Reuters Sports Schedule at 0001 GMT on Wednesday, Dec 23

Reuters sports schedule at 0001 GMT on Wednesday: - - - - FIFA French minister questions ban on would-be FIFA chief Platini PARIS - France's sports minister questioned the legitimacy of FIFA's Ethics Committee on Tuesday after it imposed an eight-year ban that appears to have ended his compatriot Michel Platini's chances of becoming head of the world soccer body.(SOCCER-FIFA/PLATINI, moved, 430 words) - - FIFA ethics committee unlikely to stop at Blatter, Platini Largely anonymous, lacking police powers and with its independence sometimes questioned, FIFA's ethics committee has often struggled to be taken seriously in the fight against corruption in soccer's world body. (SOCCER FIFA/BLATTER, moved, by Brian Homewood, 730 words) - - - - SOCCER We will have team news ahead of Saturday's English Premier League games. (SOCCER-ENGLAND/, expect throughout) - - - - ATHLETICS IAAF's Davies steps aside to allow ethics investigation LONDON - Nick Davies, a leading official at the world athletics federation (IAAF), said on Tuesday he would step aside while an ethics committee investigated emails he had sent regarding Russian doping ahead of the 2013 world championships in Moscow. (ATHLETICS CORRUPTION/DAVIES, moved, by Mitch Phillips, 400 words) - - - - CRICKET Australia v West Indies, second test, Melbourne (from 26) Warner faces prospect of building another opening partnership MELBOURNE - David Warner has profited from his opening partnership with Joe Burns but the budding relationship could be nipped in the bud by selectors at the Boxing Day test in Melbourne (CRICKET-AUSTRALIA/WARNER, expect by 0130 GMT / 8:30 ET, by Ian Ransom, 300 words) - - England aim to dethrone test kings South Africa South Africa's status as the top-ranked test-playing nation has been dented after their crushing defeat in India last month and is in danger of being eroded completely by England over the next month or two. (CRICKET-SAFRICA/ (PREVIEW), expect by 0800 GMT/3 AM ET, by Mark Gleeson, 500 words) We will also move a FACTBOX - - - - GOLF Golf Channel chief says future of sport is now Mike McCarley, president of the Golf Channel, says we will look back at 2015 as golf's changing of the guard with a spirited rivalry between Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler growing the game over the next 20 years. (GOLF-CHANNEL/MCCARLEY (INTERVIEW), moved, by Larry Fine, 500 words) - - - - NHL Bruins look for holiday cheer with fourth straight win In the final night of action before the Christmas break, the Boston Bruins try to take over top spot in the Atlantic division when they go for their fourth straight win against the St Louis Blues in one of 10 games on the NHL schedule. (NHL-HIGHLIGHTS/, expect by 0400 GMT/11 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 500 words) - - - - NBA Raptors aim to tame Mavericks Coming off an ugly loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Atlantic division-leading Toronto Raptors attempt to get back on the winning track when they welcome the Dallas Mavericks to the Air Canada Centre in one of four games on the NBA schedule. (NBA-HIGHLIGHTS, expect by 0400 GMT/11 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 500 words) - - Heat bid to put breaks on Pistons One of the top home teams in the NBA, the Miami Heat go for their 13th victory of the season at the AmericanAirlines Arena when they host the Detroit Pistons. (NBA-HEAT/, expect by 0600 GMT/1 AM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 300 words) - - - - NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (expect by 0100 GMT/8 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - - - (Asia desk editor: Nick Mulvenney)