In October, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton walked into a barbershop to get a haircut.

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked. Hamilton did not.

"So I said, 'Screw it, I'm not getting a haircut,'" Hamilton said. "And that's how I ended up like this."

This -- the playoff version of Hamilton -- is a familiar hockey look: The strawberry blond hair Hamilton has been growing out since October rests in a curly nest down the back of his neck. He has since given his 'do some upkeep, and the top and sides of his head are cropped.

In pop-culture parlance: It's business in the front, party in the back. At the rink, it's yet another mullet.

The hairstyle was rampant in the 1980s, and one of the NHL's all-time greats, Jaromir Jagr, ushered the cut through the '90s into the 2000s. Though the style has died down, it's not quite extinct, with several mullets sprouting up in the league from time to time. This season alone, Hamilton, Buffalo's Jeff Skinner and Columbus' Ryan Dzingel have all sported the look.

But hockey culture isn't just obsessed with the mullet. It's all hair, really. The NHL fetishizes playoff beards -- and the San Jose Sharks' roster features two of the most epic bushels of all time, belonging to Brent Burns and Joe Thornton -- as well as the teenagers who can only grow peach fuzz. "Flow" is a common term in hockey vernacular. There's even more niche, hockey-specific words like "lettuce" or "salad" or "chop." In Minnesota, the high school hockey tournament now doubles as a hair show, with teenagers spending each spring one-upping each other with their locks, and the swagger with which they present them.

"I have no idea what the crazy obsession with hair is about," says Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin. "I think hockey players like to have pretty good style. My best guess is, a lot of other leagues show it with their clothes. Hockey players like to do it with their hair -- facial hair, or how it's coming out of their helmet."

Indeed, compare the NHL to the NBA, which shares the same 82-game schedule and season. When NBA players arrive at the arena, some look like they could be arriving for New York fashion week, with thousands of dollars worth of designer shoes, suits, hats, jewelry and even handbags (though they like to call them dopp kits). In the NHL? Consider when Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews showed up at an April playoff game with a high-brow look, he was ridiculed on social media.

Anyway, back to the hair. "It's been going on for a long time, and it definitely feels more prevalent in hockey than other sports," surmises Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik. "Now, I think the excuse would be social media. There's cameras everywhere, so guys are more focused on the way they look."

Adds Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug: "We have to wear a helmet at all times. If the helmet ever falls off, or if we're away from the rink, we want to be able to express ourselves in some way. That's how we kind of make our faces known."

When Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Markus Nutivaara first arrived in North America from his native Finland, he was shocked to find something in the locker rooms he had never seen before: hair dryers.

"You would be laughed at in Finland if you used one of those," Nutivaara says. "In Finland, hockey players are more like cavemen. In Sweden, it's the complete opposite."

Perhaps the most famous hair in the NHL belongs to a Swede: New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. The 37-year-old is known for his perfectly coiffed locks. So much so that he is the spokesperson for Head & Shoulders in Sweden, having done several commercials for the company:

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"Den där schampokillen" träffar på @cissiforss... ? ? #HenrikLundqvist #NYR #NYRangers #HenkeLundqvist

A post shared by Hockeysverige Official (@hockeysverige_se) on Mar 27, 2019 at 4:18am PDT

According to Swedish hockey journalist Uffe Bodin, many in Sweden know Lundqvist as much for being "the shampoo guy" as he is for his hockey.

It felt fitting to ask "the shampoo guy" why he believed the mullet fell largely out of favor.

"Like any other trend, it comes and goes," Lundqvist responded. "It will be back. The question is when."

There have been touchstone moments for the mullet in hockey history, and one of the most recent examples was when Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane sported one for his team's 2010 Stanley Cup run. To this day, high school hockey players in the Chicago area cut their hair into mullets at state tournament time to look like Kane, and many visit Carmelo Preiti, the hairdresser who is responsible for Kane's cut:

Even tho 88s last mullet was in 2015 SCF Im still receiving high school kids going into hockey playoffs wanting the Kane mullet. It's great they're growing the hair long all year to get the kane mullet for playoffs.What a great tradition 88 started for the young ones #mulletmania

— Carmelo (@carmelo_p) February 12, 2019

"Me and Patrick Sharp had talked about doing it for the 2010 playoffs," Kane says. "After our regular season ended, we both went to get it done. I showed up at the rink the next day with my mullet, and he showed up with his regular haircut -- he got it all chopped off. His reasoning was that his dad would be mad at him if he saw him on national TV like that."

Many credit Kane with reinvigorating the tradition. Explains Bruins defenseman Steven Kampfer: "In 2011, when we were going on a run, we were like, 'Somebody has to have a mullet because Kane had it last year, so someone has to get it done.'" Then-teammate Shawn Thornton ran a program called Cuts for a Cause and, because defenseman Adam McQuaid was the player on the team with the longest hair, he was sacrificed as the volunteer.

"Across the board, hockey players are pretty superstitions," Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie says. "If it's something that started back in the day, that's probably why it's still here."

The playoff beard is the biggest example of this. The itchy but celebratory tradition dates back to the New York Islanders' dynasty of the early '80s and has become a fixation in playoff locker rooms ever since.

Non-mulletted long hair is making a comeback, too. (Or really, it never went away.) "Erik Karlsson can pull off the long hair. [Brock Boeser] has the shorter flow, he knows how to maintain it," Kampfer says. "But then you have some guys and you're like, 'Dude, cut your hair.'"

As to how it affects a player on the ice, Kane wondered if the shaved sides of his head would make him more aerodynamic but admitted it wasn't really the case. Kampfer grew his hair to shoulder-length in junior hockey. It's a look he very much regrets and cringes when he talks about.

"In juniors, that was the thing. Long hair -- that's when you knew you were a hockey player," Kampfer says. "When I look at pictures now, I'm like, 'What was I doing? Why didn't my parents just take me to the barber?' When I had my long hair, I thought if I went fast I would kind of be like Mike Modano's jersey when he was going -- just flapping in the wind. It was kind of like that, I guess."

Sometimes players change up their hair for attention. Krug says in college, many players "grew out the cul-de-sac on purpose, which was pretty disgusting." In the first round of these playoffs, much attention was paid to Calgary Flames winger Sam Bennett's moustache -- which evoked Lanny McDonald's notorious look.

Of course, not everybody is on board, and the majority of players have generic, close crops. "Some guys care about their hair, the way they look," Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov says. "I don't really care about it. For me, it's not about hair. It's about what's inside."

Which brings us back to Hamilton. The Hurricanes defenseman says it took "some rough stages" to get to his eventual mullet, and not everyone was a fan. "I don't think the guys like it too much," Hamilton says. "But I've gotten some pretty good compliments. A couple girls, like waitresses and people around the arena, have said it's nice."

He does have some fans in the locker room.

"I'd never do it," Slavin says. "But I do think Dougie's is pretty solid. He has the personality to pull it off. He's a free spirit."

Fare thee well, Columbus Blue Jackets. It was quite a ride. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche are headed back to California for a Game 7 showdown with the San Jose Sharks.

Here's what happened in the NHL last night (check out replays of every playoff game on ESPN+) and what to watch for tonight, in today's edition of ESPN Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily:

Jump ahead: Last night's games | Three stars
Play of the night | Today's games | Social post of the day

About last night ...

Game 6: Boston Bruins 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 0 (Bruins win series, 4-2)

The Blue Jackets pressured. They pressed. They fired pucks off the goal cage. They peppered Tuukka Rask with 39 shots. And for that effort ... they were eliminated. Rask was next-level good, stopping every shot for a Game 6 shutout. His 39 saves were tied for the fourth-most in a series-clinching shutout since the league began tracking shots on goal in 1955-56. On the other end, Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky gave up three goals on 29 shots, including a back-breaker to Marcus Johansson at 8:58 of the third period.

"The second goal ... that one hurts. Because you know what's happening down at the other end," said Columbus coach John Tortorella. The Bruins advance to face the Hartford Whale... , er, Carolina Hurricanes. The Blue Jackets fall in Round 2 after one of the greatest Round 1s in NHL history, and will now likely say goodbye to a few high-profile free agents.

Game 6: Colorado Avalanche 4, San Jose Sharks 3 (series tied, 3-3)

Gabriel Landeskog is a prophet. Before Game 6, he said a key to victory was scoring the first goal, because it's easier to play against the Sharks with a lead. The Avs did. He said it would take more activity from the Avs' defensemen to break through the "swarm real tight down low" from the Sharks. The game-winning goal was assisted by Cale Makar from the blue line. And before overtime, Landeskog took the blame for the Sharks tying the game at 3-3 at 17:32 of the third period on Marc-Edouard Vlasic's second of the game -- the third Sharks goal scored with Landeskog's line on the ice. He vowed to score in overtime, according to goalie Philipp Grubauer (19 saves).

"And he got one," said the goalie. Game 7 is Wednesday night in San Jose ... as is the expected return of Joe Pavelski to the Sharks' lineup, in case this game needed even more drama.

Three Stars

1. Tuukka Rask, G, Boston Bruins. What else can be said about the Bruins goalie? He was the difference in the series against Columbus. According to Natural Stat Trick, Tuukka Rask had a .955 save percentage at even strength in the last four games of the series against the Blue Jackets. He also stopped 26 of 27 high-danger shots at even strength (.963 save percentage) in that span. The critics are silent because their mouths are agape.

2. J.T. Compher, LW, Colorado Avalanche. Landeskog had the overtime game-winner, but Compher did the rest. He assisted on Tyson Jost's goal to open the scoring and netted two of his own. Compher infamously slammed his stick against a garbage can in San Jose after Game 5, denting it out of frustration. He should bludgeon the nearest trash receptacle before Game 7.

Here's the metal trash can JT Compher just smashed a few minutes earlier. #Avs pic.twitter.com/c7AaRAdxmu

- Ryan S. Clark (@ryan_s_clark) May 5, 2019

3. Marc-Edouard Vlasic, D, San Jose Sharks. Known as one of the best defensive defensemen in the NHL, the man they call "Pickles" scored two goals in Game 6, the second one off the skate of Colorado defenseman Nikita Zadorov to tie the game late in the third period. Vlasic entered the night with four career playoff goals in 134 career playoff games. Vlasic had just three goals during the regular season. He now has three in the postseason.

Play of the Night

Landeskog's first playoff overtime goal featured him pulverizing Erik Karlsson on the forecheck and then making a nifty play in the slot to beat Martin Jones (22 saves) for the game-winner. "We're 60 minutes away from the Western Conference final. Who would have thought that before the series? Who ever thought that before the season?" he said.

Dud of the Night

Shoulder targeting the head, not a big deal for the @NHL.>#CBJ>#StanleyCup>pic.twitter.com/BdoW75RLRy - The CBJ Artillery (@TheCBJArtillery) May 7, 2019

It seems every night of this postseason has offered an education about the NHL rulebook and its nuances. Like, for example, when Charlie McAvoy laid out Josh Anderson of Columbus with a hit that primarily made contact with his head late in the second period. It was the kind of hit that should have earned the Blue Jackets a five-minute major penalty power play. Except the officials decided it was an illegal hit to the head penalty, and there is no provision for a major penalty for that infraction -- only a match penalty for intent to injure, a level to which the officials likely felt this play did not rise. But a suspension for McAvoy seems likely.

On the schedule

Dallas Stars at St. Louis Blues, Game 7, 8 p.m. ET (series tied 3-3)

Ben Bishop said he's "all good" after taking a shot off the collarbone, which is good news for the Stars. He's 3-1 in the posteason following a loss, with a .937 save percentage. He's also 2-0 in Game 7s, with two shutouts. One concern for Dallas: Center Roope Hintz was wearing a walking boot on his left foot on Monday after blocking a shot in Game 6. As for the Blues ... well, they said they're trying to block out the "noise" surrounding Game 7, so to really capture the excitement of it, here's a really lovely video involving a young fan getting surprised with tickets:

Jayden Linden - an 11-year-old Blues fan in Grand Prairie, Alberta - just found out he's going to Game 7. #stlblues>#WeAllBleedBlue>#StanleyCup>pic.twitter.com/M6MXirqEQK - St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) May 6, 2019

Social post of the day

A double dose of Brad Marchand. First, the Boston Bruins forward gave a contentious interview to Kyle Bukauskas of Sportsnet after Game 6, with a series of one-word answers. Apparently, this tracks back to a joke Bukauskas made earlier in the series about Marchand getting his skates resharpened after stomping on and breaking Cam Atkinson's stick.

Brad Marchand wasn't enjoying the post-game interview pic.twitter.com/Yje2B4TiMK - Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) May 7, 2019

Marchand continued the bit in the Bruins' locker room, and here's a transcript of that exchange.

Brad Marchand's postgame transcript. It was 1:45. pic.twitter.com/Gxdh2n8FfO - Marisa Ingemi (@Marisa_Ingemi) May 7, 2019

Honestly, Marchand having gone from licking everyone in sight in 2018 to biting his tongue in 2019 should qualify as growth.

Quotable

"Don't even go there. Don't even go there with me. I'm not going to listen to that s--- about 'an accomplishment ... you get to the second round.' I'm not going to listen to it." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, when asked if he and his team could take pride in advancing to the second round for the first time in franchise history.

Manchester United are ready to renew their interest in Leicester defender Harry Maguire, sources have told ESPN FC.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to bolster every area of his squad during the summer transfer window and Maguire, a target for Jose Mourinho 12 months ago, is a candidate to boost United's options at the back.

Maguire, 26, was one of the few centre-backs both Mourinho and the recruitment team agreed was a suitable target last summer but United were priced out of a move by Leicester who valued the England international at close to £80 million.

Maguire has a contract at the King Power Stadium until 2023 but there is hope he can be prised away by an offer from a top six side.

Any move for Maguire, or other targets including Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, would rely heavily on one of United's central defenders leaving Old Trafford.

It is unlikely to be Victor Lindelof, one of the best performers this season, while Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have both signed contract extensions this year. There is, however, interest in Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo.

Axel Tuanzebe, 21, is set to get a chance to impress Solskjaer on the summer tour of Australia, Singapore and China after playing a key role in Aston Villa's run to the Championship playoffs during a season-long loan spell at Villa Park.

Sources have told ESPN FC that Solskjaer, who saw his team condemned to the Europa League next season after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Huddersfield, is keen to overhaul his squad with at least one addition in defence, midfield and attack.

The new arrivals are set to total more than £200m in transfer fees. A number of departures are expected to make room with doubts of the futures of Alexis Sanchez, Romelu Lukaku, Matteo Darmian and Juan Mata, as well as Bailly and Rojo.

Ander Herrera and club captain Antonio Valencia are set to leave on free transfers when their contracts expire on June 30.

After Manchester United missed out on Champions League football for next season, the backlash against the club's ownership by irked fans has kicked up another notch.

An underwhelming 1-1 draw against relegated Huddersfield at the weekend ended United's hopes of muscling into the top four, opening the door for scorn and derision to be lumped upon the people running the club -- particularly chief executive Ed Woodward.

- Marcotti: United players deserve scrutiny. So does Solskjaer
- Dawson: Worst is yet to come for United
- Mata sums up United fans' feelings in 7-word blog post

Woodward has been in situ at Old Trafford for seven years during which, as well as forging numerous lucrative corporate partnerships around the world, he has regularly cited United's massive, ever-growing online following as a marker of success and progress.

However, on the pitch things have stagnated somewhat, leaving supporters feeling a little short-changed by Woodward's incessant obsession with his social media metrics.

As such, a protest hashtag has been launched with fans banding together to boycott United's various platforms via the #UnfollowManUnited campaign -- the plan being to lower the club's follower count and therefore hit Woodward where it really hurts.

This is it: There's one game to go before the Champions League final. Who will advance to meet on June 1 in Madrid? Do Liverpool have a miracle in them vs. Lionel Messi and Barcelona? Will Ajax or Tottenham advance?

Here's everything you need to know, from the superheroes and the sidekicks who can decide the ties to the keys for victory.

Liverpool vs. Barcelona

FIRST-LEG SCORE: Barcelona 3, Liverpool 0
WHEN: Tuesday, May 7, 3 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. BST

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE FIRST LEG: You pretty much dominate your opponent for long stretches, but if Messi comes to life, there's little you can do. Barcelona's win wasn't quite smash-and-grab, but there certainly weren't three goals between the two sides. Liverpool's movement and intensity created all sorts of problems for Barca, and with better finishing from the Reds, this would have been closer.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE RETURN LEG: Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde gave almost every likely starter the day off against Celta Vigo on Saturday, which means his team will be well-rested. Expect them to try to keep possession in an effort to frustrate Liverpool. Roberto Firmino's absence is a big blow for Liverpool in this sort of game, as is -- obviously -- that of Mohamed Salah, who was ruled out on Monday following the blow to the head he received Saturday. Still, the game plan will be simple: channel the Anfield roar and get right in Barcelona's grills from the first minute. They have nothing to lose.

-- The biggest week for Liverpool in decades
-- Liverpool made Messi angry and paid the price

WHAT LIVERPOOL HAVE TO DO TO REACH THE FINAL: Win by four goals or make it 3-0 and then hope to break through in extra time or on penalties. It's obviously a tough-to-impossible proposition as Barcelona have given up as many as three goals just once this season. If they can rattle Barca early, establish the press, deny possession and force the visitors to hit long balls over the top to get out of their own half then maybe, just maybe, they have a shot. But they'll also need to be more clinical than at the Camp Nou and hope that Messi slumbers throughout the game. And you'd feel much better about their chances if Firmino and Salah were available.

WHAT BARCELONA HAVE TO DO TO REACH THE FINAL: An away goal pretty much guarantees passage since it would count double and would mean Liverpool would need to score five goals. The last time anybody put five past Barcelona was way back in 2003. Keep possession, pick your spots, force Liverpool to foul and wait for the goal-scoring opportunity. Pretty simple, really.

BATTLE TO WATCH: Luis Suarez vs. Virgil Van Dijk. Liverpool need to score and score plenty, which suggests they'll press high and hard, meaning the big Dutchman will be in plenty of open-field, one-on-one situations with Suarez. It won't just be about ensuring he doesn't beat you; it will be about recovering the ball quickly and recycling it forward so Liverpool can continue to keep the pressure on.

WILD CARD/STORYBOOK SCENARIO: Well, it wouldn't be that "storybook." A year ago, Barcelona won their quarterfinal first leg against Roma at the Camp Nou by three goals, a scoreline that flattered them much like this season. And then, in the return leg, Roma -- with current Liverpool keeper Allisson between the posts -- beat them three-nil, knocking them out. Roma exploited set pieces, pressed hard and played a very high line, daring Barca's forwards to beat them for pace, which Messi and Suarez could not do. Can lightning strike twice?

FINAL PREDICTION: Liverpool win 2-1 on the night, but Barcelona advance 4-2 on aggregate. It's too much of a mountain to climb without two of their world-class front three.

Ajax vs. Tottenham

FIRST-LEG SCORE: Ajax 1, Tottenham 0
WHEN: Wednesday, May 8, 3 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. BST

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE FIRST LEG: Ajax battered Tottenham for 45 minutes in which they scored once but could have had more, before being pushed back after the break (yet still hitting the post). The Dutch side showed both confidence and maturity, counterattacking well in the second half. Injuries, fatigue and absences finally caught up with Tottenham and they showed little creativity and incisiveness.

-- Spurs have hope heading to Ajax
-- Inside the Ajax "dream factory"

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE RETURN LEG: Injuries in midfield forced Mauricio Pochettino to play a back three, but the decision boomeranged badly against a "false nine" center/forward like Dusan Tadic. It also ceded control of the middle of the park to the opposition. Expect a more disruptive Spurs midfield, bolstered by the return from the start of Moussa Sissoko and focused on releasing the returning Son Heung-min into space. Ajax will try to impose their passing and movement on the game, knowing it's the best way to keep Spurs off balance.

WHAT AJAX HAVE TO DO TO REACH THE FINAL: Because of the away goals rule, Tottenham have to score at least twice regardless of whether or not Ajax get on the score sheet. Were this a different team, you'd expect them to sit and look for the counter. Ajax tend not to do that, especially at home, and while you don't want them to ditch the approach that got them this far in the first place, you don't want to leave your central defenders isolated against Son, either. It's the "maturity" that manager Erik ten Hag spoke about.

WHAT TOTTENHAM HAVE TO DO TO REACH THE FINAL: Forget about what came before. Yes, they've lost five of their past six games in all competitions but none of that matters: they're 90 minutes away from a European Cup final. Banishing the "flaky Spurs" trope would be a huge psychological win for Pochettino. All they have to do is score a goal and it's like hitting the "reset" button. The fact that Sissoko and Son will be playing from the first minute is a big boost; make it count.

BATTLE TO WATCH: Moussa Sissoko vs. Frenkie De Jong. Sissoko's physicality and workrate was missed in the first half of the first leg and his presence can relieve Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli of some defensive duties, freeing them up to create. But he also needs to stop de Jong, Ajax's metronome of a two-way midfielder.

WILD CARD/STORYBOOK SCENARIO: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is 35. Fernando Llorente is 34. Neither striker is expected to start but both could offer something entirely different off the bench and in dead-ball situations should the game warrant it.

FINAL PREDICTION: 1-1, Ajax to advance 2-1 on aggregate. So much depends on Tottenham's state of mind here and right now they seem frazzled, as evidenced by the two red cards picked up over the weekend. (It could have been three if the referee had been stricter with Eric Dier.) Ajax, on the other hand, seem unfazed no matter who the opponent or what the situation.

South Africa's World Cup plans have been dealt a blow after fast bowler Anrich Nortje was ruled out of the tournament because of a fractured thumb. Chris Morris has been called up as his replacement.

Having overcome ankle and shoulder injuries over the course of the summer, Nortje made his international debut in March this year and subsequently won selection in South Africa's World Cup squad. Nortje, however, fractured his right thumb during a recent South Africa nets session, and it has now been confirmed that he would need six to eight weeks to make a full recovery.

"Anrich sustained a fracture to his right thumb during a net session in Port Elizabeth on Monday," South Africa team manager Mohammed Moosajee said. "He immediately consulted a hand surgeon and underwent surgery to stabilise the joint and will unfortunately be sidelined for up to eight weeks. This makes him unavailable for the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

"It is an unfortunate and freakish injury, especially because he had made a successful recovery from the shoulder injury he sustained during the series against Sri Lanka. He has had a few injury setbacks in the last year but knowing Anrich's character, he will be motivated to come back stronger. We wish him a speedy recovery."

Allrounder Morris, 32, has been called up to replace Nortje in the 15-man squad, with South Africa's opening game against England just over three weeks away. Morris has not played an ODI in more than a year, but was part of the T20I squad that battered Sri Lanka at home in March. Morris is currently in action with Delhi Capitals in the IPL, for whom he has taken 13 wickets in nine games this season.

"Chris has always been in our plans and is our next best option with the ball," national selection panel convener Linda Zondi said. "He has the pace and death-bowling skills which will be vital in the UK, and also gives us that depth as a deadly finisher with the bat. We have had concerns around his injuries and workload capabilities but this is an opportunity for him to make a mark on the biggest stage.

"It is unfortunate what has happened to Anrich, he is a talented player with exciting potential," added Zondi. "We wish him well on his road to recovery and have no doubt that he will bounce back to fulfil his potential."

South Africa have been dealing with multiple injuries in the lead up to the World Cup, with Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn's IPL stints cut short by back and shoulder problems, respectively. While Rabada has said that his premature return to South Africa was "precautionary", both he and Steyn are both still being assessed by the South African medical team. Rabada has a history of back trouble, having picked up a stress fracture last year, while Steyn's flare-up was in the same shoulder that he seriously injured in Australia in 2016.

Left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi had missed South Africa's domestic T20 competition in order to recover from a stiff back too, while JP Duminy was out of action for most of the summer following shoulder surgery. Both Shamsi and Duminy have fully recovered, though.

"Admittedly, the injuries ahead of the tournament have been frustrating but I continue to have confidence that the players we have selected will make the country proud," Zondi added.

Squad (updated): Faf du Plessis (capt), JP Duminy, David Miller, Dale Steyn, Andile Phehlukwayo, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius, Quinton de Kock (wk), Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Hashim Amla, Tabraiz Shamsi

Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) chief executive David Leatherdale will step down from his role this year.

Leatherdale took time off last year, due to stress amid a heavy workload and family health problems.

He returned with a number of issues on the PCA agenda including members' concerns over how "The Hundred" competition would impact them, a new pay deal for centrally contracted England players and at the County Partnership Agreement - which includes salaries and payments for county players - for the period 2020 to 2024.

Daryl Mitchell, chairman of the players' union, said Leatherdale had recently informed the PCA board of his intention to step down once a successor has been appointed.

"David's skill, dedication and determination over the last three years has been instrumental in championing the best interests of all PCA members during a time of immense change in the professional game," Mitchell said. "We are immensely grateful.

"David will continue in his role until a successor is appointed and has made it clear he wishes to conclude the negotiations surrounding the County Partnership Agreement and the Team England and PCA-ECB MOU contracts which will ensure playing professional cricket from 2020 onwards is the most rewarding career it has ever been.

"The board is grateful to David for his commitment to complete these negotiations which will see every current member of the PCA materially better off. The PCA board has already commenced the search for David's successor."

There may be any number of pressing matters to attend to in the country, but revamping domestic cricket remains top of mind for Pakistan's prime minister - and cricket legend - Imran Khan. How much it matters to him was clear from a press conference he held on local government affairs on Monday, which turned briefly into a policy statement on why the PCB must adopt regional cricket.

By dint of being the country's premier, Imran is also patron-in-chief of the board and so his words - the first he has spoken about domestic cricket publicly since becoming PM - hold considerable weight. And as he has done through much of his cricket career, he continues to insist that a regional-teams-only system is the way forward.

"Pakistan is the only country where sponsors play their teams, it doesn't happen anywhere else in the world," he said. "It doesn't happen anywhere else in the world. Everywhere in the world, only regional cricket is played. When I used to play, I used to insist that the PCB correct the structure."

ALSO READ: Habib Bank 'demobilises' cricket team, to continue investing in PSL

The PCB has been working on a plan to scrap departments such as PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) from the structure, at Imran's insistence. The plans have not gone down well with a number of stakeholders. Domestic cricket in Pakistan has been played among departments and regions for nearly 50 years, starting in the early 1970s, when Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Pakistan's first Test captain and then PCB chairman, encouraged organisations like Habib Bank Limited, Sui Southern Gas Corporation, Water and Power Development Authority and others to provide employment opportunities for players. Since then, the top players have been contracted by the departments in question and given full-time jobs.

The role of these departments in helping Pakistan cricket and cricketers has been significant, but it ended up depriving the regional sides from making use of their top players.

"The problem is that the system in place here doesn't allow talent to come through," Imran said. "Now we are changing it to make it a purely regional one. You have seen the recent PSL - regardless of the fact that not a single player in the Quetta [Gladiators] team was a local, the whole city still followed their team.

"Everywhere in the world, it's all about regional cricket, and here they are making noise because we are abolishing departmental cricket."

The PCB is now working on tweaked model with six provincial teams: two from Punjab, and one each from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Baluchistan and the northern side of the country - Gilgit-Baltistan. If it gets passed, these six teams will play top-tier domestic cricket. But this idea has been strongly opposed by former cricketers including Javed Miandad, and a few government board members have also rejected the proposal.

"Javed has his own thinking, but I don't see any example in the world where banks and sponsors play their teams (in first-class cricket)," Imran argued. "Why is Pakistan the only country doing this? Why are banks giving jobs (to cricketers). There are a lot of multi-national companies in the world, they can import any player from anywhere to play, but they don't. So why is only Pakistan playing departmental cricket?

"There is a lot of money involved in cricket, but the corrupt system is the problem. I can guarantee that nobody can beat this country if we just fix the system."

Until last season, there were 16 teams in the domestic circuit, playing the country's premier first-class tournament, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Eight of these were from the provinces and the other eight from departments. It is yet unclear yet if the PCB's new model can be implemented in time for the start of the 2019-20 season on October 1.

The IPL playoffs are here. First up, the rivalry between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians is renewed in Qualifier 1. Here's ESPNcricinfo's live updates and analysis. (If the blog does not load for you straightaway, please refresh your page.)

Wiaan Mulder has signed with Kent for a stint in the County Championship, starting later this month.

Bowling all-rounder Mulder has played one Test for South Africa, in Sri Lanka's historic series-clinching victory at Port Elizabeth in February. He will play seven county games, starting with Kent's second match after the competition resumes, against Surrey at Beckenham from May 20, and ending at Hampshire from July 13.

Kent won their only Championship match for the season so far, an eight-wicket victory over Warwickshire. They suffered a terrible run of injuries during their Royal London Cup campaign, where they have won two of their seven games and lost four. Captain Sam Billings has been ruled out for the rest of the season after dislocating his shoulder while fielding in a Royal London Cup match and vice-captain Joe Denly is with the England squad for the one-day series against Pakistan.

Mulder played the first of his 10 ODIs for South Africa as an 18-year-old, taking 1 for 32 off eight overs against Bangladesh in October, 2017.

In first-class cricket, he has taken 66 wickets from 22 matches at an average of just 22.93 with best bowling figures in an innings of 7 for 25 in only his second first-class appearance for the Lions against the Dolphins in 2016. Usually batting at No. 5 or 6, Mulder also averages 39.50 with the bat in first-class cricket with a high score of 146 in Bloemfontein in January.

"I have always wanted to play county cricket and I am stoked to be joining a top-division side such as Kent," Mulder said. "I'm fully focused on proving my abilities at this high level and hope to contribute to success at this historic club."

Kent director of cricket, Paul Downton, said: "With Sam Billings and Joe Denly unavailable for differing reasons, Wiaan's ability to bowl a heavy ball and bat in the top six will be a huge asset to the side as we look to establish ourselves in Division One following our exciting win at Edgbaston earlier this season."