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Rugby Union: Former South Africa captain Joost van der Westhuizen (picture) is in a critical condition in hospital as he continues to fight Motor Neurone Disease. The 45-year-old World Cup winner has been battling the illness since 2011. A statement posted on the J9 Foundation website said he was taken to hospital yesterday. The organisation was set up by Van der Westhuizen to aid people suffering from MND. Van der Westhuizen is regarded as one of the finest scrum-halves in history. He won 89 caps for the Springboks between 1993 and 2003, and scored 38 tries.
Golf: Sergio Garcia holds a three-shot lead after the second round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic was completed yesterday morning. Play was suspended on Friday after several trees were blown over by strong winds at Emirates Golf Club and those who had not managed to complete their rounds returned on day three to more favourable conditions. Garcia resumed on the sixth hole and reeled off three straight birdies, adding two more on the back nine after a dropped shot on the 12th to record a five-under 67. That left him 12 under for the tournament and two shots clear of fellow Spaniard Nacho Elvira.
Basketball, NBA: Russell Westbrook had his 25th triple-double of the season and 62nd of his NBA career as the Oklahoma City Thunder downed the Memphis Grizzlies 114-102. Westbrook scored 19 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter and weighed in with 13 rebounds and 12 assists, with his seasonal triple-tally the NBA best since Wilt Chamberlain’s 31 in 1968. Isaiah Thomas provided 38 points as the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 113-107.
Cricket: The structure of Test and one-day international cricket appears set for a radical and much-anticipated overhaul after consensus on the future was reached at a high-level meeting. Press Association Sport reported that proposals agreed by the International Cricket Council’s chief executives committee will pave the way for a Test league to be run over each two-year period, and a 13-team ODI format to be introduced too by 2019. There will be no confirmation of plans set to be put forward to the ICC board until the next meeting of the governing body’s top brass in April.
Snooker: Ali Carter scored a 6-2 win over Martin Gould in the semi-finals of the F66.com German Masters and is now just one win away from regaining the title he captured in 2013. Gould’s hopes of defending his title ended as he missed balls at crucial moments. World number 14 Carter, who beat Marco Fu in the 2013 final, goes through to face Stuart Bingham or Anthony Hamilton over 17 frames at the Tempodrom today, with the winner to receive the 80,000 Euro top prize.