Cricket: Paul Sheldon, the chief executive of Surrey, has been approached to become the next secretary/chief executive of MCC. The 52-year-old has already had informal discussions and it is understood that he will hold formal talks with the club in the near future. If he is appointed, he will start work at Lord’s at the end of next season upon the retirement of Roger Knight, who has been in charge of the club since 1993.

Sheldon, whose early career was spent in the publishing industry, will have completed ten years with Surrey at the start of 2006.

Skelton defence

Boxing: Matt Skelton will defend his British heavyweight title against John McDermott at the ExCeL arena, East London, on December 10. Skelton had been due to face Kevin McBride, the Irishman who beat Mike Tyson in June, but he pulled out after contract problems.

Häkkinen signs

Motor racing: Mika Häkkinen, the Formula One world champion in 1998 and 1999, has signed up for a second season in the German DTM touring car championship after coming out of retirement this year. The Finn, 37, finished the season fifth overall.

Drug clampdown

Baseball: Major League players and owners have agreed to toughen penalties for doping use to a 50-game suspension for a failed first test and a lifetime ban for a third, according to reports, which said that a formal announcement was due to be made last night.

Pair staying put

Cricket: Sajid Mahmood and Oliver Newby have signed contract extensions with Lancashire. Mahmood, the 23-year-old fast-medium bowler, has played a single one-day international for England and will spend the winter with the Academy in Loughborough.

Fallen Movistar

Sailing: The Volvo Ocean Race yacht, Movistar, which retired from the first leg after suffering severe damage around the keel, is now thought to have hit debris. When the boat was hauled out at Portimão, in Portugal, it was found to have a broken rudder and daggerboard.

Byrne goes home

Motorcycling: Shane Byrne will return to the British Superbike Championship next year with Rizla Suzuki. The former champion heads back to domestic competition after two seasons in MotoGP, where he struggled on inferior machinery with the likes of Aprilia and Proton KR.