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MELBOURNE/CAPE TOWN — Steve Smith stepped down as Australia captain on Sunday and his deputy David Warner also relinquished the vice-captaincy amid stunning ball-tampering revelations that have plunged the Test team into crisis.

Cricket Australia said the pair had agreed to give up their leadership roles following “discussions” with the governing body, with wicketkeeper Tim Paine to take the reins for the remainder of the third Test in Cape Town.

“This Test match needs to proceed, and in the interim we will continue to investigate this matter with the urgency that it demands,” CA CEO James Sutherland said in a statement.

“Cricket Australia and Australian cricket fans expect certain standards of conduct from cricketers representing our country, and on this occasion these standards have not been met.”

“All Australians, like us, want answers and we will keep you updated on our findings, as a matter of priority.”

Smith and Warner’s demotion came hours after Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull heaped pressure on CA to act swiftly and decisively.

“I have to say that the whole nation which holds those who wear the ‘baggy green’ up on a pedestal about as high as you can get in Australia, certainly higher than any politician that’s for sure, this is a shocking disappointment,” Turnbull said.

Smith had admitted on Saturday that the ball-tampering carried out by Cameron Bancroft had been orchestrated by himself and senior players but although he was “embarrassed” by the scandal, he had no intention of stepping down as skipper.

Captain since 2015, Smith did not join his teammates as they warmed up at Newlands before the fourth day’s play on Sunday. The four-Test series is tied at 1-1 with the hosts in a strong position in the ongoing match.

Opening batsman Bancroft, the most junior member in the side at 25, has been charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which could lead to a one-match ban and a 100 percent fine of his match fee.

Players castigated

The cost to Australia’s reputation is immeasurably higher, however, with former players across the globe branding the team cheats and fans castigating the players on social media.

Kepler Wessels, who played Test cricket for both Australia and South Africa, suggested there should be lengthy bans for those found guilty of wrong-doing.

He cited the case of former West Indian wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, suspended for three games in 2002 for appealing a run out when he did not have the ball in his gloves.

“If Jacobs got three games for that offence then I wonder what is going to happen to these Australians?” Wessels asked on Sunday.

South Africa coach Ottis Gibson also called for strong action from the ICC.

“I’m shocked at what’s gone on. I’ve never seen anything as blatant as that,” he told SuperSport television.

“The statement from them said it was the ‘leadership group’ and therefore it was quite a few people involved, so we’ll see how the ICC deals with the situation.”

Team manager Mohammed Moosajee, an influential figure within Cricket South Africa, said he did not believe the scandal would affect relations between the cricket boards of the two nations.

“The fact that Australia have admitted to what they have done,” he said. “There is no place for that in cricket at all. They will go through an internal process as well.

“We leave it to the ICC to make the call on what the next steps are and what the sanction will be.”

‘Disgraceful’

Australia cricket chief Sutherland had earlier told a news conference in Melbourne that the CA’s head of integrity would fly to South Africa to investigate the incident.

Sutherland described it as “very sad for Australian cricket” and said fans had “every reason to wake up and not be proud of the Australian cricket team”.

However, the long-serving chief executive declined to call the ball-tampering “cheating” and steered studiously clear of using the word.

His reticence was not shared by Australian media pundits and a host of former players who lined up to decry the incident.

Australian newspapers described the scandal as the worst captaincy crisis since 1981 when skipper Greg Chappell instructed younger brother Trevor to bowl underarm with the last ball of a one-day match against New Zealand to secure a victory.

Michael Clarke, Smith’s predecessor as captain, said the revelations were “disgraceful” and that he had no doubt that the skipper would be “crying in his hotel room”.

“I cannot believe the senior players have made a decision to do that,” he told Australian television. “It’s disgraceful and it’s not accepted by anyone.”

Former captain Allan Border said it was a “a bad look for Australian cricket” while former test bowler Rodney Hogg was one of many who said that Smith could not continue in his role.

MELBOURNE — Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton roared to a record seventh pole at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Saturday, blitzing the field in his Mercedes with a blazing lap at Albert Park.

The Briton flew around the lakeside circuit in a record one minute, 21.164 seconds, with his final effort leaving a yawning gap of 0.664 seconds to Ferrari’s second fastest Kimi Raikkonen.

Sebastian Vettel was third fastest for Ferrari but Hamilton was in a class of his own and the Silver Arrows appear as dominant as ever as they bid to sweep the driver and constructors’ titles for a fifth year running.

“That was intense. My heart’s racing. I wish you could feel it right now,” the 33-year-old Hamilton said after clambering onto his car at the finish and pumping his fists.

“I’m so happy with that lap.”

Hamilton moved past the six poles his idol Ayrton Senna claimed in the Australian race with a furious pace that will leave the Ferrari and Red Bull teams scratching their heads.

“Obviously the gap’s bigger than we want it to be,” a subdued Vettel told reporters, looking ahead to Sunday’s race.

“It depends how we get off the [start] line.”

Red Bull wunderkind Max Verstappen will line up alongside Vettel on the second row, with his fifth-fastest team mate Daniel Ricciardo set to start eighth after the home hope was handed a three-place grid penalty for an infringement during Friday practice.

Still pumped at the post-qualifying news conference, Hamilton made a cheeky dig at fellow four-times champion Vettel when the German asked him what he was up to before Q3.

“I was waiting to put a good lap in and wipe the smile off your face,” Hamilton said with a smirk.

Improved Haas

The Briton’s brilliance was not matched by teammate Valtteri Bottas, who crashed early in the final shootout.

The Finn, who had complained of balance problems during Q1, spun out at turn two and smashed hard into a barrier, leaving his wrecked car and debris scattered all over the track.

The red flag was waved as the television broadcast showed Mercedes boss Toto Wolff bowing his head in disappointment back in the team garage.

Bottas, who will start in 10th, passed a medical check but it remains unclear how much of his car is salvageable.

Haas confirmed themselves as the big improvers after positive winter testing, with drivers Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean locking down the third row.

Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg took a spin into the gravel in Q2, but scraped through to the final session and will start seventh, his teammate Carlos Sainz two places behind.

McLaren’s hopes of a quick return to the top four with their new Renault engines proved overly ambitious, with twice champion Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne shut out of the final session.

Force India, fourth in the constructors’ championship for the last two years, also have work to do after being knocked out during Q2.

The championship’s debutant drivers had an underwhelming session, with Sauber’s Charles Leclerc and Williams’ driver Sergey Sirotkin eliminated early.

Naomi Osaka continued her stunning run of form with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 23-times Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the first round of the Miami Open on Wednesday, the latest big win for the 20-year-old Japanese player.

Osaka backed up last week’s Indian Wells title triumph with a brilliant display in the eagerly-anticipated showdown on a day when former number one Victoria Azarenka also triumphed, while American Amanda Anisimova withdrew with an ankle injury.

The match, their first career meeting, remained on serve in the first set until the world number 22 forced break point opportunities at 3-3 and took advantage when the American was unable to deal with a blistering backhand at her feet.

Osaka was able to break Williams again after a back-and-forth deuce battle to take the first set, with her big serve and relentless return game proving even stronger in the second as she broke to move 3-1 ahead and never looked back.

The end of the contest was anti-climatic when an ugly unforced error by Williams, who hit a wide open forehand long, sent Osaka into a second round showdown against world number four Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.

“I was extremely nervous coming on to the court. I don’t know if anybody knows this but Serena is my favorite player,” Osaka said in an on-court interview.

“So just playing against her is kind of like a dream for me. I’m very grateful I was able to play her and it is even better that I was able to win.”

The 36-year-old Williams, playing her fourth match since the birth of her first child in September, is still working her way back into form and although she demonstrated her trademark power, she struggled to move smoothly around the court.

Osaka looked fresh despite having played seven matches in Indian Wells to capture her first career title on Sunday.

Some felt it was unfair that the Miami Open allowed the now unseeded Williams, an eight-times champion at the tournament, to play Osaka in the first round.

“Serena should have a special seeding, but also the [women’s governing body] WTA should use the most current ranking,” tennis commentator and former world number one Lindsay Davenport said on the Tennis Channel.

“The men do it. It’s too big a tournament to have something like this happen.”

Osaka’s win was her latest against one of the biggest names in the sport, coming hot on the heels of victories over former grand slam champion Maria Sharapova, fifth seed Karolina Pliskova and world number one Simona Halep in Indian Wells.

Three-times Miami champion Azarenka, in just her second tournament since taking an eight-month break to focus on a custody battle, showed good form in beating American Catherine Bellis 6-3, 6-0.

“I’m happy that I’m playing,” the Belarusian said. “I don’t want to be over-the-moon happy, because I’m still in the tournament, and I want to continue to reach any heights and new goals.”

Anisimova injured an ankle during her first-round win on Tuesday and the 16-year-old was unable to front up again a day later for her scheduled match against third seeded Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza.

MELBOURNE — The first instalment of what Formula One fans hope will be a genuine season-long tussle kicks off on Sunday as four-times champions Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel lock horns at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

This year marks the first that two quadruple champions are competing in the same season and their battle to see who joins Argentine legend Juan Manuel Fangio in second place on the all-time list with five titles promises to light up the series.

Michael Schumacher leads the way on seven world titles.

Hamilton emerged well on top for Mercedes at the end of 2017 after Ferrari’s Vettel made the early running, but their rivalry added plenty of spice, the pair banging wheels on the track in Azerbaijan and exchanging threats off it.

Hopes are high for more tense duelling to spark interest in a championship that has generally proved a procession for the Silver Arrows, who have swept the drivers’ and constructors championships in each of the past four years.

Much will depend on whether Ferrari’s SF71H can keep German Vettel within striking distance of Hamilton in his Mercedes W09, which the Briton raved about during pre-season testing.

On that score, the jury is out.

Lap times at testing can be misleading, but there remains a conviction that Mercedes will head into Sunday’s race at Albert Park, as always, the team to beat.

“We know that Mercedes is a little bit ahead of everyone and is dominating the sport for the last four years,” McLaren’s twice world champion Fernando Alonso told Reuters on Wednesday.

“And they are the big favourites again to start the new season.”

Perfect target

Mercedes are eager to see what the W09 can do at the lakeside circuit in Melbourne, with technical director James Allison saying it would “blow away” the W08 which garnered 12 race wins in 2017 and a fourth consecutive constructors’ title.

Hamilton, however, was guarded about their opening weekend prospects, believing Red Bull could be as much a threat to the Silver Arrows as Ferrari.

“I think at this time of the year everyone is trying to hype someone else up and we are the perfect target because we are the world champions,” the Briton said at a Melbourne event with sponsor Petronas on Wednesday.

“From what I understand, I think Red Bull and Ferrari are very close. Potentially we are either level, just behind or maybe just ahead of the Red Bulls as far as I’m aware.”

Ferrari have kept a low profile in the lead-up to the race but home hope and Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo emerged on Wednesday to express hope for a “statement” performance.

“Every year, the team works hard to build a fast car but, come testing, we’ve never really had much to show for it,” the Australian told reporters.

“This year, we obviously had a bit more so, from a team perspective, we’re feeling much more prepared.”

There will be fingers crossed in the McLaren garage as Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne put the new Renault-powered car through its paces, the once formidable outfit having split with Honda after three miserable years.

Albert Park will see a number of debuts, with Formula Two’s Monegasque champion Charles Leclerc and Russian Sergey Sirotkin having their first races for Sauber and Williams respectively.

The much-maligned halo, a cockpit head protection system, will also make its race debut along with “Grid Kids”, aspiring young drivers who have replaced the female models who paraded on track in seasons past.

MELBOURNE  — It is the most controversial Formula One introduction since the 2016 qualifying elimination clock, but unlike that ill-fated change the halo should last more than two races.

The new cockpit head protection system, to give it its full name, is highly divisive: Team principals, drivers and fans are split over whether it is the right safety solution when the new Grand Prix season roars into life in Melbourne this week.

After years of research and development, the FIA settled on the halo — a thong-like titanium and carbon fibre structure above the cockpit — to protect drivers from flying debris following the fatal crashes of Jules Bianchi at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix and Justin Wilson in an IndyCar race in the US the following year.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is firmly among the halo haters. “If you give me a chainsaw I would take it off,” he said at the launch of the team’s 2018 car last month.

“I think we need to look after the driver’s safety, but we need to come up with a solution that simply looks better,” he added.

Motor racing purists are aghast because they say Grand Prix racing is supposed to be an open-cockpit formula; other fans moan it is just plain ugly; some drivers have said it restricts vision.

‘It’s just big mess’

World champion Lewis Hamilton does not like the halo’s looks but said: “We have known for some time it was coming and I think after a few races we will forget it is even there.”

But Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo complained it makes cockpit access difficult — the Williams team even resorted to stepladders at pre-season testing to help drivers get in and out of their cars.

Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly said he had ripped several race suits. “I don’t like it. It’s just a big mess to get in the car and get out,” he said.

Haas pilot Kevin Magnussen also cannot stand it. “It’s difficult to get into the car, difficult to get out of the car, difficult to get the steering wheel on and off, just awkward and annoying,” he said.

But not all drivers are against the innovation. “It’s going to save lives, no doubt,” said Williams’ Canadian teenager Lance Stroll.

And two-time world champion Fernando Alonso believes there “should not be any debate” over a measure that improves safety.

The president of governing body FIA Jean Todt said that if the halo saves one life it will be worth it.

“Last year we had 42 fatalities in motor racing. It’s unacceptable,” Todt told reporters in London last week.

“Can you imagine how we would all feel if something happened and if we would have had the halo it would not have happened?”

At least the halo has been well researched, unlike the last rule change to cause as much controversy.

At the 2016 Australian Grand Prix, with barely two weeks’ notice, former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone introduced a new qualifying system which saw the slowest car being eliminated every 90 seconds, in a bid to bring more edge-of-the-seat action for fans.

It did the opposite, resulting in an empty track for much of qualifying, and was scrapped after just two races.

The halo should last the season at least, but Todt offered some crumbs of comfort to those who cannot stand the sight of what resembles a bent scaffolding pole above the driver’s head.

“If we are able to find something better, I am sure we will be able to over the years,” said Todt.

Alonso agreed: “Aesthetics aren’t the best at the moment, and in the future I’m sure that the sport and the teams will find a way to make it a little bit nicer.”

Russell Westbrook capped his 23rd triple-double of 37 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds by hitting the tiebreaking layup with 39.7 seconds remaining, as the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped the host Toronto Raptors’ team-record, 11-game winning streak with a hotly contested 132-125 victory on Sunday.

Westbrook posted his fifth straight triple-double. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he and Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson are the only players with three instances of five straight games with a triple-double. Steven Adams had 25 points while Paul George added 22 points as the Thunder won their sixth consecutive game.

In a game that featured 25 lead changes and 20 ties, Westbrook snapped a 125-125 deadlock and then added a five-metre pull-up with 11.7 seconds left.

Westbrook’s final points occurred after DeMar DeRozan missed a layup with 30 seconds left on a play when the Toronto guard thought he was fouled by Corey Brewer.

The game featured 49 fouls and 57 free throws, and in the final minutes, Toronto guard DeMar DeRozan (24 points) was ejected along with Raptors coach Dwane Casey and former Thunder forward Serge Ibaka. DeRozan was tossed by Mark Davis for continuing to argue about being fouled by Brewer and Ibaka was tossed by Davis shortly after getting a questionable foul after getting pushed to the ground, while going by Steven Adams for a rebound during a free throw with 1:09 remaining.

Casey was tossed by Haywoode Workman, though it appeared the official thought a fan’s comments were made by Casey, which resulted in the coach laughing as he walked off the court.

The game ended with the officials being escorted off the court by multiple security guards.

Oklahoma City held a one-point lead when Westbrook returned with about eight minutes left.

He scored 17 points after returning and notched his latest triple-double with a spectacular individual effort by getting the offensive rebound of a missed 3-pointer by Anthony, missing his initial putback, getting another rebound and scoring on another putback with 4:35 remaining for a 118-117 lead.

The eventful fourth occurred after DeRozan gave Toronto a 98-97 lead through three with a 23-foot pull-up jumper with eight-tenths of a second left. DeRozan’s shot occurred after George gave Oklahoma City a 66-64 halftime lead with a jumper with one second left.

Trail Blazers 122, Clippers 109

Portland rolled at Los Angeles to posted their 13th consecutive win.

Damian Lillard scored 23 points and CJ McCollum added 21 for the Trail Blazers. Portland owns their longest win streak since a 13-game skein early in the 2007-08 season.

Lou Williams went for 30 points and Montrezl Harrell chipped in 24 off the bench for the Clippers, who have lost three in a row.

Rockets 129, Timberwolves 120

James Harden buried a 3-pointer inside the final minute, and visiting Houston completed a season sweep of Minnesota.

The Timberwolves roared back from a 25-point deficit, pulling within five points. However, Harden, who totalled 34 points and 12 assists, helped the Rockets hang on.

Karl-Anthony Towns paired 20 points with 18 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have lost five of seven games.

Pelicans 108, Celtics 89

Anthony Davis had 34 points and 11 rebounds as host New Orleans overcame a slow start and routed Boston.

Cheick Diallo added a season-high 17 points, and Nikola Mirotic had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Pelicans, who had lost four of their previous five games.

Five Celtics were sidelined by injury, including Kyrie Irving, who missed his third straight game because of left knee soreness, and Marcus Smart, who missed his third straight game because of a sprained right thumb. Jayson Tatum paced Boston with 23 points.

AMMAN — Mohammad Wadi settled for a silver medal in the Poland International Boxing Championships being held in Warsaw, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.

Wadi lost the final of his 56kg weight to Kazakhstan’s Sulaiman Elias. Hussein Ishiash won the bronze medal in the 91kg category.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is on his way to reaching the elite level of Lionel Messi, but has no interest in being compared to the prodigious Barcelona striker, manager Juergen Klopp has said.

Salah, 25, struck four goals in Liverpool’s 5-0 thrashing of Watford that lifted them back into third place in the Premier League on Saturday.

The unstoppable Egyptian needed only four minutes to put his side in front and he doubled his tally just before halftime.

He set up Roberto Firmino for a cheeky effort early in the second half before placing a shot through a crowd of Watford defenders to complete his first Liverpool hat-trick.

There was no respite for Watford at a snowy Anfield as the clinical Salah smashed in his fourth goal in the 85th minute — from his fourth shot on target.

The Egypt international moved to 28 league goals, four goals clear of Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot. He has 36 in all competitions this season, the most by a Liverpool player in a debut campaign for the club.

Asked about the similarities in Salah and Messi’s style of play, Klopp said: “Mo is on the way, that’s good. I don’t think that Mo or anybody else wants to be compared with Lionel Messi.”

“He [Messi] has been doing what he’s been doing for what feels like 20 years or so... the last player I know who had the same influence on a team performance was Diego Maradona.” 

The last player to score four goals in a Liverpool shirt was Messi’s current strike partner at Barcelona Luis Suarez. 

The Uruguay international netted a first-half hat-trick before adding another after the break in a 5-1 league victory over Norwich City in 2013.

“Mo is on a fantastic way... but how it always is in life, if you have the skills then you have to show it constantly,” Klopp added. 

“His consistency is good for us. He helps us a lot, the boys love playing with him, he loves playing with them, so it’s good.”

Liverpool, who needed a positive response after losing to Manchester United last week, went off the boil for much of the first half, but Salah tapped in Andy Robertson’s cross close to halftime to move past the 33 goals scored by Fernando Torres in his first season at Anfield in 2007-08.

When his cross picked out Firmino who finished with his back to goal for Liverpool’s third in the 49th minute it was a matter of how many the hosts would score.

Salah sealed his hat-trick when he wriggled into the area and stabbed the ball past Watford keeper Orestis Karnezis and added his side’s fifth when he pounced to smash home a loose ball after another fine Liverpool move.

Watford had decent spells in the first half and Roberto Pereyra did strike the crossbar with a second-half free kick, but they were easy pickings for Klopp’s slick side.

Defeat left Watford in 11th spot, a comfortable eight points above the relegation zone.

“It was a real tough day for the whole team — 5-0 is a pretty embarrassing scoreline,” Watford defender Adrian Mariappa said. “Today Salah was on it and he punished us.”

Liverpool moved to 63 points from 31 games, two behind second-placed Manchester United who have a game in hand. 

AMMAN — Jordan is readying to play Kuwait on Wednesday before playing Vietnam in its final 2019 Asian Cup qualifier on March 27 with the draw for the finals a month away.

This week, Jordan dropped one spot to 117th in the latest FIFA Rankings issued over the weekend. The team’s latest results and ranking means it will not be in best position for the Asian Cup draw. Jordan lately lost to world’s 66th ranked Finland and beat 12th ranked Denmark’s second tier U-21 team during a training camp in Abu Dhabi, as observers pointed out that facing second tier line-ups might not give expected outcomes. The upcoming agenda might include matches against China, Uruguay, Croatia and Albania as coaches try to prepare the team with matches against leading sides.

Jordan has already secured qualification to the Asian Cup finals after topping Group C eliminating relatively unknown teams in the Asian continent. The Kingdom beat Cambodia 7-0, Afghanistan 4-1, and were held 0-0 with Vietnam. In the return leg, Jordan managed a 3-3 draw with Afghanistan and beat Cambodia 1-0 to qualify alongside second place Vietnam.

Jordan is still out of the Asian top 10, trailing Iran (33), Australia (37), Japan (55), South Korea (59), China (65), Saudi Arabia (69), Uzbekistan (72), Palestine (73), Syria (74), the UAE (79), Iraq (83), Lebanon (87), India (99), Qatar (101), Oman (103), Vietnam (113), Turkmenistan (114) and Kyrgyzstan (115).

Germany leads the top 10 world rankings, followed by Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, France and Chile.

Tunisia are the top-ranked Arab team at 23rd, followed by Morocco (42), Egypt (44), Algeria (60) and Saudi Arabia (69).

Jordan ended 2017 in 107th spot — a position it did not better throughout last year. The team is now lagging behind relatively uncompetitive Asian teams compared to its best FIFA Ranking of 37th in August 2004. The lowest ranking was 152nd in 1996.

Since first taking part in Asian Cup qualifiers in 1972, Jordan reached the Asian Championship three times. They also reached the Asian Cup in 2011 and 2015.

After elimination from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, qualifying to the Asian finals was a priority for Jordan who have steadily slid down FIFA Rankings, and the team has had an inconsistent two years compared to 2013 when Jordan was on the verge of qualifying to the 2014 World Cup for the first time and advanced to play then World’s 6th ranked Uruguay in an intercontinental qualifying tie. Jordan lost the home game 5-0 and held the former World Cup champs 0-0 in the away match. Jordan had never reached that far in World Cup qualifying since taking part in qualifiers. Round 3 had been the furthest Jordan reached in the past seven times in the qualifiers since 1986.