Asif Ali made 51, 52, 17 and 22 and he made his way into Pakistan's World Cup squad. These 142 runs came in four games against the top-ranked side in ODI cricket at their home. They came at a strike rate of 131.48.

Despite not having anyone with anywhere near that strike rate, he didn't make the original World Cup squad. Once he made it, with runs and form behind him, Pakistan didn't pick him for their opening tournament game against West Indies despite not having anyone else for a position which would otherwise be crucial to finishing off the big starts their top order was giving them.

In their second game against England they brought Asif Ali in and dropped Imad Wasim. Against England in the ODI series just before this game, Imad had taken six wickets and, in a very high-scoring series, conceded 6.37 runs per over. They also brought in Shoaib Malik who, at that time, was averaging 14 with the bat in England over his career. They wanted his experience and calm on the field. They dropped Haris Sohail who is considered by the Pakistan management to be the second-best batsman in the squad behind Babar Azam.

Then they took on Sri Lanka and, fortunately for their selection group, the game got rained off and they didn't have to pick an XI.

Australia next, at Taunton, and the pitch looked green and friendly for fast bowlers. They brought in Shaheen Afridi to bolster their pace attack and dropped Shadab Khan. The latter is their best ODI player and absolutely essential to their bowling attack. They thought they'd be fine getting ten overs from Malik and Mohammad Hafeez. They went 11-0-86-1.

Shadab is also their best fielder, the one who sets the tone as much as he can in what is now the worst fielding side in the tournament. Pakistan dropped two catches - one as a direct result of Shadab not being where he would usually be - and were generally abysmal in the field.

Against India, Pakistan put Shadab back in the XI and also Imad, dropping Asif and Shaheen. They kept Malik in the side, despite his last three scores reading 4, 8 and 0. Experience, they reasoned, they needed his experience. He was out first ball.

Pakistan have made six changes over three games after their opening match. None of them have been injury induced. They have argued the reasons for each change, but whether they are tactical or strategic, it's clear that they have little idea what their best XI is. Five games into this tournament.

Asked about the decision to drop a specialist bowler and batsman on Sunday, Sarfaraz Ahmed insisted it was the right move. "I think it was right. We were going with five bowlers and six batters. So I think our decision was right." Similarly he had defended the decision to drop Shadab against Australia.

Imad, who's been at the receiving end of these decisions, was suitably diplomatic when asked whether Pakistan knew what their best XI was. "I can't give an answer to this. Only the captain and the coach can. Whatever XI we put on the field, the players try and do their best."

That isn't a surprise given that they weren't all that sure about what their best XV for this World Cup should be. They picked Abid Ali on the basis of two innings in their provisional World Cup squad. Then, having allowed him just one game in the series just before this World Cup, they dropped him.

Mohammad Amir was always going to be a part of their plan, even if he wasn't in the provisional squad but Wahab Riaz had not played an ODI in two years when he was suddenly pulled into the squad. He was nowhere on the scene or in their plans and yet here he is, one of their more successful players. Mohammad Hasnain, picked for his youth and pace, has not played a single game yet and is unlikely to until Pakistan are definitely out. There will be almost certainly be changes for the next game against South Africa too.

This is a tournament which they have been building up to for the best part of two years, for which they have actually had a very good run-in, for which they actually have a good, young core of players to work with.

"We need to win our next four matches now, we need to play well," Imad said. "Other results are not in our hands but we need to win those four games."

For that, they will need to first figure out what their best XI actually is.

NEWTON, Iowa -- NASCAR overturned a victory for the first time under its toughened new policy on cheating when Brett Moffitt was declared the winner of the Truck Series race at Iowa Speedway after Ross Chastain failed a postrace inspection.

Chastain led the final 141 laps of Sunday's 200-lap race, but series managing director Brad Moran said the winning No. 44 was too low when it was measured with NASCAR's height sticks.

"The height sticks have warning yellows in them and reds, and it was right off of all of them, so unfortunately it was extremely low,'' Moran said.

The disqualification was the first under strict new rules put into place at the start of this season to deter the culture of cheating -- and it delivered a much-needed victory for Moffitt, a native Iowan racing at his home-state track.

"I think, for the integrity of the sport, it's the right thing to do,'' said Moffitt, who never led a lap in the race.

"Obviously I came out on the good end of it. If I was in Ross' shoes, I wouldn't be too thrilled about it.''

Niece Motorsports tweeted after the race that it will appeal the decision. Team owner Al Niece said in a statement that the truck passed opening and prerace inspections.

"We believe that the No. 44 truck sustained minor damage, which left the truck too low following the race,'' Niece said.

NASCAR said the most recent time it disqualified an apparent race winner was April 17, 1960, when Emanuel Zervakis' victory at Wilson Speedway in North Carolina was thrown out because of an oversized fuel tank. But the previous driver to be stripped of a victory was Mike Skinner, in a 1999 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Skinner led the final 41 laps but NASCAR said the next morning his car had an unapproved cylinder head. The win was handed to Dave Blaney and Skinner was dropped to 43rd and last in the field.

Skinner and his team filed an appeal, which was overturned two days later. Skinner was once again awarded the victory, but did not receive the usual first-place earnings.

NASCAR announced in February that thorough postrace inspections would take place right after the race at the track instead of midweek at the sanctioning body's research and development center outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Winning teams found in violation of the rules in previous seasons were penalized with postrace fines, point deductions and/or suspensions. But drivers didn't have victories taken away from them until Chastain was stripped of the victory Sunday.

The decision could prove to be devastating for Chastain's season.

Chastain recently switched the championship he'd compete for in 2019 from the Xfinity Series to Trucks, a risky move that left him at the bottom of the standings. The apparent win at Iowa meant that Chastain would have to finish only 20th or higher in the Truck standings to receive a playoff berth, and the driver nicknamed "The Melon Man'' was so thrilled about it that he smashed a watermelon to the ground in victory lane.

Instead, Chastain has now been scored as if he finished last, and his victory and bonus points have been stripped away. Chastain also lost the $50,000 he had won for taking first in the "Triple Truck Challenge'' marketing promotion that included the Iowa race.

Chastain, who spoke at a news conference after his apparent victory, could not be located for comment after his disqualification was announced.

As for Moffitt, he said he had been drinking beers in his motor home and on his way to the airport in nearby Des Moines and was "mad as hell'' about losing when he got the call informing him that Chastain had been disqualified.

Moffitt was summoned back to the track for the second winner's news conference of the day.

"I went from drinking my sorrows away to being happy,'' Moffitt said.

June 13 - 16, 2019

LOS ANGELES -- If Thursday's NBA draft truly has a steep drop-off in talent beyond the presumed top two picks in Duke's Zion Williamson and Murray State's Ja Morant, somebody forgot to tell Vanderbilt's Darius Garland.

The 6-foot-2 guard, who left school after playing just five games his freshman season because of a meniscus injury in his left knee, said there's nobody better at his position in this draft.

"I humbly say this, I think I'm the best (guard) in the draft," he told ESPN. "I mean, I think I can do everything that an NBA team wants me to do."

The 19-year-old Garland averaged 16.2 points on 53.7 percent shooting (47.8 percent from 3) with the Commodores prior to the injury, with 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

"The game is going towards a pick-and-roll and a scoring point guard situation," Garland said. "So, I think I can do both of those really well. Just choose my spots on the floor and be able to show off the dribble."

After Garland pulled out of the NBA draft combine in Chicago last month and sat out his agency's (Klutch Sports) pro day in Los Angeles, draft pundits wondered whether he had received a promise from a lottery team. Garland and his agent, Rich Paul, lifted the smoke screen this week, however, as the guard granted private workouts to both the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers in L.A., sources told ESPN.

Both workouts occurred prior to the Lakers' blockbuster trade Saturday for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis, which included Los Angeles sending the No. 4 overall pick to the Pelicans, sources said.

Garland impressed with his shot-making ability and deep range, according to sources present for the Lakers' workout.

The Cavaliers, who hold the No. 5 pick Thursday, could arrange another swap with New Orleans, of course, if they set their sights on Garland and feel the need to move up to secure him. Should New Orleans take Williamson at No. 1, as expected, and want Garland at No. 4, Garland could pair with the Duke phenomenon a year after choosing Vanderbilt over the Blue Devils. Garland was heavily recruited by Mike Krzyzewski to become part of Duke's heralded freshman class that included Williamson, R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish and Tre Jones. Kentucky also was interested in Garland, but he decided to play near his family in Tennessee.

"I got a chance to watch some Duke games (last season). I mean, it would have been a great fit, I guess. But I chose to stay at home, go to Vanderbilt. I always stick with my gut," Garland said. "I wanted to do something different."

Garland's father, Winston, played seven seasons in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. Winston Garland's time in the league ended in 1995, five years before Darius was born.

Though Winston averaged a respectable 9.4 points and 4.7 assists in 511 career games at the point, his son is primed to man the position in the modern NBA.

"I think 10 years ago, everything was pass-first point guards, and now it's evolved into more scoring guards," Darius Garland told ESPN. "I also distribute the ball, as well. So, I think I came around at the right time."

Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse confirmed Sunday that he plans to coach the Canadian national team, starting with the World Cup this summer.

At Toronto's first media availability since winning the NBA Finals, Nurse told reporters, "I'm getting ready to take another situation soon because I think it's going to make me a better coach."

Asked specifically whether he was talking about reports that he would become the coach of Team Canada for the World Cup, Nurse said a deal was "just about done."

"It's something I'm looking forward to doing," he said.

Nurse, 51, said his experience as an assistant coach with Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics was an impetus for wanting to coach Team Canada.

"I learned a lot as a coach in that run and I'm hoping this experience will do the same," he said.

He added that "there's some really good players" on the Canadian team. Among the players Nurse might be coaching are Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson, Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell and former Duke forward RJ Barrett, a likely lottery pick in this year's draft.

"It's a unique time with the World Cup and the Olympics within a short 13- to 14-month window. And it fits in OK. I'm just giving up some vacation time," he said.

Canada begins the 2019 World Cup in China on Sept. 1 when it plays Australia.

When the Raptors clinched the NBA title with their Game 6 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night, Nurse became the ninth rookie coach to win a championship in NBA history.

He also won two titles in the NBA's D-League (now named the G League), with the Iowa Energy in 2011 and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2013.

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets put pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hamstring, then saw Jason Vargas leave Sunday's start against St. Louis because of a cramp in his left calf.

The Mets also activated second baseman Robinson Cano from the IL and put him in the lineup against the Cardinals.

Batting in the fourth inning, Vargas fouled off a ball and was clearly in pain. He was visited by Mets manager Mickey Callaway and an athletic trainer and promptly removed from the game. Pitcher Jacob deGrom pinch hit for Vargas and walked.

Vargas, 36, was sidelined from May 6-24 with left hamstring tightness but has been one of New York's most consistent pitchers since returning from the injured list. Entering the game, Vargas had allowed 11 earned runs over his last 45 innings and had won each of his past two starts.

Vargas allowed three runs -- two earned -- on just one hit over four innings against the Cardinals.

Syndergaard reached for his right hamstring after throwing a pitch in the seventh inning of New York's 8-7 victory Saturday night. He walked off the field with a bit of a limp.

Syndergaard (5-4, 4.55 ERA), 26, who is scheduled to undergo an MRI, has struggled at times in 2019, allowing four earned runs or more in eight of his 15 starts. He entered the season with a 2.93 ERA. Callaway noted that the decision to place Syndergaard on the IL was made because "it didn't seem like he would make his next start anyway."

Callaway said that the team had options, but declined to indicate who would take Syndergaard's spot in the rotation.

Cano, out since June 9 after aggravating a left quadriceps injury, was in New York's lineup, hitting fifth. It's the first time this season the 36-year-old has batted in any spot in the lineup other than third. A key offseason acquisition, Cano has appeared in just one game since May 22 and is hitting just .238 with three home runs and 14 RBIs.

Prior to joining the Mets, Cano never hit lower than .271 or failed to produce at least 50 RBIs in any of his 14 prior major league seasons. Callaway said Cano's workload would be monitored moving forward.

The Los Angeles Angels expect to activate Justin Upton on Monday to make his season debut, manager Brad Ausmus told reporters Sunday.

The Angels will play in Toronto against the Blue Jays on Monday.

Upton, who hit 30 home runs for the Angels last season, was placed on the injured list before the season because of turf toe in his left foot.

The 31-year-old outfielder has hit .333 with two homers and six RBIs in six games in a rehabilitation assignment.

"It'll be good to have him back," Ausmus said Sunday before the visiting Angels' 6-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Obviously, he's been an offensive performer for a long time. It's a big bat to add to our lineup."

The four-time All-Star is a career .268 hitter with 286 home runs and 897 RBIs in 12 major league seasons.

Teenager clocks 1:46.80 at the British Milers’ Club Grand Prix to improve a mark set by Steve Ovett

Halifax teenager Max Burgin opened his season in explosive style with a superb victory in the men’s 800m A race at the second British Milers’ Club Grand Prix event at Loughborough on Saturday, Kevin Fahey reports.

The 17-year-old destroyed the field with a front-running display to win in a personal best time of 1:46.80 which was not only a British Milers’ Club under-20 record but also a UK age-17 best and it improves Steve Ovett’s UK under-18 best.

The mark moves him to seventh on the UK under-20 all-time list.

In the 5000m, winner Emile Cairess of Leeds City recorded a PB of 13:50.58 to dip well inside the qualifying standard for the European U23 Championships. Cairess already has the qualifying mark for the 10,000m which he ran in Spain in April.

Morpeth Harrier Rory Leonard won the UK under-20 trials race, finishing third overall.

The Judd sisters impressed in the women’s 5000m with Jess racing to victory in a PB of 15:31.64 and younger sister Jodie finishing fourth in a PB of 16:04.56, just inside the European U23 qualifying standard of 16:05.00.

Newbury’s Izzy Fry was top junior smashing her PB with a time of 16:22.55, well inside the Euro U20 qualifying standard of 16:30.00.

Over at the AtletiCAGenève meeting in Switzerland, Charlie Myers impressed by clearing 5.71m in the pole vault, equaling the British under-23 record and adding 11cm to his PB for a Doha World Championships standard. Harry Coppell was third with 5.50m and Joel Leon Benitez fifth with 5.10m.

Alastair Chalmers improved his British under-20 400m hurdles record to 50.07, with his previous best being 50.11. His older brother Cameron won his 400m race in 46.04.

Amy Allcock (52.21), Emily Diamond (52.27), Hannah Williams (53.20) and Ama Pipi (53.21) filled places two to five respectively in the women’s 400m, while in another one-lap race Amber Anning ran 52.64 to rank second best junior in Europe this season.

Amy Holder threw a PB of 56.42m to win the discus.

Full results can be found here.

A record nine athletes break 4:01 in the women’s 1500m at the Diamond League meeting in Morocco

World record-holder Genzebe Dibaba continued her winning ways at 1500m as the IAAF Diamond League series moved on to Rabat on Sunday.

The early pace seemed far too fast with the pacemaker leading them through 400m in 61.98 and 800m in 2:05.04. The Ethiopian kept the pressure up on the third lap and a 62.71 meant she passed 1200m in 3:07.75.

That was too fast for Gudaf Tsegay who had to let Dibaba go but Sifan Hassan moved up to the leader’s shoulder. Dibaba looked all-out and was grimacing and Hassan looked much stronger and more relaxed on the final bend but in the finishing straight, Dibaba was able to maintain the better form as she completed a painful 63.38 final circuit.

Her 3:55.47 was an African all-comers record and a world lead and Hassan had her best track race of a so far disappointing season as she set a Dutch record of 3:55.93.

“I am happy with my performance and it’s great running in Africa,” said Dibaba. “Based on my level and performance, I feel ready for the World Championships.”

A record nine athletes broke 4:01 and that included Eilish McColgan who continued her PB form with 4:00.97 which moved her up to ninth in the all-time UK lists and ahead of her mother Liz’s 4:01.38.

Moving up to 13th all-time was Sarah McDonald with 4:01.50 in 10th.

The women’s 800m saw a fast 57.20 first lap and they passed 600m in 88.41.

The runners paid for the too fast start as Nelly Jepkosgei won in 1:59.50 with Habitam Alemu also inside two minutes in second.

Lynsey Sharp easily had her best race of the year and she finished fourth in a season’s best 2:00.61 which puts her top of the UK outdoor 800m rankings.

There was also a world lead in the men’s steeplechase.

The race was the final event as the organisers expected Soufiane El Bakkali to send the home fans happy.

Despite a relatively modest 2:43.68 at 100m and 5:26.14 at 2000m, the Moroccan struggled and ended up a poor last in 11th place in 8:27.56.

Well ahead the win went in a fast finish to Ethiopian 18-year-old talent Getnet Wale and his 8:06.01 was also an Ethiopian record.

In second, his team-mate Chala Beyo ran 8:06.48 with Benjamin Kigen leading the Kenyan challenge in third.

There was a dramatic men’s 110m hurdles. Olympic and world champion Omar McLeod was a clear leader most of the race but lost his balance over the last hurdle and tripped and doing so brought down former world champion Sergey Shubenkov who was actually propelled forward and the Russian won in 13.12.

He said: “It was a dramatic race. The clash with Omar did not affect my time.”

Andrew Pozzi continued his good form with second in 13.30 as McLeod finished fourth in 13.48.

As expected, Salwa Eid Naser won the 400m in 50.13 but the margin was only a metre as Niger’s Aminatou Seyni closed fast at the finish and was second in a national record 50.24.

The women’s 100m saw a quick finish from Nigerian Blessing Okagbare who caught Marie-Josee Ta Lou almost on the line but was moving so fast she was given 11.05 to Ta Lou’s 11.09. There was a 0.6m/sec headwind.

Dafne Schippers was a below par fifth in 11.32.

In the men’s 800m, oblivious to the runners behind him, pacemaker Saul Martinez led through 400m in 49.96 with everyone else ignoring him and Jonathan Kitilit led through 600m in a modest 79.33.

The 2012 Olympic silver medallist Nijel Amos finished strongly with a 26.0 last 200m to pip Emmanuel Korir on the line. Amos won in 1:45.57 to the Kenyan’s 1:45.60.

Guy Learmonth, a late addition, finished ninth in 1:47.51.

Canadian Andre De Grasse finished strongly to win the 200m in 201.19 as world champion Ramil Guliyev unusually faded and was second in 20.28.

In the field the best event was the men’s discus.

World leader Daniel Stahl of Sweden won with a fourth round 69.94m but was pushed hard by Jamaican Fedrick Dacres’ 69.50m.

Austrian Lukas Weisshaidinger was third with 68.14m.

There was a Cuban one-two in the women’s discus with Yaime Perez’s 68.28m meeting record giving her the edge over world leader Denia Caballero’s 65.94m.

Perez led throughout and already had it won with a 66.80m throw but she improved to 68.28m with her final throw.

World and Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic was again well below her best with just one legal throw – a 64.77m, which placed her third.

In the men’s long jump, Cuban Juan Miguel Echevarria returned to top form with a 8.34m fifth round leap to defeat Luvo Manyonga’s 8.21m.

Ukraine’s Bohdan Bondarenko won a modest high jump on countback with a 2.28m leap but better form was shown by American Sandi Morris who won the pole vault in a meeting record and season’s best 4.82m.

Holly Bradshaw was ninth with 4.57m.

In the non Diamond League events, a late burst by Kenyan’s Vincent Kibet won the 1500m in 3:35.80 as half a second covered the top five while Edward Zakayo Pingua won the 5000m in 13:11.49.

British number three Dan Evans has reached his second successive grass-court final with a 6-4 6-2 win over Japan's Go Soeda in Nottingham.

The top seed, 29, will face Russia's world number 148 Evgeny Donskoy later on Sunday as he attempts to add to his Surbiton success last week.

World number 70 Evans is already assured of a Wimbledon main draw slot.

France's Caroline Garcia and Croatia's Donna Vekic will meet in the Nature Valley Open final at the same venue.

Evans, who was banned from the sport for a year from April 2017 for cocaine use, came through qualifying to make the second round of the Australian Open in January.

Although behind compatriots Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norrie in the world rankings, which take into account the previous 12 months' form, he is Britain's best male player based purely on 2019's results.

Evans has won his two most recent matches against Donskoy, although his 29-year-old opponent came out on top in their first meeting back in 2010.

While the women's final at Nottingham is a Tour-level event, the men's draw is part of the second-tier Challenger series.