Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Cricket-Australia to postpone Afghanistan test this week – official

Australia will postpone its test match against Afghanistan indefinitely this week to prompt the Asian nation to “rethink” their approach to women’s sport, Cricket Tasmania boss Dominic Baker said on Wednesday. The match against the Afghan men’s team was scheduled for Nov. 27 in Hobart.

ATP roundup: Andy Murray wins San Diego opener

Andy Murray, who produced his best result in an injury-filled season last week, earned a first-round victory Tuesday in the San Diego Open. The three-time Grand Slam champion defeated the United States’ Denis Kudla 6-3, 6-2 in 1 hour, 10 minutes.

Boxing-Manny Pacquiao retires from boxing to chase Philippine presidential bid

Boxing star Manny Pacquiao, who is planning to run for president in the 2022 Philippine elections, said on Wednesday he was retiring from boxing to focus on the biggest fight in his political career https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/boxer-manny-pacquiao-nominated-presidential-candidate-philippines-2022-election-2021-09-19.

Pacquiao, a Philippine senator who has been dividing his time between politics and fighting, made the announcement in a 14-minute video posted on his official Facebook page.

MLB roundup: Cards win 17th straight, seal wild-card bid

Adam Wainwright earned his 17th victory as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the visiting Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 on Tuesday night to clinch a berth in the National League wild-card game. Wainwright (17-7) allowed two runs on seven hits in six innings and drove in a run as the Cardinals extended their team-record winning streak to 17 games. Nolan Arenado homered and drove in two runs while Dylan Carlson and Jose Rondon hit solo homers for the Cardinals.

NFL-New uniform, same Tom Brady: Super Bowl champ set for dramatic Foxborough return

Tom Brady walks into Gillette Stadium in a different uniform but in the familiar role as defending Super Bowl champion on Sunday, playing in New England for the first time as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. The 44-year-old returns to the New England Patriots’ home turf for the first time since he left after two era-defining decades in which he picked up six of his seven Super Bowl titles before shattering hearts among the team’s fanatic base with his departure.

NBA-Unvaccinated players to face extensive COVID-19 curbs: ESPN

NBA players who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 will have to comply with a long list of restrictions to take part in the upcoming season, ESPN https://www.espn.in/nba/story/_/id/32301923/in-memo-teams-nba-crafts-protocols-requiring-unvaccinated-players-many-same-restrictions-rest-league reported. Vaccination is not mandatory but 90% of players already are, NBA Players Association executive director Michele Roberts told Yahoo Sports in July.

Bobsleigh-London long jump champ Rutherford targets Winter Games medal

London 2012 long jump champion Greg Rutherford has secured a place on Britain’s bobsleigh squad, the 34-year-old said, as he looks to become the country’s first athlete to medal at both a Summer and Winter Olympics. Rutherford, who retired from long jump competition in 2018 because of injury, is aiming to help Britain qualify for next year’s Beijing Winter Games.

Horse racing-Trainer Farrelly permanently excluded from British racing

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said trainer Johnny Farrelly has been permanently excluded from racing with no right to review for seven years after being found to have breached safeguarding rules. Farrelly, who has trained from a stable in Somerset since 2013 had five winners this season, was found guilty of six offences under regulations that cover “the protection of young persons and adults at risk”, it added.

Spain allows up to 100% occupancy in outdoor sports venues

Fans in Spain will be allowed from Oct. 1 to fill open-air stadiums up to full capacity and indoor facilities up to 80%, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday. Fans will need to keep a distance of 1.5 meters (4.92 ft)between them and wear a face mask, and will be allowed to drink water, but not to eat or smoke.

Olympics-Hospitalisations during Tokyo 2020 Games higher than initially reported, say organisers

A total of 25 people were hospitalised due to COVID-19 during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, instead of the initially reported five, organisers said on Tuesday evening. “The initial five we reported was the figure for overseas residents who were hospitalised,” explained Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto at a news conference.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)