A local court in Karachi on Tuesday issued arrest warrants against former star cricketer Wasim Akram, after he failed to appear before the court during last 31 hearings of a case, it has been learnt.

FIFA's decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams will address Asia's long-standing demand for greater representation in the showpiece tournament, Asian Football Confederation president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said on Wednesday.

New Zealand's players, in individual terms, would be smart not to simply write Bangladesh off as no-hope lightweights. Banana skins abound. They are not without talent and they are learning.

West Indies turned to former batsman Jimmy Adams to help rebuild the side as he was named their new director of cricket on Tuesday after signing a three-year deal.

Bowling spearhead Trent Boult could return as the sole change for New Zealand in the first Test against Bangladesh in Wellington on Thursday.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said he, his players and even the club's supporters will need to raise their game when arch rivals Liverpool visit Old Trafford this weekend.

The Bangladesh cricket team in New Zealand have already been having a tough time of it with the six limited-overs games being lost by hefty margins.

FIFA has voted to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from its current 32, brushing aside concerns that the expansion would lower the overall standard of the tournament, and make it too long and unwieldy.

Hosting the Euro 2016 football tournament cost France less than 200 million euros ($211 million) but brought some 1.22 billion euros into the country, according to figures released by the ministry of sports Tuesday.

Ross Taylor goes into the first Test against Bangladesh on Thursday on the brink of equalling his late mentor Martin Crowe's record for New Zealand centuries.

Manager Pep Guardiola is pleased with the recent improvement in Manchester City defence but believes there is plenty of work to be done in the second half of the season.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has dismissed all the transfer talks linking Philippe Coutinho to top La Liga clubs, indicating the club has no plans to sell the midfielder.

Newly knighted Andy Murray will bid to end a run of heartbreaking defeats at the Australian Open and see off his chief rival Novak Djokovic as he enters his first Grand Slam tournament as world number one.

FIFA's governing council is set to decide on Tuesday whether to expand the World Cup, a controversial idea that has created deep divisions among global football's most powerful camps.

Bangladesh are yet to decide the final eleven for the opening Test against New Zealand that starts in Wellington on Thursday.

South African all-rounder David Wiese has followed the lead of countrymen Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw after English county Sussex announced his arrival on a three-year contract on Monday.

India's Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) today rubbished speculation that this association will not host the India-Bangladesh Test scheduled in the southern city of Hyderabad from February 13 due to a fund crunch.

Steve O'Keefe's hopes of joining the Australian slow-bowling attack in the four-Test series in India from next month have been boosted after the left-arm spinner was withdrawn from the remainder of the Big Bash League to prepare for the tour.

Mesut Ozil is ready to sign a new contract with Arsenal but the attacking midfielder wants to know if manager Arsene Wenger is staying at the club beyond this season.

Slovakia's world number six Dominika Cibulkova dropped just two games in blistering heat to win her opening match at the Sydney International on Monday.