Alex Hales has said he is targeting the T20 World Cup in Australia next year for a potential England comeback, but declined to offer either an apology or an explanation for his actions, after speaking for the first time since his deselection from the World Cup squad for recreational drug use.

Hales was attending the Caribbean Premier League draft in London, where he was picked up by Barbados Tridents for this year's competition. He said that he remained an England fan at heart and would be "watching and cheering" his former team-mates as they seek to live up to their No. 1 ODI status, and win the World Cup for the first time in their history.

But when asked if he had found it difficult to look on from the sidelines while England completed their preparations for the World Cup, a tournament for which he would have been an automatic squad pick, Hales twice declined to comment.

"I'm not here to comment on that, sorry … I'm not here to talk about that," Hales said, before the CPL press officer stepped in to change the line of questioning. He later conceded he "probably won't go" to any World Cup matches, which include England's fixture against Pakistan at his home ground of Trent Bridge on June 3, but added "I'm not really here to talk about that".

Instead, Hales insisted he was looking forward to enjoying some downtime in the coming weeks - as a white-ball specialist, he will not be involved in Nottinghamshire's extensive period of Championship cricket - before throwing himself into action in the T20 Blast, which gets underway with Worcestershire's visit to Trent Bridge on July 18, four days after the final of the World Cup.

Then, if Nottinghamshire fail to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Blast, which take place in the first week of September, Hales will head straight to the Caribbean at the end of August and compete in the remaining month of the CPL - although his stint with Nottinghamshire will still take precedence if they qualify for Finals Day on September 21.

Beyond that, he has been retained for a second year by Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League, and remains hopeful of earning a contract in Australia's Big Bash. "I would love to play in that," he said. "I've not got the ball rolling but, fingers crossed, it's a good tournament.

"I'm just playing white-ball cricket now, so any chance I get to play a pretty high profile with some good players is a good opportunity.

"I just want to get back playing what I love most, and that's cricket," he added. "This is such a good opportunity to go and play at the Kensington Oval, a ground where I've got such good memories, and play in such a big tournament in some different conditions."

His ultimate aim, however, is to get himself back into the England frame - a prospect that Ashley Giles, England's director of cricket, did not rule out when announcing his removal from the England reckoning earlier this month.

However, Hales' initial reaction to his ejection, a strongly worded statement issued through his management company, allied to Eoin Morgan's subsequent statement that he had shown "complete disregard" for the team's values, means that he would appear to have a considerable amount of ground to make up if he is to be back in England's plans in time for the trip to Australia in October next year.

"I hope the door is not closed, that's one of my aims, that T20 World Cup," Hales said. "I'm going to go through the process, hopefully score some runs in these tournaments and see how we go. I want to enjoy my cricket.

"I think it's a good opportunity," he said of his status as a white-ball specialist. "These tournaments now are well respected all around the world, particularly by the selectors and ECB. I'd love to use these tournaments to hopefully get back into the frame for next year."

Addressing his plans for the coming months, Hales added: "I've got a few things to do with the ECB, there's obviously a process to go through, and then start training, I guess. Once I start playing again, the next 12 months will be really busy, so I will enjoy a mixture of some downtime, and then start getting prepared for the Blast by playing some second-team games for Notts."

In spite of his deselection, Hales has retained his ECB contract so still has the gym programme and nutritional support that came with his England employment, and with Trent Bridge just two minutes down the road from his Nottingham home, he will continue to be supported by his county, as had been made clear by the ECB in addressing the implications of his drugs ban.

"I'm blessed to play there," he said. "Peter Moores is a wonderful coach, respected round the world. He keeps in regular touch with me to see how I'm doing, and if I ever want to practice, he's there to chuck balls all day, he loves it.

"I enjoy the responsibility of having my own choice of when to train, and when to go to the gym," he added, insisting that there was no temptation to return to four-day cricket to keep up his on-field appearances.

"I found it difficult going from red-ball to white-ball, so being able to focus on one thing, I find it easier. A lot of county guys go six months all winter without playing, it's something we're used to, but I've got some downtime now and so I'll work on a few things leading into a big 12 months."

Reflecting on the World Cup, which begins with England's clash with South Africa at The Oval on May 30, Hales said he still backed his team-mates to win in his absence.

"I will [be watching]," he said. "I am still a fan and I wish the boys the best. What we've done over the last few years is unbelievable, the guys deserve to win it, and I will be sat there watching and cheering.

"Apart from England, I'd say India [are favourites to win], but the way all teams are playing at the moment, you never know. It's a really open tournament, I'm really looking forward to watching it."

On the subject of England's explosive batting power, Hales said: "It's everyone's natural game, everyone has natural ways to be aggressive. We have got matchwinners all the way down to Adil Rashid at No. 11, It's just hitters and hitters that keep coming at you. If one person doesn't come off, another person will. It's a really good, exciting line-up."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

England batsman Alex Hales and Sri Lanka seamers Lasith Malinga and Isuru Udana were among the big gainers in the 2019 Caribbean Premier League draft, bagging USD 160,000 each after being picked up in the first round. Hales went to Barbados Tridents, Malinga to St Lucia Stars, and Udana to St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.

Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo were retained by Jamaica Tallawahs and Trinbago Knight Riders respectively in the first round. Pakistan legspinner Shadab Khan, who missed CPL 2018, rounded off the first-round picks and will be in action for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the upcoming season.

Shadab is a like-for-like swap for Rashid Khan, who will instead feature as a marquee player in the Euro T20 Slam, which clashes with the CPL. Other CPL regulars such as Brendon McCullum, Luke Ronchi and Chris Lynn have also opted for the Euro T20 Slam over the CPL.

Kieron Pollard, who captained St Lucia Stars last season, has moved to his home franchise TKR, and will help fill the void left by the absence of Lynn and McCullum. Nicholas Pooran, who recently played for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, was picked up by the Amazon Warriors as their marquee player. Chris Gayle will return to his home franchise Tallawahs as their marquee name while Jason Holder will be Barbados Tridents' marquee player.

Australia legspinner Fawad Ahmed, who was the highest wicket-taker last season, with 22 scalps in 13 games, was drafted in the second round by Stars.

Defending champions TKR retained Sunil Narine, Colin Munro, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Bravo and Khary Pierre, and also added New Zealand seam-bowling allrounder James Neesham and Pakistan tearaway Mohammad Hasnain to their roster. Nineteen-year-old Hasnain hit speeds north of 150kph for Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League and was subsequently fast-tracked into the Pakistan squad.

Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane will move from Patriots to Tridents. A day after he broke into Pakistan's World Cup squad, left-arm quick Wahab Riaz was retained by Tridents. He will be joined in the Tridents squad by Dominic Drakes, the son of former West Indies fast bowler Vasbert Drakes.

Guyana Amazon Warriors, meanwhile, retained both big hitter Sherfane Rutherford and allrounder Keemo Paul, who had played together for Delhi Capitals in the IPL earlier this year.

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, who was ignored for the World Cup, found some cheer, getting a gig with Stars.

Mystery spin-bowling allrounder Mark Deyal, who has been part of Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel before, will team up with Sunil Narine for TKR. Carl Crowe, Narine's spin coach who also works with TKR and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, has singled out Deyal as an "exciting" talent who can spin the ball both ways with his knuckles. Deyal had also impressed with the bat during his stint for Winnipeg Hawks in the inaugural Global T20 Canada.

The NFL has asked teams to eliminate some high-impact drills -- including the iconic Oklahoma drill -- from training camp practices as part of the league's ongoing effort to reduce concussions.

The league acknowledged the request Tuesday during its spring meeting in Key Biscayne, Florida. The recommendation came in response to data that showed a high rate of concussions during the early part of training camp in recent years. The league convened an April 17 meeting among current and former NFL players, coaches and executives to discuss ways that would address the issue.

Banning certain drills was among the group's recommendations.

The Oklahoma drill, among others, has been used far less frequently in recent years, but its history is rooted in reacquainting players with full contact after the offseason.

It pits a defender against a blocker who is trying to make room for a ball carrier. Teammates and coaches usually surround the drill area to create a battle-type atmosphere.

In 2015, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said the drill quickly answers these questions: "Who is a man? Who's tough? Who's going to hit somebody?"

Year-over-year reported concussions dropped 25 percent in 2018 following a "call to action" by chief medical officer Allen Sills.

The league joined the NFL Players Association to produce a three-part concussion-reduction strategy: prohibiting underperforming helmet models, instituting a series of rule changes rooted in biomechanical research, and intervening in early training camp practices.

That initial camp intervention failed to change the numbers, leading to the April 17 meeting.

"We saw a certain area at the beginning of training camp where we felt could make greater improvement,'' commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday, "and I think removing some of these drills across all 32 teams is the right way to do that. We also believe by prohibiting some of these drills, that will happen at the college and high school and youth football levels, which we believe should happen.''

Competition committee chairman Rich McKay said Wednesday, "I think some of the coaches were a little defensive at the start, and probably the biggest advocates at the end."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NFL owners awarded the 2021 draft to Cleveland and the 2023 draft to Kansas City during a meeting Wednesday in Key Biscayne, Florida.

The league was not ready to move on bids for the 2022 draft, saying about 20 cities are interested in hosting that year. The NFL will make an announcement about the location at a later date.

The 2020 draft was previously awarded to Las Vegas, in conjunction with the relocation of the Oakland Raiders.

The Browns will be celebrating their 75th anniversary in 2021. Draft events will take place around FirstEnergy Stadium, including the shore of Lake Erie and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

"Cleveland has a passionate fan base and the city offers distinctive iconic locations and attractions that will bring the NFL Draft experience to fans in unique and exciting ways," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "We look forward to collaborating with the Cleveland Browns, the City of Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Destination Cleveland to celebrate the achievements of the next generation of players and create a memorable fan experience."

Kansas City officials, meanwhile, plan to host the draft near Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial.

Since last holding the draft at its traditional New York location, the NFL has taken it on the road to five different cities: Chicago in 2015 and '16; Philadelphia in '17; Arlington, Texas, in '18; and Nashville, Tennessee, in '19.

The league said last month that more than 600,000 people attended the draft over the three days in Nashville, eclipsing the 250,000 who attended in Philadelphia.

FIFA has given up on its efforts to expand the 2022 World Cup to 48 teams, football's world governing body announced on Wednesday.

"In line with the conclusions of the feasibility study approved by the FIFA Council at its last meeting, FIFA and Qatar have jointly explored all possibilities to increase the number of participant teams from 32 to 48 teams by involving neighbouring countries at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022," a FIFA statement read on Thursday.

"Following a thorough and comprehensive consultation process with the involvement of all the relevant stakeholders, it was concluded that under the current circumstances such a proposal could not be made now.

- Marcotti's March Q&A: Why FIFA wanted a 48-team World Cup
- #FCdebate: Is a 48-team World Cup a good or bad idea?

"Additionally, FIFA and Qatar have once again explored the feasibility of Qatar hosting a 48-team tournament by in particular lowering certain key FIFA requirements. A joint analysis, in this respect, concluded that due to the advanced stage of preparations and the need for a detailed assessment of the potential logistical impact on the host country, more time would be required and a decision could not be taken before the deadline of June. It was therefore decided not to further pursue this option.

"The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will therefore remain as originally planned with 32 teams and no proposal will be submitted at the next FIFA Congress on 5 June."

FIFA had been exploring if logistical and political complexities could be overcome to expand the tournament from 32 to 48 teams, which would have required at least one more country being used in the Persian Gulf to accommodate an additional 16 matches in the region.

A FIFA internal report had already concluded that the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia could not join as co-hosts unless they restore the economic and travel ties with Qatar that were severed two years ago.

The regional diplomatic crisis left neutral Kuwait and Oman as the viable options. Oman has said it isn't keen on hosting games at the FIFA showpiece. FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited Kuwait last month in an attempt to persuade them to host matches in 2022.

But FIFA has now concluded that it lacked the time to prepare a country to host the extra games.

In Kuwait, Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium has 60,000 seats and the capacity at Sabah Al-Salem Stadium is only 26,000. Both venues would require upgrades to be used at the World Cup, putting the spotlight on working conditions and labor rights.

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura wrote to human rights activists last month to offer assurances that there would be "an assessment of human rights risks and potential opportunities associated with a possible expansion."

Qatar has an exemption that allows foreigners to drink alcohol, but Kuwait has a complete ban that would have been problematic for FIFA, which has Budweiser as a major sponsor.

FIFA has already had to adapt to cope with taking its showpiece tournament to the Middle East for the first time.

While Qatar won a vote in 2010 on the basis of staging a June-July World Cup, FIFA shifted the tournament from its usual slot to Nov. 21-Dec 18, 2022, because of the fierce summer heat.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Miami Heat assistant and former Michigan star Juwan Howard has reached agreement on a five-year contract to be the next head coach of the Wolverines, a source told ESPN.

Howard will replace John Beilein, who left Michigan last week to become the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Beilein was with the Wolverines for 12 seasons, leading them to two national championship games.

MILWAUKEE -- NL MVP Christian Yelich has been scratched from Milwaukee's lineup against Cincinnati for a second consecutive day because of back spasms.

"He's improved today," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday. "We'll go through a bunch of treatments today and see how he is. The day off [Thursday] factors into all this. We'll see what we've got on Friday."

Yelich leads the major leagues with 19 home runs and is batting .325 with 41 RBIs in 44 games, including 42 starts.

He missed parts of seven games this season because of back problems and also missed time last season.

"I don't think chronic is the right word," Counsell said. "His back is an issue, but this isn't a structural issue. He's had some muscle issues in his back, but they've been short-term injuries. That's not a chronic characterization, for me.

"It's something that he's going to have to actively manage. These are small little things that are costing him a day here and a day there. Not worrisome from my end."

Hernan Perez replaced Yelich in right field.

The New York Mets have traded disgruntled outfielder Keon Broxton to the Baltimore Orioles for $500,000 in international bonus pool money.

The trade comes five days after Broxton was designated for assignment by the Mets.

Broxton told reporters last week that he was "surprised" by his lack of playing time with the Mets, who acquired the five-year veteran in an offseason trade with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Broxton, 29, batted just .143 (7-for-49) in 34 games with the Mets.

"I haven't been playing too much," Broxton told reporters last Wednesday. "I haven't gotten as many opportunities."

The Orioles acquired Broxton amid a series of roster moved before Wednesday's game against the New York Yankees.

Baltimore transferred right-hander Alex Cobb to the 60-day injured list and designated right-hander Yefry Ramirez for assignment.

The Orioles also claimed right-hander Chandler Shepherd off waivers from the Chicago Cubs and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk.

New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is suffering from left calf tightness, a setback in his return to the team.

The Yankees announced Wednesday that Stanton, who has been on the 10-day injured list since April 1, has been returned, meaning the club can reset his minor league rehab window.

Stanton, who had just started his rehab stint Monday, has missed most of this season because of biceps and shoulder injuries.

The Yankees have not announced how long the calf injury will sideline Stanton.

Some days, Michael Brantley thought the injuries were going to get the better of him, that they would zap what were supposed to be the prime years of his major league career. Brantley was the next big thing, the next blossoming star at the plate for the Cleveland Indians. His 2014 season, which featured an All-Star appearance, a Silver Slugger award and a third-place MVP finish, cemented that status.

One awkward dive for a fly ball put a potentially bright future up in the air.

Brantley had another strong season in 2015 but injured his right shoulder trying to make a diving catch that September. When rest and rehab didn't do the trick, Brantley underwent surgery in November. His spring training was delayed a bit, but he got into 11 games in late April and early May before hitting another roadblock. Something still wasn't right, and by August everyone recognized the reality: A second surgery was needed to address issues with the shoulder and biceps, further clouding Brantley's future.

"You really never know if you're ever going to come back," Brantley said last week.

Brantley bounced back impressively in 2018, hitting .309 with 17 homers and 76 RBIs, and this season he's back at the center of baseball's buzz as a member of the first-place Houston Astros, providing a much-needed left-handed bat in a right-handed-heavy lineup that features Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and George Springer.

"You really never know if you're ever going to come back."

Michael Brantley

And for the first time since the injury, Brantley looks like a star again, at least through the first two months of the season, hitting .326/.374/.561 with 10 homers and 14 doubles in 48 games. And his .325 BABIP, consistent with his career average, suggests Brantley isn't just the beneficiary of a lucky stretch.

What pulled everything together on the field, as the injury slowly healed, was the years and years of routine upon which Brantley had built his success. The routine evolved as he evolved through his major league career. Before every game for the past six seasons, regardless of whether his name is in the lineup, Brantley has gone through the same steps to prepare his mind.

First, a rhythm drill followed by work on the tees. Next up is a one-handed bat drill before he hits on the field. Then he goes through a variation of the early part of his routine. Day after day, month after month, year after year.

As his routines helped things come back together on the field, Brantley, 32, said that wouldn't have happened without everything that held him together off of it. When things felt as if they were falling apart, it was the little things, like the breakfast and coffee made by Brantley's wife, Melissa, that got him through the day.

"There were some dark days in there, rehabbing in the cold and things weren't always going well. I stayed in Cleveland all offseason, worked out there, went in during the weekends on my own because I was so committed," Brantley said. "Having a wife that was supporting me, having a family that was supporting me to do this, it meant the world to me for the dark days where you didn't want to get up and do it. You look at the kids and you're doing it for them. That's the extra motivation."

After he was fully recovered physically, Brantley had to make another adjustment this year when he left the team he had been with since his major league debut and joined Houston, signing a two-year, $32 million deal this offseason.

"It's an adjustment period when you first switch to a new team after being with Cleveland for a long time," Brantley said. "They welcomed me here with open arms. The coaching staff has been great to me. They made me feel comfortable here really quick."

Beyond his left-handed bat, Brantley brought another veteran presence to the Houston clubhouse. From afar, many on the Astros admired Brantley's ability to always take a good at-bat. But the players and coaches quickly realized Brantley brought just as much to the team off the field.

"I call him Uncle Mike. He's always on me, doesn't ever let me get down. ... When he speaks, I listen."

George Springer

"He's always watching," Springer said. "I have learned that he's always watching and always listening, just in his own Michael Brantley way. He doesn't miss a beat and he knows what's happening with everybody. He's very observant and he can tell if there is something wrong with my swing or Jose's swing. He's only been here for three or four months and it's a testament to him because he's watching everything that happens."

Brantley's success -- he's on pace to cruise past his career high of 20 home runs while posting a career-best slugging percentage -- has added an extra dimension to the Astros' lineup. Through the first quarter of the season, Houston has a wRC+ of 134, a stat that calculates the value of a team's offensive production in relation to its era. That figure -- albeit with a small sample size -- puts the Astros above the 1927 Yankees (126 wRC+) and 1930-31 Yankees (124 wRC+), who had lineups featuring guys named Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

"I know I'm going to get good pitches to hit because he's such a presence in our order," Bregman said.

Brantley's teammates know what he has been through, what it took for him to get back to this place. It's what has made him the role model of consistency. Day after day, month after month, year after year. It's what has earned him a new nickname and leadership role in the clubhouse.

"I call him Uncle Mike. He's always on me, doesn't ever let me get down," Springer said. "Doesn't ever let me get too high. Just wants to make sure I consistently do the right thing every day, that I prepare to play the same way every day, which is something I didn't really do before, just get to the park and do what I needed to do. Obviously, I respect the amount of time he has in this game and I respect him as a person. When he speaks, I listen."