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MORNING SERVE: The sports stories to see this morning

Cricket Australia has dropped a huge announcement in the wake of the Melbourne Grand Prix's cancellation over coronavirus.

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March 13, 2020 - 6:33AM
PAARL, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 29: Aaron Finch of Australia during the 1st ODI match between South Africa and Australia at Eurolux Boland Park on February 29, 2020 in Paarl, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
PAARL, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 29: Aaron Finch of Australia during the 1st ODI match between South Africa and Australia at Eurolux Boland Park on February 29, 2020 in Paarl, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Welcome to the Morning Serve.

These are the sports stories doing the rounds this morning.

Updates

F1 finally confirms cancellation of Australian Grand Prix

Arsenal manager contracts coronavirus

Arsenal have confirmed manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for coronavirus this morning.

"This is really disappointing but I took the test after feeling poorly. I will be at work as soon as I'm allowed," the 37-year-old posted.

Arsenal have closed their training ground as a result of Arteta’s positive test, with Gunners players and club staff who had recent contact with the Spaniard now forced to self-isolate.
Arsenal, who are due to play at Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday, said it was “clear we will not be able to play some fixtures on their currently scheduled dates”.

Arsenal’s Premier League match at Manchester City on Wednesday was postponed and several Gunners players went into self-isolation after Olympiakos and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis contracted the virus.

No crowds allowed for ODI series

Australia's ODI series with New Zealand will be played to empty stands as coronavirus fears grip the nation.

Fox Sports' Tom Morris revealed Cricket Australia took the precaution in the wake of F1 officials cancelling the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

There are three scheduled games, two at the SCG this weekend (13th and 15th) and one in Tasmania next Friday (20th).

Australia's Women's team has also had their tour to South Africa suspended until further notice.

Cricket Australia said it will be making a call on Australia’s three-match Twenty20 International tour of New Zealand in "due course".

The matches are currently scheduled to play in Dunedin (March 24), Auckland (March 27) and Christchurch (March 29).

F1: Ferrari stars reportedly on the plane home

Ferrari drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel have reportedly boarded planes home mere hours after the Australian Grand Prix was cancelled.

Ferrari, which bases itself in Italy, were already doubted to arrive on Aussie shores after being one of the hardest hit nations in the coronavirus pandemic.

But when a McLaren team member tested positive for the affliction, officials called a crisis meeting and came to an agreement to postpone the Albert Park event in Melbourne.

Second NBA star confirmed with virus

Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has confirmed he has tested positive for the coronavirus, publicly saying that he is personally dealing with the pandemic that has temporarily shut down the NBA and other major sports leagues.

"I am going to keep following the advice of our medical staff and hope that we can all come together and be there for each other and our neighbors who need our help," Mitchell wrote.

Fellow Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert — the first NBA player to test positive — also confirmed his status and apologised for a prank a few days earlier where he coughed into a microphone. “I was careless and make no excuse,” Gobert said in an Instagram post.

Mitchell’s positive test was not known until early Thursday, the first full day of the NBA’s hiatus.

Anthony Mundine wades into coronavirus crisis

Anthony Mundine has unsurprisingly shared another controversial opinion, this time wading into the coronavirus crising, warning the public that the “new world order is happening”.

The 44-year-old has made countless headlines rattling the cage throughout his career and has taken an anti-vaccination stance in the past.

In his latest post, Mundine he claimed the virus, which has killed more than 4600 people and infected more than 126,000 around the world, is “bogus for real”.

More here.

Australian Grand Prix postponed over coronavirus

The Australian Grand Prix has been postponed following McLaren’s withdrawal from the Formula One season opener after a team member tested positive for coronavirus, according to reports.

The decision was taken following a crisis two-hour summit involving F1’s hierarchy, its governing body, the FIA, and a number of the sport’s team principals in Melbourne, the BBC and Sky Television Association have reported. Motorsport.com quoted sources saying a majority of the teams were unhappy to continue and the governing FIA would accept the decision.

There has yet been no official confirmation from F1 or the sport’s governing body the FIA.

F1’s move follows the tide of the sporting world after a series of events were cancelled or delayed on Thursday in response to the deadly disease which has claimed more than 4,600 lives.

McLaren chiefs told governing body FIA of their decision to pull out late on Thursday night, barely 24 hours before practice was due to start in Melbourne.

Rugby star suspended over squirrel grip

England rugby star Joe Marler has been slapped with a 10-week ban after grabbing Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones by the testicles during a Six Nations match at Twickenham last weekend.

As a scrap unfolded, Marler cheekily got involved with the opposition skipper, cupping his hand in the pumpkin patch while looking nonchalant in the other direction.

Fans around the globe, including English shock jock Piers Morgan, were incredulous at the hefty punishment laid down by the disciplinary board, especially considering players red carded in the same match for high tackles were given less than half his sentence.

England centre Manu Tuilagi, sent off in the same match for a high tackle on George North, was suspended for four weeks.

The same disciplinary hearing in Dublin cleared Courtney Lawes of making a dangerous tackle after the England lock was cited following his side’s 33-30 win last Saturday.

Victory over the reigning Grand Slam champions revived World Cup finalists England’s title bid.

But the future of the 2020 Six Nations remains unclear.

Two of the three matches — Italy v England and France v Ireland — for what was meant to be this Saturday’s final day of the Championship were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week’s fixtures between Ireland and Italy in Dublin was held over for similar reasons.

No new dates have yet been announced for the delayed games.

— with AP

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/morning-serve-the-sports-stories-to-see-this-morning/live-coverage/480b1bfa78fd6b4c8b7427a3d126c487