More than 30 women will compete Saturday at Winter Cup, the first meet of this all-important season. That Biles won’t be among them isn’t a surprise, however. She traditionally begins her season at the U.S. Classic, which is later in the spring.

Besides, Biles doesn’t need to do Winter Cup, which many women are using to qualify for the U.S. championships in May. She’s already qualified as a member of last year’s team for the world championships, where she won, well, everything.

Biles led the U.S. women to the team gold before winning her sixth all-around title. She also won gold on balance beam and floor exercise and a silver on vault. The five medals gave her 37 at the world championships and Olympics, making her the most-decorated gymnast of all time, male or female.

Biles and her husband, Green Bay Packers safety Jonathan Owens, are actually on vacation this weekend, based on their Instagram posts. But expect to see her at Classic, which is May 17-19 in Hartford, Connecticut.

Apple TV released its Lionel Messi documentary – Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend – on the opening week of the 2024 MLS season.

Messi has been a vehicle for success for Apple TV since his arrival to Inter Miami last summer, and his latest documentary offers fans a behind-the-scenes glance at his crowning achievement (spoiler alert) winning at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“It’s all about what a fan would want, getting on the inside and being able to feel what did Messi go through, what did it feel like when they lost, and the second guessing and the thoughts you have about your career, and everything,” Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue said during a meeting with MLS media before Inter Miami’s season opener this week.

Here are 5 things to know about Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend on Apple TV.

How did Apple land Messi’s World Cup documentary?

Messi and Apple came to an agreement to document Argentina’s World Cup run about three months before the tournament, thanks to an introduction by Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas.

This was before Mas signed Messi last summer to join Inter Miami and MLS, to which Cue said: “He had this dream of signing Messi, and I thought he was crazy. Crazy people do amazing things sometimes.”

“Sometimes, you get lucky,” Cue said of the arrangement.

Cue candidly shared similar feelings many Argentina fans experienced after they lost to Saudi Arabia in their first match at the World Cup while the documentary was being filmed.

“I thought it was a really cool idea. And then they lost to Saudi Arabia in the first game. I’m like ‘Oh my God, what an idiot. That was a smart move.’ And then it turns into one of the greatest sporting events,” Cue said.

“What he’s done given his career and everything, I don’t think it would have been completed the way he did it, and to be playing as the best player at that level and winning was amazing.

Did Lionel Messi play in his last World Cup?

Messi approached the tournament experience like it was his last World Cup. But there was one moment during the first episode where Messi said, “This could be my last World Cup.”

If Messi is fit, and wants to play for Argentina in 2026, he would be welcomed with open arms. But that’s a discussion for a later time. In the meantime, Messi appeared like he’s still in the prime of his career during his 2024 season opener with Inter Miami.

“I will be 36 in June, and due to age and timing, this will be my last World Cup,” Messi said in the documentary.

Messi’s World Cup documentary was about heartbreak before the joy

Apple did a great job showcasing every bout of adversity Argentina experienced at the 2022 World Cup with previous moments in Messi’s national career where he experienced heartbreak.

Among them: The failed Messi-Maradona pairing at the 2010 World Cup. Losing to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final. Falling to Chile in the 2015 Copa America final. Messi’s abrupt retirement after falling to Chile again in the 2016 Copa America Centenario final. And Argentina’s exit in the Round of 16 by France at the 2018 World Cup.

Each moment led to Argentina’s inevitable World Cup win over France in 2022.

Messi’s battle against Mbappe, France is an important soccer moment

More than Argentina vs. France, the 2022 World Cup final was also about Lionel Messi vs. Kylian Mbappe – the soccer stars, who were teammates at Paris Saint-Germain at the time.

It could have been a match that passed the torch between two of the biggest names in soccer. More so, it could have been Mbappe snatching the crown as the world’s best player if he and France won their second straight World Cup days before his 24th birthday.

Instead, Messi showed his brilliance and received help from his Argentine teammates in the penalty shootout, leading to his crowning achievement.

Messi enjoyed being around his Argentina teammates

For card games in his hotel room to practices and bus rides, Messi thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his Argentine teammates.

As a result, Messi’s teammates played for him at the World Cup.

“It was important for us to help him crown his career,” Chelsea standout Enzo Fernández said. “The team always had the sense of wanting to win it for Leo, who had given so much to all Argentineans and to all our us as a team as well.”

PHOENIX – Time will tell on his game. But there’s just no questioning the name.

Of course, we’re talking about Brewer Hicklen, non-roster invitee to major-league spring training with the Milwaukee Brewers.

If ever there were a marketing match made in heaven between player and franchise, this one is it as the 28-year-old native of Huntsville, Alabama, will spend the next few weeks engaged in an uphill battle to earn a spot in a Milwaukee outfield bursting at the seams with talent.

Hicklen already has heard the jokes a bunch, and even he can’t deny the serendipity.

‘Yeah, it is pretty cool,’ he said. ‘It’s just a family name. It was my great- great-grandmother’s maiden name, so my mom decided that she liked it. I had never met another Brewer until a couple years ago, and then this past year in Omaha in Triple-A with the Royals I met a baby that was named Brewer because they saw the scoreboard and liked the name.

All things Brewers: Latest Milwaukee Brewers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

‘There’s some more Brewers out there. There’s not a ton, but it’s pretty a unique and uncommon name and I’m really excited. I hope the marketing team will have a good time trying to put something together if I do something cool.’

Hicklen was known for more than his first name before signing a minor-league deal with Milwaukee in late November.

An accomplished two-way athlete in high school, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Hicklen carried his dual talents to the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where he played wide receiver on the football team (which disbanded in 2014 but revived in 2016) and hit .308 with a .911 OPS in 107 games for the Blazers over 2016 and 2017.

‘I feel like I’m kind of a power-speed duo that you don’t necessarily get,’ Hicklen said. ‘I kind of have that hard-headed, hard-nosed, gridiron way that I approach the game. Any time I’m between the white lines I’m going to put my best foot forward. You never know when your last day is going to be playing this game, so I don’t take for granted any day or any game.’

Hicklen has spent most of his time in minor leagues

Kansas City drafted Hicklen in the seventh round in 2017 and he steadily ascended through the Royals’ minor-league system before making his major-league debut on May 26, 2022 with a start in Minnesota.

Hicklen’s stay was brief, however. He logged four at-bats over six games, was sent back down to Class AAA Omaha and has been seeking a return to baseball’s highest level since.

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired Hicklen for cash last August, but after he played 11 games at Class AAA Lehigh Valley he was cut loose, leading to his signing with the Brewers.

‘Any time you get another year to play the game that you’ve dreamed of playing your entire life, it’s a blessing,’ said Hicklen, a .262 hitter with 25 home runs, 90 runs batted in and an OPS of .829 in 577 games in the minors. ‘So, I’m truly excited for a new chapter with the Milwaukee Brewers. I’ve been welcomed with open arms, I’ve met a lot of great people in the organization and I’m excited for new beginnings.’

Hicklen is also realistic about what lies ahead with Cactus League play kicking off Saturday.

Of the eight outfielders in camp, seven are on the 40-man roster and Hicklen isn’t one of them. He’s undoubtedly done the math and knows that, barring a series of unexpected events, that he’s more than likely destined for Class AAA Nashville.

‘I think that’s one thing, as you continue to stay in the game longer, you mature and really just focus on what you can control and what you do,’ Hicklen said. ‘That’s something that I’ve developed over the last couple years, is just trying to embrace each and every day for its own and just go out there and get 1% better.

‘That’s the only thing that I can control. I just put my best foot forward and hopefully upper management and the front office will make the decision to push me there. But at the end of the day, I can only do my best.’

Manager Pat Murphy was asked, tongue-in-cheek, if Hicklen’s first name had any bearing on his signing.

‘He’s an impressive human and an impressive player,’ he said. In a camp already full of Murphy-bestowed nicknames, Hicklen already has been dubbed, you guessed it, ‘Bernie.’

‘Speed, power. I’m excited about him,’ Murphy continued. ‘I don’t care what the first names are.’

Perhaps the stars will align and Hicklen will make it to Milwaukee. Imagine what a PR bonanza and fan favorite he could end up being.

‘I saw that there’s only a handful of people, I think five or six guys, that have played for a team that (shared) a name,’ Hicklen said. ‘Angels, a guy named Red. Only a handful, so hopefully I get the opportunity to make the opportunity a reality this year.’

It was the chamber — down under.

The final premium live event before WrestleMania, the 2024 Elimination Chamber took place in Australia for the country’s first WWE pay-per-view event in more than five years. Five matches made up the Saturday night − or early Saturday morning in the U.S. − slate, highlighted by the men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber matches with a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 40 on the line. Even with WrestleMania spots up for grabs, the main even of the night was Rhea Ripley defending the WWE Women’s World Championship in her home country against Nia Jax.

So who is going to WrestleMania 40? Here’s a recap of all the action from Australia:

WWE Women’s World Championship match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax

It was quite the scene seeing someone as menacing as Ripley soak in the moment of performing in front of her own country, especially with her family in attendance, really telling how special this night was for the Women’s World Champion.

Ripley started off the match strong, but it was a brief moment before Jax became to impose her will over Ripley. The challenger played the role of heel well by taunting Ripley’s family and the crowd. There were moments where Ripley looked to be getting on offense, but Jax would shut down any opportunity, including delivering a Samoan drop off the turnbuckles. But Ripley finally got a chance to attack, and she went to her aerial game with a frog splash. Ripley tried to take Jax through the announcer’s table, but Jax countered by delivering a leg drop through the table. Jax went for the pin after landing an Annihilator, but Ripley kicked out.

Jax then tried to go off the top rope, but Ripley met her up there to execute a superplex that got the crowd amped. After that, Ripley hit a Riptide on the challenger to retain her title in her homeland, and officially set a date with Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 40.

Men’s Elimination Chamber match

Drew McIntyre can say something CM Punk can’t: He’s going to WrestleMania.

It was a fantastic pair to start the match, with crowd favorite LA Knight and player-hater of the year contender Drew McIntyre getting the crowd heavily involved early. Kevin Owens was the first man to appear from the pods, and his aggressive nature carried the pace of the match while taunting the other stars awaiting their turn to enter the ring.

A somewhat underrated star in recent months, Bobby Lashley got the crowd support as he displayed his athleticism with each strike delivered. Randy Orton then came in and quickly got into his vintage form, but when he did his DDT outside of the ring on Owens, he immediately grabbed at his back and appeared to be in extreme discomfort with anything he did afterwards. Logan Paul was the final competitor to enter the match, and he was immediately attacked by rival Owens inside the pod. The hits didn’t stop there, and Lashley gave the best move of the match when he speared Paul right through the pod. 

With all competitors in the match, the pins started coming. Lashley’s shining time didn’t last long after McIntyre delivered a Claymore on Lashley and pinned him for the first elimination. LA Knight landed a BFT on McIntyre and went for the pin, but AJ Styles interfered by delivering chair shots and a Styles Clash to the megastar before he was pinned by McIntyre, likely setting up a WrestleMania match between the two. It was finishers galore after that, set up with Orton connecting with an RKO to eliminate Owens.  

Down to the final three, Paul took out McIntyre after he delivered a splash off the top of a pod, and when he went to finish the job with his infamous brass knuckles, Orton did a RKO out-of-nowhere on the United States Champion and eliminated him. Orton gained the momentum over McIntyre and was setting up another RKO, but McIntyre avoided it. McIntyre went for his finisher when Orton scored an RKO. Orton was set up to win, but Paul came back to deliver a blow with the brass knuckles to Orton. McIntyre then crawled over to Orton to pin him and win, setting himself a date with Seth Rollins at WrestleMania. 

McIntyre has been a fantastic heel recently, and the buildup to the championship match with Rollins at WrestleMania will be nothing short of entertaining. 

Grayson Waller hosts ‘The Grayson Waller Effect’ with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes

It was a delight to see Waller get some love in his home country, including doing a ‘shoey’ with UFC fighter Tai Tuivasa, but even in Australia, there’s no denying the support Cody Rhodes has with the WWE Universe.

Rollins revealed he is ‘days away’ from being medically cleared to compete, a big win for WWE as it’ll be full-on WrestleMania season after this weekend. Rhodes then made an announcement of his own, revealing his desire to go against The Rock in a match at ‘anytime, any place.’ Rollins then told Rhodes that if The Rock accepts the challenge, the champion said he would have Rhodes’ back.

Austin Theory interjected and invoked a promo like The Rock, but Rollins and Rhodes weren’t having any of it, attacking the former United States Champion with a Cross Rhodes and curb stomp.

It has been expect The Rock and Rhodes would meet in a match, but Rollins acknowledging he will be in Rhodes’ corner fuels more speculation that this could end up being a tag team match against The Rock and Reigns.

Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match: Finn Bálor and Damian Priest (c) vs. Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate

Dunne and Bate have been a breath of fresh air in the tag team division, and their brute attitude in getting this match off to a frenzy start set the tone for a fast-paced match.

It didn’t take long for the champions to gain control of the match, but once Dunne was able to get into the match for a beat-up Bate, the intensity somehow picked up even more than it did in the beginning. After falling behind again for a bit, Bate got in control and gave Priest a long-lasting helicopter spin that wooed the crowd. The challengers looked like they could secure the pin, but Dominik Mysterio interfered to stop the pin before he was kicked out of the match by the referees.

It was back-and-forth with near pins from both sides afterward, and when The Judgment Day members went for the finisher, Bate countered to set up a tough offensive display from the challengers. They weren’t able to pin Priest, but continued to tee off on him. When things got taken to the top rope, Bálor was able to give Priest enough time to recover. Priest delivered a double chokeslam, setting Bálor up for the Coup de Grace on Dunne to secure the pin and giving The Judgment Day their first win of the night one of the best tag matches of the year so far.

Women’s Elimination Chamber match

The Man is headed back to WrestleMania.

Decorated stars in Lynch and Naomi showed off their veteran skills with quick-hitting sequences to get the flow of the match off to a fast-paced start, highlighted by Naomi executing a split leg drop off the chains.

The crowd made it known early it was pulling for Stratton, so there was palpable buzz once she was the first competitor let out of the pods, displaying the power that has made her a quick rising star in NXT. Morgan was the next person let into the match, and she went right after Stratton by throwing her continuously into the tough glass. But Stratton would be the first one to get an elimination, picking up a surprise pin off Naomi just before Rodriguez entered the ring.

Belair was the final competitor to enter the match and she went to town quickly before having a confrontation with Rodgriguez, with both trying to out-power each other. The high-flying moves then came in, highlighted by Stratton hitting a swanton bomb off the on of the pods onto Rodriguez, Belair and Lynch. But the success didn’t last long; Stratton was setting up to eliminate Morgan, but she countered to get the pinfall on Stratton. Not long after, Belair eliminated Rodriguez after landing a K.O.D.

The final three competitors went back-and-forth, trying to execute finishers on each other but it was counters galore. Belair was going for the K.O.D. on Lynch, but when Lynch got out of it, Morgan snuck up on “The EST” to get the pinfall. With Morgan not paying attention, Lynch got the Manhandle Slam on Morgan, and she got the pin to get the victory and secure her spot for a championship match at WrestleMania 40. The match had several great spots, including Stratton showcasing why she’s a future main event star, and the women once again delivered an electric start to a premium live event.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match: The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) (c) vs. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell

It was a great decision to have Hartwell compete in front of her home country, and her getting some early shots in got the crowd hyped before the event officially began. The chants for Hartwell were also great spots.

Eventually, the champions took control of the match, showing off their chemistry with fast yet hard hitting moves on LeRae. It took some time, but when LeRae tagged in Hartwell, the crowd got loud to see their native star put in some work as she displayed power on Sane and Asuka.

There were some near pins for the challengers, but Sane interrupted the momentum from the challengers and LeRae was left on her own. Asuka then set Sane up for the Insane Elbow, flying high to drop one of the best finishers in the women’s division to get the pin and retain the titles.

It was hard to imagine the tag team champions losing their titles in kickoff event, but it was a solid opening to the day, and the standing ovation for Hartwell − even after defeat − was heartwarming.

Watch: Elimination Chamber 2024 kickoff

When is Elimination Chamber 2024?

Elimination Chamber is Saturday, Feb. 24.

What time does Elimination Chamber 2024 start?

The 2024 Elimination Chamber begins at 6 p.m. Australian Western Standard Time, so it’ll be a very early morning for viewers in the U.S.

Elimination Chamber will begin at 5 a.m. ET/2 a.m. PT.

Where is Elimination Chamber 2024?

The 2024 Elimination Chamber will be at Optus Stadium in Perth, Western Australia. 

How to watch Elimination Chamber 2024

The event can be streamed on Peacock, but you must have their premium or premium-plus subscription to watch. Internationally, it will be available on WWE Network.

Elimination Chamber 2024 match card

Matches not in order

Men’s Elimination Chamber match
Women’s Elimination Chamber match
WWE Women’s World Championship match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match: Finn Bálor and Damian Priest (c) vs. Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate
Grayson Waller hosts ‘The Grayson Waller Effect’ with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match: The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) (c) vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell

Elimination Chamber 2024 predictions

Men’s Elimination Chamber match winner: Drew McIntyre.
Women’s Elimination Chamber match winner: Becky Lynch.
WWE Women’s World Championship match: Rhea Ripley (c) defeats Nia Jax.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match: Finn Bálor and Damian Priest (c) defeats Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match: The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) (c) defeat Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell.

Who is in the men’s Elimination Chamber match?

The six men competing to be the No. 1 contender for a title match against WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40 are:

Drew McIntyre
Randy Orton
Bobby Lashley
LA Knight
Kevin Owens
Logan Paul

Who is in the women’s Elimination Chamber match?

The six women competing to be the No. 1 contender for a title match against the winner of the WWE Women’s World Championship match at WrestleMania 40 are:

Becky Lynch
Bianca Belair
Liv Morgan
Naomi
Tiffany Stratton
Raquel Rodriguez

How does the Elimination Chamber match work?

Introduced to WWE in 2002, the Elimination Chamber match puts six stars in an enclosed steel structure that surrounds the ring and the area right outside of it.

The match starts with two competitors, while the other four participants are locked in pods that are just outside of the ring. Every five minutes, a new competitor is randomly selected to be released from the pod and into the match. 

Since it’s an elimination match, competitors are eliminated if they are pinned or submitted, as there are no disqualifications. Whoever is the last person remaining after everyone else has been eliminated at the end of the match is the winner. 

Saturday will be the 33rd and 34th Elimination Chamber match in history. Since its inception, the match has served as championship match or winner gets a championship match at WrestleMania.

Men’s Elimination Chamber history

There have been 27 men’s Elimination Chamber matches, with current WWE chief content officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque having the most wins at four. Here are all the list of winners, and what they won the match for:

2002: Shawn Michaels for the World Heavyweight Championship
2003: Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship
2005: Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship
2006: John Cena for the WWE Championship
2006: Bobby Lashley for the ECW World Championship
2008: The Undertaker for a World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 24
2008: Triple H for a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 24
2009: Triple H for the WWE Championship
2009: Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship
2010: John Cena for the WWE Championship
2010: Chris Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship
2011: Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship
2011: John Cena for a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 27
2012: CM Punk for the WWE Championship
2012: Daniel Bryan for the World Heavyweight Championship
2013: Jack Swagger for a World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 29
2014: Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
2015: The New Day for the WWE Tag Team Championship
2015: Ryback for the Intercontinental Championship
2017: Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship
2018: Roman Reigns for a WWE Universal Championship match at WrestleMania 34
2019: Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship
2020: The Miz and John Morrison for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship
2021: Daniel Bryan for a WWE Universal Championship match
2021: Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship
2022: Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship
2023: Austin Theory for the United States Championship

Women’s Elimination Chamber history

The women’s Elimination Chamber match was introduced in 2018 and there have been five matches. Here are all the list of winners, and what they won the match for:

2018: Alexa Bliss for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship
2019: Bayley and Sasha Banks for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
2020: Shayna Baszler for a WWE Raw Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 36
2022: Bianca Belair for a WWE Raw Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 38
2023: Asuka for a WWE Raw Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 39

As the United States gears up to co-host its first ever International Cricket Council tournament, the Men’s T20 World Cup this June, tournament director Fawwaz Baksh says that this event is just the beginning of a new chapter of the sport in the country.

‘The U.S. has always been part of I.C.C. and cricket,’ said Baksh, speaking to USA TODAY over the phone from West Indies. ‘It’s a massive market, and cricket, and I won’t say it’s new to the U.S., but it’s not as popular as other sports. And part of the objective to grow the sport [here].’

Baksh said that Major League Cricket (MLC) opened doors for T20 cricket in the U.S. with its debut season in the summer of last year. The majority of the matches were played in front of sold-out crowds in Texas and North Carolina.

‘They basically did a lot of the groundwork for us by getting the sport introduced to the U.S.,’ said Baksh. ‘They had very good crowds.’

US was an ‘obvious choice’ for 2024 T20 World Cup, says tournament director

When the time came to decide the host countries for the ninth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, U.S. was one of the ‘obvious’ choices, said Baksh.

Besides a developing appetite for the sport in the U.S., stimulated by the growing diaspora, especially from South Asia where cricket is huge, the U.S. also offered a ‘discipline-loving party atmosphere’ and exciting locations where matches could be played.

Baksh said that the U.S., as co-hosts with the West Indies, presented ‘a perfect cocktail for a very, very great tournament’. West Indies has previously hosted several I.C.C tournaments including the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2007 and 2010, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2018 and most recently the ICC Men’s Under 19 World Cup in 2022. ‘

‘Tremendous’ response

That appears to have been a good call because ballot applications for match tickets received a ‘tremendous’ response from within the U.S.

‘We expected that to have a good interest in tickets, both in the West Indies and the U.S., especially the novelty of being a World Cup,’ Baksh said to USA TODAY. ‘But the response we’ve got is actually very, very exciting. Very well beyond our expectations actually.’

‘At the end of the pilot period [of the public ballot], we [had] almost close to 6 million tickets requests for the tournament,’ added the tournament director. ‘So, it’s been a really good response from people across the region.’

Baksh said that ‘quite a bit’ of the response came from within the U.S. and that all matches in the country were ‘oversubscribed’. The much-awaited Pakistan vs. India match to be held in New York on Jun. 9 was ‘more than 200-times oversubscribed’, according to the I.C.C.

‘Being a new market, you’re not always sure what the response will be, but it was almost an easy job getting people in,’ he said. ‘They definitely want to see the magic.’

Matches in the U.S. are scheduled to be held at stadiums in Fort Lauderdale, Dallas and New York.

While the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas and the Central Broward Park in Lauderhill have limited seating capacities of 7,200 and 20,000 respectively, New York is setting up a 34,000-seat modular stadium in Eisenhower Park on Long Island to host the tournament.

Despite the managing committee’s best efforts, scores of fans were unable to secure tickets for their preferred matches.

‘It’s an unfortunate reality that not everyone who applied for tickets will get tickets,’ Baksh said Friday. ‘I wish everyone could get a ticket but that’s just not possible.’

Baksh is hopeful that tickets for some matches may become available if sponsors and other stakeholders return tickets to the pool. He encourages those wishing to attend the matches to keep an eye on the ticket portal for a chance to secure tickets for the matches of their choice.

‘I encourage fans to keep checking but if they’re still unsuccessful, they can still enjoy the tournament and feel part of the action by visiting the fan parks and participating in the many activities that will be planned leading up to the tournament and around tournament time,’ he added.

Baksh told USA TODAY that the I.C.C. is planning a lot of fun activities to engage cricket fans and help new ones learn and familiarize themselves with the game.

‘A big part of this tournament is not only what’s going to happen on the field with the players, but also everything outside of the stadium,’ said Baksh. ‘We will make it a real carnival-like.’

But will it be able to generate the same amount of euphoria the Super Bowl does? Baksh is confident that his team and him ‘will put up a very good show,’ though planning for that is still in its early stages.

‘We’re going to do something big for the opening game in Dallas,’ Baksh said. ‘We need to celebrate the tournament.’

Putting their words into action, the I.C.C. kick-started celebrations for the upcoming tournament with an ‘Out of this World’ campaign featuring larger-than-life cricket balls in nine host locations including in Times Square in New York City and in Bridgetown in Barbados to mark 100 days to go for the event.

England’s Liam Plunkett and former captain of the West Indies cricket team Dwayne Bravo participated in the launch, hitting sixes with local fans and players in New York on Thursday, while Chris Gayle celebrated the launch in the West India.

Tournament will be more inclusive

The upcoming tournament will also mark the debut of several teams, including the U.S. and Canada, in an I.C.C. event and T20 cricket.

‘The great thing about this tournament that is more inclusive,’ said Baksh. ‘Instead of the usual 16 teams, we booked up to 20, which means a lot more people across the world had the opportunity to play a bigger stage.’

Leaving a lasting legacy

While putting together a good tournament for all those involved is Baksh’s primary focus, the tournament director also wants to ensure that the event leaves a lasting legacy, one that stays with the audiences, fans and players long after they have exited the stadium.

‘I also want to make sure that there’s a legacy after the tournament,’ Baksh said. ‘I hope for this sport to keep growing in the U.S.’

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler was one of four players ejected Friday evening after a scuffle broke out between the Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans in the fourth quarter.

The incident started when Heat forward Kevin Love committed a hard foul on the Pelicans’ Zion Williamson under the basket with 11:19 remaining as the Heat led the Pelicans, 84-80. After the foul, the Pelicans’ Naji Marshall ran to his teammate’s defense and pushed Love from over Williamson.

Then chaos ensued. Butler pushed Marshall, his hand running up by Marshall’s neck. Marshall retaliated by putting his hand around Butler’s neck to choke him. The teams were eventually separated before another scuffle broke out between the Pelicans’ Jose Alvarado and the Heat’s Thomas Bryant, who both appeared to throw punches at each other.

In the end, Butler, Bryant, Marshall and Alvarado were all ejected from the game. Butler, who finished the night with 23 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals, flexed his muscles to the crowd before leaving the floor.

The Heat beat the Pelicans 106-95.

Here’s how the fight broke out:

“I don’t think I should have gotten thrown out of the game,” Butler said afterwards.

Butler believes that Williamson flopped on the play that touched off the scuffle, and said the former No. 1 overall pick “knew he shouldn’t have did that.”

“Then (Marshall) came and put his hands on K-Love and that’s how it all escalated,” Butler said.

Williamson said he ‘wasn’t tripping about K-Love because he actually protected me on my fall.’

“All of a sudden I see Butler kind of lunging toward Naji, so I’m trying to get there like, ‘Yo, relax, like what’s going on?” Williamson said.

‘You never want to see that,’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ‘Once it was all done, the response was appropriate – discipline, physicality, force, but not going over the top.’

Spoelstra believes the situation spiraled out of control thanks in part to ‘a misunderstanding of the play’ involving Love and Williamson.

‘I think Zion slipped on the play when K-Love grabbed him and it looked a lot worse than what it was. And then everybody kind of overreacted.

‘I think they interpreted that K-Love threw (Williamson) down. On K-Love’s best day, I don’t think he could throw him down.’

Despite the tense moment, both teams appeared to appreciate the response of the players.

“It’s people competing – people riding for their teammates,” Williamson said.

Spoelstra said the intensity on the court that led to the melee ‘is what competitors want. It’s what the fans want. It’s what everybody wants and sometimes it boils over unfortunately.”

“We’ll just see what happens from the league,” Spoelstra said. “Everybody’s intentions were right at first but you get a bunch of competitive people out there and it kind of boiled over.”

Candice LeRae is… mum!

The WWE star competed at the 2024 Elimination Chamber in Perth, Australia Saturday with Australia-native Indi Hartwell in a WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match against The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane), and she used a popular Australian show as inspiration for her outfit.

LeRae’s outfit was inspired by Chilli Heeler, also known as mum, from the hit animated TV show ‘Bluey.’ Before the event, she teased her gear on Instagram with the caption ‘mum’ and a dog paw on it. When she came out in the kickoff match, her costume closely resembled the mother figure in the Australian show, even down to the fur marks.

WWE fans watching the premium live event caught onto the inspiration.

It wasn’t just a random nod to ‘Bluey’ for LeRae, as her and her husband, fellow WWE wrestler Johnny Gargano, are fans of the animated series alongside their son, Quill. In January, LeRae posted a photo of the family donning ‘Bluey’ baseball jerseys at Disney World.

MURRAY, Utah (AP) — Golden Richards, the former Dallas Cowboys receiver known for his flowing blond hair who famously caught a touchdown pass off a gadget play in the 1978 Super Bowl, died Friday of congestive heart failure at his home in Murray. He was 73.

Richards’ nephew, Lance Richards, confirmed the death in a Facebook post.

“My uncle Golden passed away peacefully this morning,” Lance Richards wrote. “I will forever remember going hunting and talking Dallas Cowboy football. He was a kind and sweet soul and I’m so happy he’s not suffering anymore.”

The former BYU star spent seven seasons in the NFL with Dallas, Chicago and Denver, and is best known for his five-plus seasons as a deep-play threat with the Cowboys. He twice averaged more than 21 yards per catch, finishing his time in Dallas with an 18.3 career mark.

That was especially evident in the 1978 Super Bowl against Denver. With the Cowboys ahead 20-10 in the fourth quarter, fullback Robert Newhouse threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Richards, who got behind the defense to all but assure the Cowboys of their second championship.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Richards finished his career with 122 receptions for 2,136 yards and 17 TDs before injuries prompted him to retire in 1980.

A Salt Lake City native, he starred at Granite High School, then at nearby BYU, where he was a receiver and punt returner, leading the nation as a junior with four returns for TDs.

Richards played his final college season at Hawaii, catching 23 passes for 414 yards and five touchdowns. That caught the eye of the Cowboys, who drafted him in the second round in 1973.

The Deseret News said Richards struggled with health problems and drug addiction after retiring, but was sober over his final 10 years.

“Seven or eight years of wear and tear on the football field for a 175-pound wide receiver who was concussed several times, too,” brother Doug Richards, a former BYU basketball player, told the newspaper. “That obviously took its toll.”

Richards was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011 and lived with adult sons Goldie Jr. and Jordan in his later years. Doug Richards said his brother broke his hip on Christmas in 2022 and had four hip surgeries.

“He has left us and gone to a better place,” Doug Richards said. “He fought pretty good there to the end, until it was his time.”