Kiwi gets top ICC job

New Zealand Cricket chairman Greg Barclay has been elected as chairman of the International Cricket Council. It’s a huge step for Barclay and NZC, with the Auckland-based commercial lawyer succeeding Shashank Manohar in the role after heading off Imran Khwaja – the interim chair since Manohar vacated his seat nearly six months ago – after a secret ballot at the governing body’s quarterly meeting. Barclay has been a director of NZC since 2012 and is currently NZC’s representative on the board of the International Cricket Council. He will step down from his position at NZC to lead the ICC in an independent capacity.

New Zealand’s MMA superstar Israel Adesanya has been selected atop the first MMA Power Rankings released by ESPN. The US-based sports media giant’s Power Rankings take into account a fighter’s success, as well as momentum and star power. ESPN said Adesanya, the UFC middleweight champion, has beaten every top challenger. ‘‘And he has done it with a flair befitting his ‘‘Last Stylebender’’ nickname. Whether he’s fighting, speaking, trolling on social media or dancing his way into the octagon, Adesanya is a must-follow personality,’’ ESPN wrote. He heads the rankings from Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor and Jon Jones.