Rishi Sunak should stick with plans drawn up by his predecessor Sajid Javid, who was lining up a cut in income tax from 20p in the pound to 18p.

Far better if this short-term support becomes the first step on the road to fundamental reform of business rates, which are widely loathed and discredited, writes RUTH SUNDERLAND.

RUTH SUNDERLAND: The terrifying collapse in share prices since the coronavirus started to spread worldwide is taking a vicious toll on the wealth of nations.

'It is not inevitable at this stage that the epidemic will trigger a meltdown, but if it does, the most likely transmission mechanism is a tsunami of corporate debt', says Ruth Sunderland.

RUTH SUNDERLAND: It hasn't helped that the first to hold out the begging bowl is Virgin, which is part-owned by US giant Delta and partly by billionaire Sir Richard Branson.

RUTH SUNDERLAND: How bad can it get? That's the question on the lips of investors, from the largest Wall Street operators to the most modest pension saver.

As we enter one of the worst financial disasters this country has ever known, the two men in charge of saving the economy have been in their jobs for less than two months between them.

RUTH SUNDERLAND: The airline industry can be accused of many sins. It is infested with brassy billionaires, such as the avaricious Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder of EasyJet (pictured).

RUTH SUNDERLAND: Once again, the banks are in the dock, this time for letting down hundreds of thousands of firms in their hour of direst need.

Covid-19 should be the trigger for wholesale change. Once and for all, there must be a reckoning with the morally bankrupt moguls who put profits before the safety of their staff.

Logical thinking is one of the first casualties in situations of great stress, which must be the explanation for the way dividends are being demonised in the pandemic.

Coronavirus must be beaten everywhere, or it is not beaten at all. If we can get the virus under control, the IMF reckons that world economy could start to recover by the end of this year - but that is a big if.

The Chinese economy is suffering badly from coronavirus and a draconian lockdown, but this is unlikely to curb its onward march for very long - and that should concern us all.

Even before coronavirus, the World Economic Forum was increasingly irrelevant and seen as a byword for the narcissism of an elite. The creed of globalisation is under challenge.

It was only ever meant to be a bridge to tide employers over a short-term loss of trade. And however much we might hope not, a wave of redundancies seems inevitable.

RUTH SUNDERLAND COLUMN: If ministers let Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic crash into the ground, we will all be the poorer for it.

RUTH SUNDERLAND: Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has injected a very welcome dose of hope into an atmosphere of almost unrelenting despair since replacing Mark Carney.

England paceman Jofra Archer has revealed his delight at signing a two-year contract extension at Sussex which will keep him at the club until at least the end of the 2021 season.

Heather Knight called on the ICC to change their rain rules after England's dream of reaching the T20 World Cup final was washed away in Sydney.

There has been only one recorded case on the island to date but the squad are taking a proactive approach with all players and backroom staff provided with an 'immunity pack' for the Test tour

PAUL NEWMAN IN KATUNAYAKE, SRI LANKA: England were only facing an inexperienced Sri Lanka Cricket XI but Parkinson bowled with accuracy and varied his pace intelligently.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY PAUL NEWMAN IN COLOMBO: Silverwood is relaxed and thoughtful as he sits in the cafe of England's hotel ahead of his third Test series in his first six months.

Ben Stokes has been withdrawn from England's tour match in Sri Lanka due to an abdominal issue which team management insist is unrelated to Coronavirus concerns.

STUART BROAD: It was quite an eerie feeling on Friday when Joe Root addressed us to let us know that the tour of Sri Lanka was off. We felt quite a long way from the levels of worry in England.

PAUL NEWMAN: David Warner yesterday became the first big name to pull out of the ECB's new Hundred competition to concentrate on international cricket.

Jos Buttler and Ian Bell have been keeping themselves entertained at home whilst being quarantined due to the coronavirus. The England wicket-keeper was seen doing pilates.

The ECB are soon to outline details of the financial support package they will offer counties who will hit problems because the start of the domestic season has been delayed due to coronavirus.

Jos Buttler, reaching out, almost at full stretch. Where have we seen that before? It is an image carved into the memory of every sports fan in the country. 

England's star cricketers have been nonplussed by reports that they will be expected to take pay cuts of up to £200,000 as the game repositions its finances because of the coronavirus crisis.

Joe Root has issued a warning about player burnout this winter as England's cricketers face a fixture pile-up caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY PAUL NEWMAN: Ben Foakes has revealed the 'mental burn-out' that led to him losing his passion for cricket - before an extended break saw 'the fire come back'.

Professional Cricketers' Association remain resistant to pay cuts for their membership as counties seek to lessen the financial burdens pressed upon them by the coronavirus crisis.

Sir Andrew Strauss has admitted to mistakes in the way he handled Kevin Pietersen during the dispute that was to ultimately tear one of the best of all England teams apart.

RICHARD GIBSON: The 31-year-old represents another arrival straight from his country's Test team, having featured in their most recent match, England's series-clinching victory in Johannesburg.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: Sky Sports have given their blessing to the ECB postponing The Hundred for 12 months - despite the competition's importance to their £1.1bn television deal.

Wisden is published on Thursday for the 157th time. It is full of joy, and staring into the abyss. The Almanack's arrival usually coincides with a spring in cricket's step. But this year, not so much.

Former Australia captain Mark Taylor and wicket-keeping great Adam Gilchrist believe pay cuts are inevitable for the country's cricketers as the sport gears up to deal with the financial crisis.

The ECB have been given a free run at reorganising their international summer plans after West Indies prioritised their three Tests in England over home series against New Zealand and South Africa.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY PAUL NEWMAN: Luke Sutton is looking back on the chance meeting almost nine years ago with his old Lancashire captain that quite possibly saved his life.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: Sportsmail has learned that the ECB are insured for the value of all tickets sold up until April 1 if the Tests do not take place as planned.

Sportsmail revealed in November that assistant coach Paul Collingwood had already been earmarked to take charge of the one-day home series against Ireland, scheduled for September.

ECB are asking players to take 20 per cent pay cuts if the Hundred's original draft list is kept for 2021. The retention of the eight 15-man squads on 80 per cent of their agreed terms would save £1.536million.

LAWRENCE BOOTH: When Graham Williams walked out to bat at Lord's on May 21, 1945, it had not been a fortnight since Germany's surrender.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: Players at all counties with the exception of Surrey have already taken wage cuts of up to 20 per cent and talks are planned for next week over another salary sacrifice.

Bold and The Beautiful star Rena Sofer praised former co-star Charlie Sheen from Two and a Half Men, telling The Morning Show on Thursday the actor was a pleasure to work with.

The teaser for Mad Families is the first on-screen glimpse of the 51-year-old HIV positive actor since he announced his diagnosis in November last year

The 28-year-old certainly turned heads with her  wild set of dreadlocks as she headed to the Ocean's Eight set in the Big Apple.

He sparked an infamous twitter war in 2014 against Ashton Kutcher. But now Charlie Sheen has said he blames his ego for his temper tirades and regrets the way he treated the actor stepping into his role.

Charlie Sheen is auctioning off Babe Ruth's 1927 World Series ring and the letter of sale that brought the great slugger from Boston to New York for at least $1million through Lelands.

Charlie Sheen auctioned off the 1927 World Series ring and Ruth's sale from the Red Sox to the New York Yankees at Lelands.com Invitational Auction on Friday