Basketball: The number of international players in the NBA has increased 10 per cent from one year ago. A record 101 international players from 37 countries and territories are included in the squads, easily eclipsing last season’s total of 92 players, according to the NBA. Champions San Antonio Spurs lead the league for the third straight season with nine international players, followed by Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets with six each. Canada has 12 international players in the NBA. France follows with 10, while Australia has eight and Brazil seven.

Tennis: World number one Novak Djokovic began his Paris Masters title defence with a routine 6-3 6-4 win over German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round yesterday. The top seed, who had a first-round bye, next faces 13th-seeded American John Isner or Frenchman Gael Monfils for a place in the quarter-finals. Earlier yesterday, Spaniard Fernando Verdasco needed three sets to see off home player Gille Simon 6-3 3-6 6-4.

Cricket: Organisers are confident West Indies will take part at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year despite the crisis caused by their withdrawal from the tour of India earlier this month. West Indies, who won the first two World Cup tournaments in 1975 and 1979, are always among the most popular teams at the 50-over showpiece. John Harnden, the chief executive of the World Cup, said there was a contingency plan in place for a West Indies no-show but doubted it would be needed. “We see that everyone’s very focused on resolving the situation as quickly as possible,” he told reporters.

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