In other motor-racing news...

Formula One's August shutdown will be brought forward and extended to a mandatory 21 successive days in March and April as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, the governing body FIA said on Wednesday.

The 2020 race calendar has already been suspended, with last weekend's Australian season opener in Melbourne cancelled and the next three races at least postponed. The sport hopes to race again at the end of May.

Here's the full story on Le Mans being postponed:
 

Following the government’s advice that all mass gatherings should be avoided as the United Kingdom goes into a period of social distancing, the ECB moved to suspend recreational cricket across the board, meaning one of the last available sports for the public in Britain will no longer go ahead until further notice.

A meeting on Thursday will be held to discuss the professional side of the game, as the ECB does not have to be rushed into a decision given the season doesn't get underway until 19 April.

West Ham United squad return to training ground as manager Moyes completes self-isolation period

West Ham United manager David Moyes has ended his time in self-isolation after coming into contact with Mikel Arteta earlier in March and says the squad will be back at the club training ground soon.

As with many other clubs, the players have been training away from their usual locale over the past week or so, following individual training programmes.

But that will end in the coming days, with Moyes saying all precautions are being taken to ensure the grounds are safe for the players and staff to return.

"The club made the decision to carry out the tests within the responsibility policy with the people who are part of our family and the results have shown that it was the best way to urgently locate the cases and implement preventive measures to reduce, as far as possible, more infections. The people detected are asymptomatic and in good health."

Toronto Wolfpack set up to fail, claims former director of rugby Brian Noble

Toronto Wolfpack are being held back by a fear factor and rival clubs’ attempts at self-preservation, according to former director of rugby Brian Noble.

The former Great Britain coach, who stepped down from his role with the Canadian club in February after being with them from the start in 2016, has long accused the Rugby Football League of setting the Wolfpack up to fail.

And in an interview with the Forty20 magazine in which he explains the reasons for his departure, Noble says the governing body has no strategy in place to accommodate overseas teams.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy says that the current situation is the biggest challenge he has faced in his time at the club, with the north London's sides end-of-year accounts put forward more as a legal requirement than a current talking point.

The club say all fan-facing events are cancelled and that everyone is working to ensure the current crisis does not undermine the future of the club.

There's no football anywhere in Europe's top leagues until April, but many fear the delay could go far beyond that date.

Over in Italy, sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora was interviewed on TG1 and said that the current hope is for "Serie A to resume on May 3", with a decision to be taken nearer the time on whether that would be with doors open or closed to the public.

The intention would be then to get the season wrapped up by the end of June.

Premier League left-back Adam Masina has watched on as his home nation has effectively locked down the streets and compared it with the slow-seeming reaction to the coronavirus outbreak in England.

The Watford defender, born in Morocco but an Italian U21 international after coming through the Bologna youth system, told Corriere dello Sport that Boris Johnson's government hadn't done enough to protect citizens and had sent out the wrong message initially.

"Of course we are worried, above all for the scarce measures taken so far by the English government, which truly endanger everyone, the young and the old.

"[They worry me] a lot, and now that I’m a father, even more. “Get ready to lose your loved ones”, what kind of statement is that? I don’t understand what games he’s playing.

"It’s an established fact that here in the UK they have underestimated it. Or they don’t care, I don’t know. I hope it won’t be too late when they realise the seriousness of the situation."

West Ham might not be in action for a while yet, but as manager David Moyes has finished his self-isolation period, they'll be back to their training ground soon. The Hammers manager also sent a classy message to supporters to stay safe and do their part, as well as explaining the reasons and safety processes behind the squad's return to training.

"We know that unfortunately COVID-19 is a virus that it will affect many of our lives directly over the coming days, weeks and months.

"Everyone here at the Club is pulling together to support one another and of course, the national effort to delay the spread of the virus with our primary focus being the wellbeing of our colleagues, their families and of course our supporters.

"We have already seen many examples throughout society of human nature at its best in the face of adversity and I encourage you all, more than ever, to look out for one another."

The International Olympic Committee has told athletes "no solution will be ideal" after a number of competitors raised concerns over its plans to press ahead with Tokyo 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Great Britain's heptathlon world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson was among those to speak out on Tuesday, questioning advice from the IOC asking them to prepare "as best they can" for the Games despite social contact and travel being placed under severe restrictions across the world because of the virus.

Johnson-Thompson pointed out the difficulties she and other athletes were facing and wrote in a social media post: "I feel under pressure to train and keep the same routine which is impossible."

The IOC said: "This is an exceptional situation which requires exceptional solutions.

"The IOC is committed to finding a solution with the least negative impact for the athletes, while protecting the integrity of the competition and the athletes' health.

"No solution will be ideal in this situation, and this is why we are counting on the responsibility and solidarity of the athletes."

Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi said the IOC was risking the health of athletes, who feel obliged to continue training despite advice to reduce contact.

Hayley Wickenheiser, an IOC member, said the organisation's conviction that the Games would go ahead was "insensitive and irresponsible given the state of humanity".

The former Canada ice hockey star added: "This crisis is bigger even than the Olympics."

The IOC had said on Tuesday it was fully committed to staging the Games and with four months to go there was no need for any drastic decision to be taken.

PA

Great Britain's ice hockey matches against Hungary next month have been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, Ice Hockey UK has announced.

Britain were due to play two games against Hungary, in Coventry on Tuesday, April 21 and in Nottingham on Wednesday, April 22.

Ice Hockey UK general secretary Andy French, said: "We'd like to apologise to all supporters who had bought tickets for these games, but I am sure everyone will understand why they are cancelled.

"The most important thing right now is everyone's health and well-being - and that comes before anything."

“My football-mad son, who is seven, didn’t ask me when he could watch a game again. He asked me if I will still have a job. The truth is I don’t know, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him that.”

In London on Monday, around 72 hours after the inevitable announcement that elite football will be suspended in Britain due to the coronavirus pandemic, a Premier League matchday steward related his predicament to The Independent.

He had not yet had clarity over his employment in these uncertain times and still hasn’t. He did not want to speak on the record due to this, but warned that “for a lot of us who work in football, it’s not about the loss of the game, but of our livelihoods. There is anxiety. What am I meant to tell my son?”