Messages of hope from a world of sport in coronavirus lockdown

Cricket: Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has sent out a special message in Hindi wherein he is urging Indian citizens to adhere to the guidelines issued by the government to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has now turned into a pandemic. Pietersen's post on Twitter read: "Namaste India, hum sab coronavirus ko harane mein ek saath hai , hum sab apne apne sarkar ki baat ka nirdes kare aur ghar me kuch dino ke liye rahe , yeh samay hai hosiyaar rahene ka. App sabhi ko der sara pyaar" which roughly translates "Greetings India. Everyone is united in the fight against coronavirus and everyone should listen to their government's instructions and stay at home for a few days. This is the time to be smart. Loads of love to everyone."

F1: Formula One will run a series of virtual races, with some current drivers taking part, to replace a string of grands prix postponed by the coronavirus outbreak, the sport announced on Friday. The first, run on the official F1 2019 PC video game, will be held on Sunday, when the Bahrain Grand Prix should have been. "Every subsequent race weekend will see the postponed real-world Formula One race replaced with a Virtual Grand Prix," Formula One said. The Esports Virtual Grand Prix Series will run until May. The season-opening Australian and showcase Monaco grands prix have been cancelled with Bahrain, Vietnam, China, the Netherlands and Spain postponed.

Football: England manager Gareth Southgate has urged people to "work together to combat" the coronavirus during the global outbreak with the same spirit they have shown in supporting his team during their improvement over the last two years. In an open letter to fans, Southgate encouraged them to "follow the guidelines for hygiene and also the sensible precautions put in place to control the spread of the virus in order to protect those most vulnerable to its impact. That responsibility lies with us all.'' Southgate also warned of "challenges to our mental wellbeing'' during a period of widespread economic uncertainty and self-isolation amid the coronavirus outbreak, and said: "Look out for each other. Please don't suffer alone.''

Snooker: The world championship has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the World Snooker Tour (WST) announced on Friday. The tournament was scheduled to be played from April 18 to May 4 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The WST said it was aiming to stage the event in July or August instead.

Olympics: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is considering various scenarios for the Tokyo Games amid the coronavirus pandemic but cancellation is not one of them, IOC President Thomas Bach has told the New York Times. Organisers of the world’s biggest multi-sports event have repeatedly said the Games would start on July 24 as scheduled, even as the rapid spread of the flu-like virus has brought sporting events around the globe to a standstill.

Football: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Friday expressed condolences on the death of former India captain, coach and technical director Pradip Kumar Banerjee, who was fondly referred to as PK Banerjee by his vast legion of fans. Banerjee died at a private hospital in Kolkata after a prolonged illness. He was 83.

Cricket: Australian opener David Warner has reportedly pulled out of England's new franchise league The Hundred. Warner's reason to pull out of the tournament however is not the coronavirus pandemic but to make himself available for Australia's ODI series against Zimbabwe. Warner was drafted in Southern Brave for the tournament, which features a new format of the game, in October. According to Western Australian. Today however, the 33-year-old has withdrawn and he could be the first of several players to do so.

NFL: Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper and Bank of America are each donating $1 million to the Covid-19 Response Fund, a community-wide effort in the Carolinas to assist those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The fund has collected more than $7.8 million in donations in just four days.

NBA: Celtics guard Marcus Smart says he has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Celtics said in a statement Thursday night that they received word of a positive COVID-19 test by a player who had been exposed to a known positive case. They didn't identify him, but Smart confirmed it was him in a video posted on Twitter. He added that he is not exhibiting any symptoms and is feeling well thus far.

MLS: Major League Soccer's New York City FC say a member of their sporting department has tested positive for coronavirus. The team say in a statement the person had mild symptoms, is feeling well and is observing appropriate isolation protocols. Players, staff and people believed to have come in close contact have been instructed to self-isolate and report any symptoms. NYC is majority-owned by City Football Group, the parent company of Manchester City.

Formula One: The Monaco Grand Prix is among three Formula One races postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak. The Dutch and Spanish GPs in May were also called off by governing body FIA. It is not yet clear when the first race of the season can be held.