings update following the Australia series.
Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed climbed two places to second on the T20I bowlers’ rankings and now sits just 28 rating points behind India’s Varun Chakravarthy, who remains the top-ranked bowler, after claiming six wickets in three matches against Australia.
Fellow Pakistan spinner Mohammad Nawaz also made major progress, jumping eight places to seventh on the T20I bowlers’ list after a five-wicket haul in the final match of the series.
Nawaz also rose one place to fourth on the T20I all-rounders’ rankings.
In the T20I batters’ rankings, Pakistan’s Saim Ayub moved up eight places to joint 27th, while captain Salman Ali Agha climbed 12 positions to 29th.
There was movement within the top 10 of the T20I batters’ rankings as India’s Abhishek Sharma retained a commanding lead at the top, while England’s Jos Buttler (third), Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka (fifth), India’s Suryakumar Yadav (sixth) and New Zealand’s Tim Seifert (ninth) each gained one place.
A total of seven different teams are represented inside the top 11 of the batters’ rankings, with the upcoming T20 World Cup expected to offer further opportunities for changes.
Australia all-rounder Cameron Green moved up 16 places to 14th, while South Africa’s Quinton de Kock advanced 15 spots to joint 22nd on the T20I batters’ list.
India’s Ishan Kishan registered one of the biggest jumps, climbing 32 places to 32nd, while South Africa left-hander Ryan Rickelton surged 42 positions to 40th.
On the T20I bowlers’ rankings, England’s Adil Rashid rose two places to fourth and New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner climbed eight spots to joint 23rd, with both players expected to play key roles for their sides during the World Cup.
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