Sam Konstas axed from Cricket Australia’s contract list for busy 2026-27 season

Australia’s Ashes-winning players have been rewarded with contracts for a bumper 2026-27 cricket season, but there was no room on the 21-man list for Sam Konstas and Glenn Maxwell.Paceman Brendan Doggett, who made his full international debut against England in November’s opening Ashes Test in Perth, earned his first national contract, while opener Jake Weatherald, who played all five Tests last summer, retained his upgraded contract despite averaging just 22.33 during the series.Bowler Michael Neser and spinner Todd Murphy were again handed full contracts, ahead of a crammed Test schedule over the next 12 months, which starts with a two-match home series against Bangladesh in August.That is followed by ODI tours to Zimbabwe and South Africa, where Australia will also play a three-Test series, before a home white-ball series against England and a run of 10 Test matches in 14 weeks, against New Zealand, India and the 150th Anniversary Test against England at the MCG

Tiger Woods says he will step away from golf and seek treatment after DUI charge

Tiger Woods said he will step away from golf to seek treatment and focus on his health after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence following a rollover crash near his Florida home.“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods said in a statement posted on X. “I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.”“I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally

Mako Vunipola to join Leicester and link up with former England teammate Parling

The former England prop Mako Vunipola has confirmed he is joining Leicester this summer as the Tigers look to beef up their pack for next season. The 35-year-old Vunipola will be joined in the East Midlands by the Argentinian front-row Joel Sclavi who will also help to fill the gap left by Nicky Smith’s impending switch to Sale Sharks.Vunipola, who won 79 England caps and was picked for three British & Irish Lions tours, is playing for Vannes in France’s ProD2 but has opted to extend his career by a year. “He was hungry for the chance to come back to the Prem and finish in the comp he knows best,” the Leicester head coach, Geoff Parling, said.“That coupled with his experience and what that can do for our young props is hopefully going to be really valuable

Dan Hurley’s ‘head-butt’ showed Black coaches aren’t given the same grace as white coaches

The UConn-Duke game on Sunday night was one for the ages. A last-second game winner from freshman Braylon Mullins took down the top-seeded Blue Devils, who at one point had led by 19 points. It is a moment that will be replayed over and over for years to come.However, something strange happened after Mullins’s shot. UConn’s head coach Dan Hurley approached referee Roger Ayers and touched foreheads with the official while glaring into his eyes

A gleaming tribute to Mary Rand’s gold | Brief letters

As a schoolboy, I was fascinated by coverage of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. A few years later, on a family holiday, we visited Wells Cathedral. Outside the grounds lay a gleaming brass strip in the pavement marking the distance that Mary Rand long-jumped to create her world record. A lovely tribute to this remarkable person (Mary Rand, first British woman to win Olympic athletics gold, dies aged 86, 27 March).Anil BhattSunderland Your review of the fourth instalment of Alan Bennett’s diaries, Enough Said (24 March), says he nearly always notes the anniversary of the beginning of his national service: “8/8/52

‘The computer went bananas’: error at O’Brien yard removes horses from 2,000 Guineas

The betting market for the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on 2 May was thrown into confusion on Tuesday when two significant candidates from the Aidan O’Brien stable, Gstaad and Albert Einstein, were taken out of the race, apparently as the result of an administrative error.The chaos was then compounded later in the day by uncertainty over whether a plan to re-engage both colts if necessary at a cost of £30,000 each might be prohibited by the rules of entry, before the British Horseracing Authority confirmed that supplementary entries would in fact be accepted.Gstaad, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar in November, was priced up on Tuesday morning at around 6‑1 for the first Classic of the season, and seen as potentially the Ballydoyle first string for a race the stable has won a record 10 times.He assumed the role of O’Brien’s No 1 contender after Albert Einstein, the winner of his first two starts as a juvenile in 2025 but unraced beyond May because of injury, finished only sixth of 10 runners on his three‑year‑old debut in a Listed race at the Curragh three days ago.Despite that reverse, however, and a subsequent suggestion that Albert Einstein might revert to sprinting with the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot as an initial target, the colt was still priced up at 20-1 for the 2,000 Guineas and O’Brien intended to confirm both two-year-olds at the latest declaration stage on Tuesday