Counties face "losing the power" to elect the next chair of the England & Wales Cricket Board under proposals to introduce a "fully independent board to run the game." The ECB is "going through a review of its governance amid fears" that £5M ($6.5M) of annual government funding will be cut if it does not introduce changes and "is expected to discuss the issue at its next board meeting later this month." Proposals include "cutting the number of county representatives on the ECB executive board from two to one and establishing a nominations committee to decide on future chairmen" (London TELEGRAPH, 7/6).
FAN-FRIENDLY FIXTURES: Australia's National Basketball League Managing Dir Larry Kestelman said that the league's new schedule "will be fan-friendly after reverting most games to weekend dates." The NBL released its schedule for the upcoming season on Thursday, "with the reborn Brisbane Bullets to kick off the season against reigning champions Perth Wildcats in Brisbane" on Oct. 6. The bulk of games will be on Friday, Saturday or Sundays, "with some Thursday and Monday games spread over the season after a Wednesday-to-Sunday format last season." All games "will be shown live on Fox Sports" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 7/7).
ANOTHER ONE: Kenyan police have "detained and are investigating an Italian agent who represents top track and field athletes for facilitating doping, threatening another major drug scandal for the world's No. 1 distance-running nation just a month ahead of the Olympics." A court on Wednesday "granted police more time to investigate Federico Rosa, who formerly represented Rita Jeptoo, the marathon champion who is the highest profile of dozens of Kenyan athletes banned in recent years for doping." Rosa appeared in court Wednesday "but was not charged." Rosa and his father, Gabriele, run the Rosa & Associati athlete management company and "work with a number of Kenyan track stars" (AP, 7/6).
