THE VISITORS LOCKER room inside Staples Center is almost empty. An hour has passed since the Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, in the second game of the season for DeMarcus Cousins. The center, who missed nearly a year because of a ruptured left Achilles tendon, makes his way out of the shower on this January night, as Kevin Durant gets dressed at a nearby locker. Members of the Warriors' public relations staff are wrapping up while a couple of locker room attendants make their way from stall to stall, cleaning out the remnants of a joyous occasion for a group that was excited to add Cousins to an already talented lineup.

Cousins had listened as fans, both online and in person, told him he had hurt the game of basketball by signing a one-year, $5.3 million deal with the Warriors, and channeled that criticism into his work to get back on the court.

Durant and the rest of Cousins' new teammates watched as the 6-foot-11, 270-pound center grinded through a difficult rehab process. They were proud of the work and time he invested into becoming an All-Star-caliber player again.

Seven months after signing that contract, Cousins is talking about legacy and perception as he sits in that quiet Staples Center locker room. He doesn't hold back about the unlikely series of events that had to unfold to bring this group together. The big man points at Stephen Curry's empty locker stall for emphasis.

"Who the hell would have ever known he had to take a pay cut early on in his career because of his health?" Cousins tells ESPN. "Who could have ever planned that? You think they planned, 'You know what? We're going to give him a pay cut because his ankles are bad.'"

Cousins is just starting to roll. He's pointing at the empty locker stalls of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green as Durant listens intently a few feet away.

"We're going to wait for Kevin Durant to come around," Cousins continues. "Klay's going to turn into one of the greatest shooters of all time. How can you plan for that? Draymond Green was a bench player when he came into [the league]. He was barely drafted. He was barely drafted! Who the f--- knew he was going to turn into the Defensive Player of the Year?"

Cousins' voice starts to rise with a mix of excitement and frustration. He knows how special this group is. But he also understands circumstance, a fact that was never lost on him. He appeared to be on the verge of signing a max extension with the New Orleans Pelicans after last season -- and then, in an instant, that dream was over.

"Who knew I was blowing my Achilles?" Cousins says. "I never in a million years would have thought I would end up with Golden State. Never. And if you seen my past and the way I play, I was one of the main guys that wanted to bring their s--- down. I never in a million years thought I would be here."

But he was. And while he never expected to end up with the Warriors -- especially not this way -- he was thrilled with his teammates, his setting and his role on the court. For someone who'd never played postseason basketball, the ability to be an important part of a team favored to win a third consecutive NBA title made everything that came before it worth it.

THE WARRIORS AFFECTIONATELY called it "Boogie Season."

Starting in late November 2018 and carrying through Cousins' return in mid-January, Cousins played in several 5-on-5, full-court contact games to ease him back to action. For Cousins and the Warriors players, this was the highlight of the rehab program, designed by Warriors director of sports medicine and performance Dr. Rick Celebrini, that would allow Cousins to adapt to game-specific needs while exceeding its demands in a controlled, calculated environment. Strength, power, balance, core, agility and movement were all a focus with constant monitoring and strengthening of Cousins' tendon, soft tissue work and nutrition.

Three times, Cousins was actually forced to sit down and put pen to paper, taking hybrid variations of the "Injury-Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport Scale" aptitude tests, in which he answered six questions, providing a score between 0-to-100 on where his confidence level was regarding his surgically repaired Achilles.

While all that was happening, the brooding center played in these 5-on-5 pickup games one to three times a week, depending on when and where the Warriors could fit in these scrimmages.

Typically they came after the Warriors had a practice or shootaround. Cousins would take the floor and start running full court with a motley crew of volunteers, including assistant coaches, staff members, some of the younger Warriors prospects, video coordinators and even Thompson's older brother Mykee, who played briefly with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2012.

It became a popular hangout for the rest of the Warriors' players. For many, this was their first glimpse of Cousins on the court.

"Them guys were playing pickup like every other day," Green says. "[I remember] watching DeMarcus go crazy on everybody, but yet out there working. It was good to watch his improvements from when he first started to obviously the end when he was ready to get back on the floor."

Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 blocks in his final season with the Pelicans, earning his fourth consecutive All-Star selection before he went down with the Achilles injury. However, during his 5-on-5 scrimmages, Cousins was delivered a stinging dose of reality that let him know just how far away he was from returning to that form.

In one of his first pickup games over the winter, Cousins tried his go-to move in the post: spinning right on the baseline and going up for a power dunk. It's a move he has executed hundreds of times before, but never with this result.

"Jordan Bell grabbed the ball out of midair and just, like, snatched it," Cousins recalls. "And I was like, 'This has never happened to me in my life.' I was like, 'Damn, I went up for the dunk and he just took it away from me like I wasn't s---.'"

Cousins was a 27-year-old star in his prime, recording a triple-double in the game he tore his Achilles. Suddenly he was getting stuffed at the rim by a second-round draft pick with barely a season's worth of experience. As the moments of frustration with his slow process piled up, the Warriors had to make sure Cousins remained patient. Even if that was the last thing he wanted to hear, Cousins bought in.

"This poor guy went from being an All-Star and looking at a free-agent contract of $100-plus million to all of the sudden a free agent with a torn Achilles and his options were limited," Warriors coach Steve Kerr says. "It was really sad for me to see him so frustrated, so down.

"Once he came back for the first game, he was an entirely different guy because he was playing again."

DESPITE ALL THE work Cousins put in, when "Boogie Season" ended and his NBA season began, he didn't exactly hit the ground running. Though the Warriors won the first five games he played, he averaged just 15.2 points on 49 percent shooting. Things got worse in late February and early March, when Cousins was made to be a scapegoat by fans and media after an inconsistent stretch in which he struggled to find his rhythm defensively and the Warriors lost some games they never would have lost in seasons past -- including a 33-point home defeat against the Boston Celtics.

Despite the criticism, Cousins' teammates and coaches stood by him both publicly and privately, offering words of encouragement. Kerr repeatedly called Cousins "a joy" to coach after many within the organization had reservations on how his personality would mesh within the championship group on and off the floor. But in a season meant to rebuild his image on the way back to what he hoped would eventually be a huge payday this summer, the harsh words from the outside stung Cousins, who went several weeks without speaking to the media. The key for the Warriors was that the criticism also motivated him, as he started to play some of his best basketball of the season.

From his debut on Jan. 18 to the end of February, the Warriors' starting five of Cousins, Curry, Thompson, Durant and Green had an offensive rating of 115.5 and a defensive rating of 116.5 for a net rating of -0.9 when they shared the court. Opponents shot 48 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range against that group, which had been touted by outsiders as "unfair" when it was assembled last summer.

But from March 1 through the end of the regular season, those numbers changed dramatically as Cousins began to find his stride. The Warriors' starting five maintained a 115.8 offensive rating while posting a stingy 85.7 defensive rating, for a net rating of +30.2. Opponents shot 35 percent from the field and just 23 percent from 3-point range -- almost a 31-point per 100 possession improvement, entirely on defense.

After Cousins finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Indiana on March 21, Green said opponents were getting a preview of things to come in the playoffs.

"They're starting to figure out," Green says when asked what element Cousins will add to the Warriors' championship mix.

When asked if it's not good for the rest of the NBA, Green replies, "Not at all."

With Major League Baseball set to play another regular-season series in Monterrey, Mexico, next month, the general manager of one of the teams involved says he hopes the scheduling of games there not only becomes a permanent fixture but also includes a franchise south of the border whenever the commissioner's office authorizes expansion.

"This is very important for me," Houston Astros GM Jeff Luhnow told SportsCenter Mexico on Wednesday. "It's very exciting to be able to go to Mexico as the general manager of a major league team, and hopefully in the future we will have a team in the league, either in Monterrey, in Mexico City or in Guadalajara."

"That's the idea of Major League Baseball and for us is to have this on a regular basis... until one day we have a team in Mexico," he said.

Houston will play the Los Angeles Angels on May 4 and 5 in the third MLB series in Monterrey this season. The Cincinnati Reds played the St. Louis Cardinals on April 13 and 14, and the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks played a pair of spring training games.

"It's the idea of the baseball commissioner [Rob Manfred]. We are going to expand the league in the future, and there are several candidates, possibly Las Vegas, possibly Montreal, Canada, but we are also exploring the option of Mexico and possibly also England or Europe," said Luhnow, who was born and raised in Mexico City. "I'm going to fight to get a team in Mexico because it would be ideal."

Luhnow told SportsCenter Mexico in Spanish that MLB projects to add more teams in the future.

"There are a lot of fans, and a lot of good players in Mexico," the Astros GM said. "It's a great opportunity for the league and also for the country."

Roberto Osuna, from Sinaloa, Mexico, is the first-place Astros closer. He joined the team last season in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.

"I know that [Astros president] Reid Ryan is keen on growing the number of Mexican ballplayers coming to the club," Luhnow said. "There's a lot of talent and a lot of players who don't get the opportunity to play in the U.S. I think that could change with scouts [and former MLB players] like Edgar González and Jaime García and others who will be involved in increasing the number of Mexican players to be successful in the big leagues. I'm going to support a lot of this."

"We have signed many Mexican players to our farm system, and hopefully in the future we will have many more," he said.

NAPLES, Maine – As the 14th annual MyComputerCareer Easter Bunny 150 approaches this weekend, drivers and teams from across North America are making their annual holiday trek to Hickory Motor Speedway.

It’s a sign that the state of Pro All Stars Series super late model racing in the Mid-Atlantic appears to be on the rebound.

As it has since 2006, the MyComputerCareer Easter Bunny 150 and its iconic trophy have become bucket list material for many short track racers from across the country.

However, there is even more on the line in this year’s version of the MyComputerCareer Easter Bunny 150. With more than 30 cars already entered, the Bunny has added importance this year, as it is once again part of the PASS National Championship Series.

Five-time PASS national champion Ben Rowe has seen the Easter Bunny 150 grow since its inception in 2006, and he believes it will just to continue to grow as one of short track racing’s premier events.

“I think it’s just getting bigger and bigger,” said Rowe, a winner of the Easter Bunny 150 in 2009 and 2016. “Everyone in the south knows the Easter Bunny at Hickory now. Just look at Bubba Pollard, one of the best Super Late Model racers in the country is coming to Hickory again to try and get the Easter Bunny trophy, that says a lot.”

On the other end of the spectrum is second-year PASS racer Gracie Trotter. Trotter turned heads with an impressive drive in the 2017 Mason-Dixon MegaMeltdown at Hickory.

Coming off a historic sixth-place finish in Asheboro, N.C., last year – which tied Kenzie Ruston and Tayla Orleans as the best finish by a female ever in PASS competition – Trotter is ready to try her hand again against the best short trackers on the continent.

“I’ve always ran well at Hickory, and holding off Ben Rowe for the win in the last chance race a couple of years ago was huge,” noted Trotter. “There are a lot of cars in this race so I’m going to have to stay on my toes.

“I know if I stay patient, keep the nose clean, and watch ahead, I can get a good finish.”

Rowe and Trotter will be up against one of the strongest fields ever assembled on Saturday during the Easter Bunny 150, including five-time Easter Bunny 150 winner Preston Peltier (2010, ’13, ’15, ’17, ’18), defending Oxford 250 winner Bubba Pollard, and former Hickory winner and fan favorite Brandon Setzer.

They will bejoined by a huge contingent of New England natives, including two-time Oxford 250 winner Travis Benjamin, defending PASS national champion Derek Griffith, last year’s Mason-Dixon MegaMeltdown winner Derek Ramstrom, Gabe Brown, Ray Christian III, Jake Johnson, Richmond winner Mike Hopkins, Devin O’Connell, Travis Stearns and more.

Three-time PASS South champion Matt Craig will be seeking his first Hickory win, along with southern drivers like New England transplant Wyatt Alexander, Kodie Conner, Justin Crider, past PASS South champion Tate Fogleman, Jared Irvan, Trey Jarrell and Kyle Plott.

Jerick Johnson will pilot the MyComputerCareer machine and will be joined by Kyle Busch Motorsports driver, Amber Balcaen, who is making her first PASS super late model start.

Two Canadian provinces are currently represented by Ontario’s J.P. Josiasse and Nova Scotia’s Nicholas Naugle.

The action-packed Saturday of racing will also see mini stocks added to the Easter Bunny weekend, utilizing Carolina Mini Stock Challenge rules.

The action kicks off on Friday, with optional practice for the PASS super late models and mini stocks from 3-6 p.m.

On Saturday, practice will begin at 2 p.m., followed by qualifying at 4:30 p.m., a pit party and Easter egg hunt at 6 p.m., and features for both PASS and mini stocks at 7 p.m.

Jofra Archer says that he has been "overwhelmed" by the speed of his elevation to England's one-day squad, only weeks after becoming eligible to represent the country. His only focus, however, is on his debut series against Ireland and Pakistan next month, and says he is not looking to "step on any toes" in a bid for World Cup recognition.

Archer was omitted from the preliminary 15-man World Cup squad that was named by Ed Smith, the national selector, at Lord's today, but included in an expanded 17-man party for the five ODIs against Pakistan, alongside his Sussex team-mate Chris Jordan.

He now looks set to make his England debut in the one-off ODI against Ireland in Dublin on May 3. And with Smith confirming that a strong showing from Archer could yet propel him into the final World Cup squad, which doesn't have to be named until May 23, he knows the stage is his should he be ready to seize it.

"I'm going to give it my best shot," Archer said. "I've worked pretty much all my life for this moment and I just want to tackle it and put my best foot forward. It should be a good series. Hopefully I get a chance to play and do myself justice.

"I'm not in the World Cup squad but it's a great chance for me to show what I can do and anything can happen. If someone gets injured, I want to put myself in a position where I'm the first person they turn to."

His rise to prominence comes only months after the ECB relaxed their qualification period for foreign-born players from seven years to three, meaning that Archer - who was born in Barbados but holds a British passport - was suddenly in the World Cup running, having initially expected to have to wait to play for England until 2022-23.

"It's been an exciting three months but I'm surprised by how fast everything has happened," he said. "I was fully prepared in my mind that it was going to be a seven-year job. When I found out I was qualified more quickly it was obviously a bit of a shock but also exciting.

"But the goal has never changed, which has always been to become the best cricketer I can and hopefully play for England whenever I was eligible.

"It's always been about playing for England for me and I always made that very clear. I was prepared to wait but thankfully the chance has come sooner."

Archer's availability has not been met with universal approval from his prospective England team-mates, with many of the fast bowlers who have helped the team rise to become the No.1 ODI team now fearing that they will be the ones to miss out on the eve of the World Cup.

And though Archer said that he could understand the reticence from the likes of David Willey and Mark Wood, he insisted he was not out to "step on anyone's toes".

"This is a great England team that has been playing very well for a number of years leading into the World Cup," he said.

"I understand the situation and I'm very happy with everything. I don't want to step on anyone's toes, the squad selected for the World Cup deserve it and my job is to do my very best against Pakistan.

"It's already above and beyond my expectations and I'm just looking forward to meeting the team and playing cricket for England.

"It's not all about the World Cup for me right now, it's about playing against Pakistan which is what I've been selected for. It will still be the highlight of my career to play for England in the series against Pakistan.

"Of course I want to play in the World Cup, but if it doesn't happen for me I'm not going to get upset. I'm just so excited to play against Pakistan and this is a position I didn't imagine I would be in at this stage."

Archer learned of his call-up ahead of Rajasthan Royals' IPL clash with Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on Tuesday, and celebrated the feat with a superb spell of 3 for 15 in four overs - a performance that augured well for the scrutiny to come.

"It feels really overwhelming. I didn't expect to ever be good enough to play for England until the last couple of years after I started doing well in T20 tournaments and it's been a whirlwind period for me," he said. "It's really good to be acknowledged for what I'm doing, but it's hard to put the feeling into words.

"I honestly thought I would have to wait a couple more years before I would be in contention for the full squad, I thought I would have to play for the Lions or something like that. So when [Ed Smith] called I was honestly surprised and it was overwhelming for me. I had heard all the rumours and chatter but I was playing cricket and didn't give myself too much time to think about it.

"Cricket kept me distracted which was a good thing, because I didn't' really want to speak about it or get caught up in all the stuff around it."

Archer will link up with his England team-mates at the end of April, where he will have three very familiar faces around him - his Rajasthan team-mates, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes (who last week described him as "the most naturally gifted bowler I've seen") and Jordan, his fellow Sussex seamer who also comes from a Barbados background.

"We didn't speak about England that much," Archer said of his time in Stokes' and Buttler's company. "That might change now I've been called up!

"We've mainly been trying our best for Rajasthan Royals and get some points on the board which the team need. They are obviously great players and people and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to share a pitch with them for England. It will be relaxing to have some familiar faces around."

And on the subject of Jordan, who has also been given a late chance to press for World Cup inclusion, having not played an ODI since 2016, Archer was effusive.

"He's been a part of every major cricketing feat I've had. My debut at Sussex, my first franchise tournament in Bangladesh, he was there in the Big Bash… he's always been there every time I've done something in cricket.

"It would be a hugely proud moment to play with CJ for England, it's definitely something we have talked about. We've done so much together, we've supported each other every step of the way and he deserves his call-up for the Pakistan series."

That's the easy bit done.

Having the option to pick three squads gave Ed Smith and his fellow selectors a chance to keep just about everyone happy and they have done so. The provisional England squad is little more than a marketing tool to ensure the World Cup claims a place in the news in the approach to the tournament. The real business - selecting the final 15 - remains more than a month away.

We can conclude, therefore, that Jofra Archer's inclusion is dependent upon how he fares in the forthcoming games against Ireland and Pakistan. He has played only 14 List A matches and will have to learn fast, but it will be a surprise if he does not impress enough to force his way into that final 15. He is an outstanding talent and he has had experience of high-pressure cricket in various T20 tournaments.

The thought of him bowling in tandem with Mark Wood - have England ever had a quicker ODI bowling partnership? - is mouth-watering. Liam Plunkett and Tom Curran look most vulnerable, but Chris Woakes has been nursing that sore knee for a long time now. He has to be considered a doubt.

Opinions over whether Archer should be included appear to be divided pretty much into those who think he should and those who are the incumbent England seamers. Really, asking them their opinions is a bit like asking butchers what they think of vegetarianism.

ALSO READ: Archer misses initial World Cup cut but set for debut

There is, however, a valid concern over whether the squad could be destabilised by insecurity at this late stage. Building such a unit is always dependent on maintaining the balance between meritocracy and security. Players encouraged to engage in fearless cricket need to know they will not be dropped if they endure one or two modest games. The thought that a few may now be looking over their shoulder when they should be concentrating on the task in front of them is a legitimate worry.

Equally, though, you cannot build too cosy an environment where the opportunity to improve is spurned. Archer looks to be a player of huge ability who could potentially strengthen the England side. This is, after all, a team that allowed Chris Gayle to hit them for a six, on average, every 8.10 deliveries during the recent ODI series against West Indies. You cannot concede a statistic like that and feel secure in your place in the team.

It would be brutally harsh to leave a player like Plunkett out given his excellence in recent years. But he does appear to be in gradual decline and international sport is brutal. The overall strength of the team has to supersede individual ambitions.

Change doesn't have to destabilise, either. Take the World T20 of 2010, for example. Craig Kieswetter, who was Man of the Match in the final, made his debut in the first game of the tournament. So did his opening partner, Michael Lumb. Michael Yardy had played just three T20Is previously, while James Anderson was somewhat surprisingly omitted to make room for Ryan Sidebottom. It remains the only global, limited-overs trophy the men's side has won.

"Amid all the noise around Archer, it has gone relatively unnoticed that Joe Denly is in the World Cup squad despite not having played an ODI for a decade"

Ultimately, it will be for the England team management to ensure the changes are smoothly handled and beneficial. They did little to play down the consequences of Archer's impending qualification during the Caribbean tour - they reasoned it may motivate the current team members - but they will soon need to focus and calm their first choice squad. It surely bodes well that they have done a good job of managing the competition for the opening batting spots.

Either way, Smith dismissed the idea that the team would be destabilised, following some eye-catching headlines involving comments from Woakes and Mark Wood.

"If you read those comments really carefully, if you read the whole piece, you'll see Woakes specified he was not concerned about team unity with Jofra Archer coming into the squad," Smith said. "He feels those comments were taken out of context. He went on to say he didn't believe there would be any disruption. Eoin Morgan also confirmed that he didn't think there would be any disruption.

"I believe a strong team culture enables the gradual evolution of the side. It's a small change here and there that can make the squad even stronger when it matters. Everything we're doing now is geared towards England having the best squad available at the World Cup."

Amid all the noise around the availability of Archer, it has gone relatively unnoticed that Joe Denly is in the World Cup squad despite not having played an ODI for a decade. Denly is a fine cricketer but he owes his selection to two key factors: Smith's apparently unwavering belief in his ability - for Smith is clearly something of a champion of his former team-mate - and the premise that he is a spin-bowling allrounder. And that second point is highly debatable.

Certainly, the statistics don't endorse Smith's description of Denly as "one of England's leading spin bowlers" in the format. In a 15-year-career, he has claimed just 46 List A wickets, with 24 of those taken overseas. Only once in an English season has he claimed more than four wickets. His selection reminds us, yet again, about the lack of depth that currently exists in England's spin-bowling resources.

Maybe that is slightly unfair. Denly's batting is perceived well enough by the selectors that he went in at No. 3 in England's last Test. And as Smith points out, he is "very unusual cricketer" in being able to bowl spin and bat in almost any position, though much the same could be said about Moeen Ali.

Still, the sense remains this is a throwback to the days of 'bits and pieces' selections when general utility took precedence over any specific excellence in either discipline. Memories of Vince Wells, Ian Austin and the 1999 World Cup come flooding back. And, with respect to those fine cricketers, they are not great memories.

There is very little probability that England will select a three-spinner attack at any stage in this World Cup and, if either Moeen or Adil Rashid suffers injury, the likes of Denly or Liam Dawson are probably little more than a couple of hours away. With Archer or Chris Jordan - who surely has extra value as a high-quality substitute fielder and stood above his fellow seamers at the end of the Caribbean tour - pushing for inclusion, Denly will have to put in a couple of persuasive performances over the next couple of weeks. You suspect most opposition players would rather see him in the England line-up than Archer.

It probably bears repeating here that Archer has, and has had for many years, a UK passport courtesy of his British father. He's British, he's qualified and he's a fine cricketer. Worrying about the implications of his inclusion would seem to be conjuring a negative out of a considerable positive.

A schism within the PCB Board of Governors erupted in Quetta today, leading to five BoG members demanding the removal of PCB Managing Director Wasim Khan, and walking out of the meeting, forcing its adjournment. The 53rd meeting of the PCB BoG, notable for being the first to be held in Quetta, was attended by eight of its ten members.

Fve of them - Shahraiz Rokri from Lahore, Noman Butt from Sialkot, Shah Dost from Quetta, Kabir Khan from Fata and KRL's Ayaz Butt - presented a resolution not initially on the agenda of the meeting. It listed six demands they wanted the BoG to adopt, most notably the appointment of Wasim to be declared null and void, terming the position unconstitutional. The resolution also called for the rejection of any move to abolish departments and regions in domestic cricket, and the setting up of a domestic cricket restructuring committee within the next 10 days, comprising all four members of the four regions.

A PCB statement said, "The meeting was then adjourned for a brief period pursuant to five members attempting to table a resolution, which was not part of the agenda. The PCB Chairman had proposed any business other than the agenda could be considered under Any Other Items at the end of the meeting. However, the Khan Research Laboratory (KRL) and the four regional representatives refused to return to complete the meeting."

PCB chairman Ehsan Mani, who, along with Asad Ali Khan and Ex-Officio Akbar Durrani, was the only remaining BoG member present, declared himself "hugely disappointed", warning that Pakistan cricket must not "get derailed by personal agendas".

"I was looking forward to an interactive, productive and constructive discussion, which was aimed at taking Pakistan cricket forward. Yesterday, we called on the honourable Chief Minister of Balochistan and engaged in fruitful and enlightening discussions to promote cricket in Balochistan. It is, therefore, particularly disappointing that the representative from Balochistan also refused to return for the BoG meeting."

The abandonment of the meeting poses a potential broader problem for the PCB. One of the items on the agenda was the approval of audited accounts for 2017-18 to be sent to the ICC, which form the basis of the ICC releasing Pakistan's share of revenue for the year. That, ESPNcricinfo understands, amounts to USD 5 million, and with the failure to approve the release of audited accounts, that funding could be delayed. The threat of a delay isn't acute for now though if divisions linger on, it could become pressing. At least part of that money would be spent on regional cricket associations, some of whom walked out of the meeting.

Board officials expressed frustration at the demand to oust Wasim, whose arrival was seen as something of a coup for the board, particularly since he had been asked by the ECB to apply for a similar position.

In October, the BoG approved the creation of the position of managing director, aimed at separating the positions of chief executive and chairman. Under the current PCB set-up, the chairman is also its chief executive, which was seen as a conflict of interest. However, a separate position for chief executive requires a constitutional amendment, and on that basis, the BoG approved the search for a managing director, who would assume the role of chief executive once the position was created. It was then the PCB began shortlisting candidates for the position, finally settling on Wasim.

The saga has an unmistakeable realpolitik whiff. The current prime minister and patron of the board Imran Khan has been vocal about his intentions to downgrade and, if possible, completely eliminate departments in domestic cricket. It was notable that a guarantee against that was the first item on the proposals the five dissenting members moved. Just three weeks ago, Imran Khan had given short shrift to a new model the PCB proposed that still aimed to retain departments in domestic cricket, insisting they had no role in the game.

Mani and Imran Khan are scheduled to meet later this week to discuss issues related to the infrastructure development of the Pindi cricket stadium, which is owned by the province of Punjab rather than the PCB. With the ground being looked at as a potential venue for the next edition of the PSL, its dereliction was a cause for urgent concern. However, with half the BoG membership rejecting the patron's explicit demands with respect to departmental involvement in the domestic game, it seems hard to believe that will not be a key item of discussion when the pair meet.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Colin Graves' term as ECB chairman could be extended by six months, to allow him to oversee the first season of The Hundred.

Graves, who has been in his post since 2015, was due to step down in May 2020 after a five-year stint. However, he has been instrumental in the development of The Hundred, and is understood to be keen to preside over the competition's first season, which is due to be launched in July 2020.

His move has been proposed by the ECB's nominations committee, which comprises Graves himself, along with Lord Kamlesh Patel, the senior independent director, and fellow independent directors Lucy Pearson, Jim Wood and Allan Leighton.

It now needs to be approved by at least 12 of the 18 counties at the board AGM on May 7, after the ECB's constitution was rewritten in 2018 to ensure it complied with Sport England's code for sports governance.

Should the motion pass, Graves would remain in office until November 2020, though the ECB has confirmed that a search for his successor would begin in September 2019.

"2020 promises to be an exciting year for cricket in England and Wales," Lord Patel said. "Given that Colin Graves has played a key role in overseeing the development of The Hundred, the Non-Executive Directors believe it is important to retain his services over the course of the 2020 domestic season.

"This will also provide the opportunity for the Chair elect to be able to shadow Colin Graves for a six-month period, over the course of a season, which will help ensure there is a smooth succession."

Emily Whitlock: ‘The last place I wanted to be was on a squash court’
By MATT COLES

Eight-time World Champion Nicol David survived a scare against Egyptian wildcard Jana Shiha on day one of the El Gouna International, PSA World Tour Platinum event as she prevailed in a gripping five-game battle at the El Gouna Squash Complex.

The top half of the first round action took place today, and Malaysia’s David, a former World No.1, booked her place in the last 32 thanks to an 11-7, 6-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-8 victory.

Youth met experience as 17-year-old Shiha performed admirably in front of her home crowd, and she twice came back from behind to level the match before pulling ahead to 8-6 in the fifth to put herself on the brink of a massive upset.

But David, 35, dug in and used her experience to come back to take the win, setting up a round two clash with World No.1 Raneem El Welily on the glass court at the El Gouna Marina.

“I did what I could. I knew these youngsters are trying to take any opportunities that come their way,” said David.

“I was playing pretty well, but then she found the windows to take the opportunities and she played really well. I lost a bit of my focus on the ball and my timing, and at the end I knew I had to really dig deep. My focus came in at the right time, and I’m very pleased to win that 3-2.

“I’ve been here before (staring down the barrel of a defeat) and it takes a lot to get back. I had to see the ball and hit it, so that was all I did. I was very pleased to come out 3-2 and win it in a close match, but I really needed to fight.”

Also surviving in five games was World No.21 Emily Whitlock, as she came from two games behind to overcome another Egyptian, Nada Abbas.

Abbas has been struggling with a foot injury since January, but she has still been able to reach two PSA Tour finals in that time, and her talent was evident in the opening two games as the 18-year-old controlled proceedings at the El Gouna Squash Complex.

A 2-0 deficit seemed to kick Whitlock into gear, and she found a lot of joy with some accurate backhand drops as she dropped just a solitary point in the third. The Englishwoman kicked on from there to secure victory in five games. The 25-year-old will play United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy in the second round.

“The last place I wanted to be was on a squash court. I just haven’t been enjoying it, but I treated it like I was on holiday, a going to the gym in the morning, chilling out in the afternoons kind of thing,” said Whitlock, who celebrated her 150th win on the PSA Tour.

There were also victories for the Gilis sisters, World No.29 Nele and World No.42 Tinne, who both won to book their places in the second round of the tournament.

The 42-year-old Rachael Grinham and Egyptian Mariam Metwally claimed respective victories over Scotland’s Lisa Aitken and New Zealand’s Amanda Landers-Murphy, while there were wins for Danielle Letourneau of Canada and Coline Aumard of France.

In the men’s draw, up-and-coming Egyptian Mostafa Asal saw off Campbell Grayson to secure his spot in the second round of the tournament, winning 11-6, 12-10, 11-4.

Asal, 17, the World No.41, won the first 11-6, but there was a lengthy delay in the second, as the Kiwi needed treatment to a cut below his left eye. The delay lasted around 20 minutes, and when he came back onto the court, the Kiwi put in some fine rallies to send the game to a tie-break.

However, Asal managed to win the second, before going on to win the third to secure the match, booking his place in the second round against Joel Makin.

“I am happy today that I managed to work on my footwork and I managed to play his game. It was tough but I am happy that I managed to win the second game because he was a little bit tired, so I am happy that I went through and I am looking forward to my next match,” the Egyptian said.

The big shock of the day came through Edmon Lopez, as the World No.62 overcame Hong Kong’s Leo Au, who sits 38 places above the Spaniard in the rankings.

Au had won both of their previous matches on the PSA Tour, but Lopez – who only came into the draw on Sunday as a result of Ryan Cuskelly’s withdrawal – prevailed in an attritional affair to win the biggest match of his career, winning it by an 11-5, 16-14, 11-13, 11-6 scoreline to set up a second round match with India’s Saurav Ghosal.

“What made the difference today was the fact that I was strong physically and made sure I prevented him from playing his lob/drop shot game by picking up the pace as much as I could. It was hard for me because I had to keep the pressure up, but I’m glad it worked,” Lopez said.

Fellow Spaniard Borja Golan also took victory in round one, along with English duo Adrian Waller and Tom Richards, Egyptian maverick Mazen Hesham and Australia’s Cameron Pilley.

First round action continues tomorrow, as the bottom half of both the men’s and women’s draws kick off their campaigns at the El Gouna Squash Complex. 

2019 El Gouna International, El Gouna, Egypt.

Men’s First Round (Top Half):
Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Mazen Gamal (EGY) 3-1: 11-1, 11-4, 6-11, 11-5 (38m)
Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt Joshua Masters (ENG) 3-2: 13-11, 8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-3 (50m)
Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Campbell Grayson (NZL) 3-0: 11-6, 12-10, 11-4 (66m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Ben Coleman (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 (47m)
Tom Richards (ENG) bt Ivan Yuen (MAS) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 (29m)
Adrian Waller (ENG) bt [WC] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) 3-1: 11-1, 11-5, 10-12, 11-5 (45m)
Edmon Lopez (ESP) bt Leo Au (HKG) 3-1: 11-5, 16-14, 11-13, 11-6 (77m)

Men’s First Round (Bottom Half): To Be Played Thursday April18:
Mohamed Reda (EGY) v Greg Lobban (SCO)
Lucas Serme (FRA) v Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v Nathan Lake (ENG)
Alan Clyne (SCO) v Tsz Fung Yip (HKG)
Youssef Soliman (EGY) v Karim Ali Fathi (EGY)
[WC] Fares Dessouky (EGY) v Todd Harrity (USA)
Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) v Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY)
Ramit Tandon (IND) v Cesar Salazar (MEX)
Max Lee (HKG) v Karim El Hammamy (EGY)

Women’s First Round (Top Half):
Nicol David (MAS) bt [WC] Jana Shiha (EGY) 3-2: 11-7, 6-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-8 (46m)
Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt Mayar Hany (EGY) 5-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-3, 11-6 (42m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) bt Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) 3-1: 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-4 (29m)
Coline Aumard (FRA) bt Haley Mendez (USA) 3-1: 11-4, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10 (41m)
Nele Gilis (BEL) bt Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-1, 11-5 (32m)
Emily Whitlock (ENG) v Nada Abbas (EGY) 3-2: 4-11, 8-11, 11-1, 11-9, 11-5 (46m)
Danielle Letourneau (CAN) bt Milou van der Heijden (NED) 3-0: 11-4, 12-10, 11-8 (26m)
Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Lisa Aitken (SCO) 3-1: 11-7, 12-14, 11-8, 12-10 (49m)

Women’s First Round (Bottom Half) To Be Played Thursday April 18:
Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) v Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
Hollie Naughton (CAN) v Rachel Arnold (MAS)
Julianne Courtice (ENG) v Joey Chan (HKG)
Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v Jenny Duncalf (ENG)
Ho Tze-Lok (HKG) v Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) v [WC] Farida Mohamed (EGY)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) c Nadine Shahin (EGY)
Yathreb Adel (EGY) v Alexandra Fuller (RSA)

Draw – Men’s Second Round (Top Half): To Be Played Friday 19th April
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
Mazen Hesham (EGY) v Diego Elias (PER)
Mostafa Asal (EGY) v Joel Makin (WAL)
Borja Golan (ESP) v [7] Paul Coll (NZL)
[5] Simon Rösner (GER) v Tom Richards (ENG)
Adrian Waller (ENG) v Gregoire Marche (FRA)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) v Edmon Lopez (ESP)
Zahed Salem (EGY) v [3] Tarek Momen (EGY)

Women’s Second Round (Top Half): To Be Played Friday 19th April
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v Nicol David (MAS)
Tinne Gilis (BEL) v [16] Joshna Chinappa (IND)
[14] Victoria Lust (ENG) v Mariam Metwally (EGY)
Coline Aumard (FRA) v [5] Joelle King (NZL)
[7] Laura Massaro (ENG) v Nele Gilis (BEL)
Emily Whitlock (ENG) v [13] Amanda Sobhy (USA)
[12] Salma Hany (EGY) v Danielle Letourneau (CAN)
Rachael Grinham (AUS) v [3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 

Report by MATT COLES (PSA Media Team) Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of PSA

WALL, N.J. – Wall Stadium Speedway management and Pro-Tech 8 have announced a partnership for the upcoming season.

Pro-Tech 8 will become a contingency sponsor for all weekly divisions at the Jersey Shore oval.

Pro-Tech 8 will award a $100 bonus for the “Pro-Tech 8 Fans Pick of the Race Award” for all weekly divisions, on a rotating basis this year. Race fans will participate in the selection of the award winner each week and receive Pro-Tech 8 apparel for their participation.

In addition, Pro-Tech 8 will give the “Pro-Tech 8 Twin Challenge Award” which is a cash bonus to the highest average finisher of all twin and triple feature shows.

“Pro-Tech 8 is excited to get involved with auto racing as we begin to expand our product line into the performance industry in 2019” said Ted Bart, President CEO of Pro-Tech 8. “We believe a grassroots approach to brand awareness begins at the short tracks across America, which is the backbone of racing.”