CONCORD, N.C. — The relationship between Young’s Motorsports owner Tyler Young and driver Gus Dean is much stronger than the typical owner and driver arrangement.

Young and Dean have known each other for years, long before Dean joined Young’s Motorsports this year for his rookie season in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. In fact, they were once rivals on the race track.

In 2012 and ’13, Young and Dean were regulars in the Hooters Pro Cup Series. Dean was a rookie in 2012, while Young was in his third season competing in the series.

“Obviously we raced hard in the Pro Cup deal together,” the 27-year-old Young recalled. “Gus, he is a hard racer. As an owner that’s what you want to look for. We’ve been buddies a long time.”

Twenty-four-year-old Dean made 33 starts during his Pro Cup career, earning one win at Memphis (Tenn.) Int’l Raceway in 2014. Young made 60 Pro Cup starts, also earning a single victory at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway in 2012.

When asked about their favorite memory from their days in Pro Cup, Dean and Young thought for a moment before simultaneously saying, “Orange County.”

The race they referenced took place on Sept. 1, 2012 at Orange County Speedway in Rougement, N.C. In that race, Dean and Young spent much of the event battling one another for the lead or second place.

At the checkered flag, Dean and Young came together exiting turn four as they were fighting for second, sending sparks flying as they crossed the finish line.

The two exited their cars laughing.

“I don’t think it was out of (turn) four, I think it was the whole lap,” Dean said. “We were side by side, he’d have a nose or I’d have a nose for, oh God, 100 laps or 150 laps.”

“That was the best one,” Young added. “His guys were all good buddies we all wanted to beat them for sure. They were the toughest ones to best.”

“Neither one of us had numbers left on the side (of the car),” Dean noted with a laugh. “We were just laughing and having a good time.”

Fast-forward to the end of the 2018 season after Dean finished second in the ARCA Menards Series standings, while Young had become established team owner in the Truck Series.

Young wanted to expand his program and Dean wanted to move up the racing ladder. The stars aligned so to speak, bringing Dean and Young together again.

“We knew we wanted to move up. We were in ARCA and LG (Dean’s sponsor) was interested and wanted a spot in the big three (NASCAR divisions),” Dean explained. “Obviously knowing Tyler for so long … we went over (to his shop) and checked it out. He’s got an amazing facility and it’s very well staffed. Young’s Motorsports is a beautiful race team.

“There’s a lot of people you can do business with in racing, but there’s not a whole lot of people you can trust in racing,” Dean added. “Tyler and his dad have always been 100 percent straight up.”

Dean admits there have been some growing pains for him in the Truck Series. He had no top-10 finishes in eight races this year, with a best effort of 14th.

That said, he’s confident things will turn around as the season moves forward.

“These trucks are just an entirely different animal,” Dean said. “The air acts the same but it’s so much more dependent. Learning that has been my biggest curve. That’s something I’ve been able to fall back on Tyler for. He has been in these trucks, he’s already gone through that learning curve.

“I know when I ask him for some advice he can put it in my terms because we can have the same conversations we use to back in the Pro Cup days when we were both running up front there.”

Young, who has 80 Truck Series starts but none since last November, wouldn’t admit to being retired. He said this year it made more sense for him to move to an ownership role, but you can bet he’ll be back on the track when an opportunity arises.

And if Dean happens to be on the track at the same time as Young, you can bet they’ll race each like they did at Orange County back in 2012.

“I’d race him harder,” Young said laughing. “There is no doubt about it.”

“He can’t let the kid beat him on his own team,” Dean chimed in.

NEW EPISODE – Thurs (5/23) 7pm & 10pm ET
SPEED SPORT on MAVTV
15th West Coast Nationals Presented by Briggs & Stratton Racing

One of our favorite parts when visiting the Red Bluff Outlaws in northern California is hearing from the young racers as they are just beginning their motorsports adventures.

Let us introduce you to a few of these rising stars as they prepare for the 15th West Coast Nationals that you will see Thursday night on MAVTV.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Road America has announced that Door Peninsula Winery has become a partner and official wine provider for the facility.

Door Peninsula wines, produced in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., will now be the preferred wines poured at America’s National Park of Speed.

Along with over 500 events held seasonally at the 640-acre facility, 10 major weekends are open to the public, including the NTT IndyCar Series, the MotoAmerica Superbike series, three vintage racing events, numerous Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) events, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

All of those groups will help present Door Peninsula Winery’s numerous award-winning wines to race fans visiting the world renowned facility. They will be also be served as part of Road America’s catering services and in all luxury suites.

“We couldn’t be more excited about being named the Official Wine Provider for Road America,” said Robert Peterson, Marketing Director for Door Peninsula Winery. “Road America is an icon in Wisconsin, having been a driving force of tourism for over 60 years bringing hundreds of thousands of race fans to the area every season. Door Peninsula Wines is honored with the opportunity to partner with Road America to provide race fans with Wisconsin wines made with the finest locally grown fruit.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

We thought that completing this exercise for Manchester City would be rather straightforward. You win your second league title in a row, you get a domestic Treble along the way, everything is golden, right? Not quite and not just because of the UEFA investigators.

There is some work to be done on this squad if they are to stay ahead of the curve. Between players who are leaving (Vincent Kompany), may want to leave (Ilkay Gundogan, Nicolas Otamendi) and have contracts which are winding down (Fernandinho, David Silva, there are some big calls to make). And when you consider the Pep Guardiola mantra about endlessly pushing yourself, this could be a busier summer than anticipated.

So here's our assessment of the squad, with an eye towards the immediate future. We disagreed on a number of points...

- 30 Under 21: The best young soccer players
- Barnwell: Premier League winners and losers
- Thompson: What a trophy would mean to Liverpool
- Keep or Dump: Who has a future at Man United?

GOALKEEPERS

Ederson (25 years old, contract expires in 2025)

VERDICT: Keep

Claudio Bravo (36, 2020)

OGDEN: "He's been injured all year, at his age he may want regular football, so you look to move him on."

MARCOTTI: "I agree, he's never going to be No.1 again and if he wants to go, you let him go, though you won't get much in return. If not, keep him around until his deal expires."

VERDICT: Sell

Arijanet Muric (20, 2021)

OGDEN: "They like him a lot but I think they need a veteran backup, so send him on loan."

MARCOTTI: "I'm OK with sending him on loan but if you do that, you should extend his contract.

VERDICT: Loan out to get him experience

Daniel Grimshaw (21, 2021)

VERDICT: Keep

DEFENDERS

John Stones (24 years old, contract expires in 2022)

VERDICT: Keep

Aymeric Laporte (24, 2025)

VERDICT: Keep

Nicolas Otamendi (31, 2022)

OGDEN: "I don't think Pep trusts him and if you bring in a top drawer central defender to replace Vincent Kompany, he's not going to play much. And at his age, he'll want to play."

MARCOTTI: "It depends who you bring in. There's something to be said about having a bit of nasty and a bit of experience in your side. If it's a youngster, I'd keep him around, provided he wants to stay."

VERDICT: Mixed

Vincent Kompany (33, 2019)

VERDICT: Already leaving on a free, joining Anderlecht

Eliaquim Mangala (28, 2020)

OGDEN: "They've been trying to get rid of him for years. Sell if you can, otherwise give him away."

MARCOTTI: "You won't get anything back for a guy who hasn't played in 15 months and is out of contract in June. Nurse him back to health if you can and at least he's another body in the mix."

VERDICT: Mixed

Benjamin Mendy (24, 2023)

OGDEN: "He can't stay fit and there are concerns over how committed he is. Sell and upgrade the position."

MARCOTTI: "I think there's a good player in there and there are enough other areas in the team that need to be sorted. I'm comfortable with him as part of the left-back rotation."

VERDICT: Mixed

Oleksandr Zinchenko (22, 2020)

VERDICT: Keep and extend

Kyle Walker (28, 2022)

VERDICT: Keep

Danilo (27, 2022)

OGDEN: "He's reliable, he can back up a bunch of positions and he's the perfect quality squad player."

MARCOTTI: "I agree. He's a human insurance policy and I think Walker's minutes might come down next year."

VERDICT: Keep

Tosin Adarabioyo (21, 2021)

OGDEN: "It's nice to have homegrown guys in the squad and, at the very least, you extend him to preserve his value."

MARCOTTI: "He was a starter on a very good Championship side last year and he's young and English so you must extend him, because he's an asset. If Otamendi does stay and you do bring in a top central defender, you'll want to loan him again though."

VERDICT: Keep and extend

MIDFIELDERS

Douglas Luiz (21 years old, contract expires in 2022)

OGDEN: "He's still young, but he's had two seasons on loan at Girona without pulling up trees."

MARCOTTI: "You can probably use another defensive midfielder, but it's not him, and not now anyway. Let him mature elsewhere -- he's still young."

VERDICT: Loan

Fernandinho (34, 2020)

OGDEN: "He's important in the dressing room and there is no obvious replacement."

MARCOTTI: "At that age, you don't extend him unless he's fully fit and has a great season, but of course you keep him. He can help his long-term replacement settle."

VERDICT: Keep

Ilkay Gundogan (28, 2020)

OGDEN: "He has said he won't sign a new deal, so cash in on him now."

MARCOTTI: "I wouldn't give up on trying to persuade him. Maybe you take a gamble and if he gets regular football, he'll want to stay. I think he really came on strong down the stretch."

VERDICT: Mixed

Phil Foden (18, 2022)

VERDICT: Keep

Fabian Delph, (29, 2020)

OGDEN: "Take what you can get now. Maybe send him back to Aston Villa if they get promoted or something."

MARCOTTI: "He was a big contributor in 2017-18 but if you get a proper left-back and proper midfielders, there's no room for him. Sell."

VERDICT: Sell

Kevin De Bruyne (27, 2023)

VERDICT: Keep

David Silva (33, 2020)

OGDEN: "Obviously keep, unless he wants to leave. There have been suggestions that he might want to move on to end his career."

MARCOTTI: "If there's one guy, other than Kompany, who ought to get to choose his future after what he's done for the club, it's him. Let him decide."

VERDICT: Keep, unless he wants to leave

Raheem Sterling (24, 2023)

VERDICT: Keep

Bernardo Silva (24, 2025)

VERDICT: Keep

Leroy Sane (23, 2021)

OGDEN: "I think it's obvious Pep doesn't feel he's the player he thought he could be when he signed him. And if you sell him now, with two years left, you can get a very good fee... unlike, say, with Mahrez."

MARCOTTI: "It's madness to sell. He's 23. He can still grow, he has a unique skill set. Extend his contract to protect yourself and then if somebody else wants to come in for him, they can pay big money."

VERDICT: Mixed

Riyad Mahrez (28, 2023)

OGDEN: "He's been up and down and if you could get your money back, you'd maybe sell him. Yet that's not realistic."

MARCOTTI: "City are so different from his former club that you have to give him time to adapt."

VERDICT: Keep

FORWARDS

Sergio Aguero (30 years old, contract expires in 2021)

OGDEN: "Ideally, you'd extend his contract but I'm told he doesn't want to. He wants the option to end his career elsewhere."

MARCOTTI: "I think that makes sense. He's been there a long time, you have to respect his choices. But at least he's around for another year."

VERDICT: Keep

Gabriel Jesus (22, 2023)

VERDICT: Keep

Patrick Roberts (22, 2020)

OGDEN: "City paid £12 million for him and he's still 22, but he hasn't scored since being on loan at Celtic two years ago. Somebody should take him; if not, let him go on loan and run out of his contract."

MARCOTTI: "He missed a chunk in the middle of the season at Girona but never established himself as a starter, before or after. Sometimes things don't work out."

VERDICT: Sell if you can. If not, loan

Jack Harrison (22, 2021)

OGDEN: "He had a good season with Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United, but I'm not sure he's ready for City. Give him another year on loan."

MARCOTTI: "You extend him to preserve his value first and foremost. Otherwise, I agree, send him to a place with a manager that plays football similar to Pep's and let him continue to grow."

VERDICT: Extend and loan

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Like we said at the beginning, there's a fair bit to do here. Unless Bravo proves his fitness, you'll want a reliable veteran back-up keeper. Marcotti is OK with one out of Zinchenko, Mendy, Laporte and Danilo sharing time at left-back, but Ogden wants a first-choice option and is willing to sell Mendy, who might fetch as much as £30m.

You need a top-notch central defender to replace Kompany, possibly two if Otamendi goes. And, perhaps, one should be more experienced. A defensive midfielder must be a priority, too -- ideally someone who can take over from Fernandinho in a year's time and occasionally fill in as a more attacking midfielder too, like Gundogan did. That's important because if David Silva opts to leave, or if age and injuries catch up with him, you're left with just Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne, whose own injuries woes are well-chronicled). And, given that this is Manchester City, it needs to be a technically top-notch player.

If, as Ogden wants to do, you cash in on either Sane or Mahrez, then you'll need another wide forward. Or, maybe, you'd need a center-forward, with Jesus deployed wide, if you can get the right guy in and that will give you some cover too for when Aguero's contract starts to wind down.

How much can City spend in net terms? That's difficult to say and it may be influenced by the risk of a Champions League ban or fine down the road. It may be easier to look at what they can potentially raise from sales. Bravo, Roberts and Delph combined may get you £10 million. Gundogan is highly rated but he's 28 and has a single year left. You likely won't get more than £40m. Sane could be in the £80m-plus range but the problem is that once you get to that level, there aren't many buyers. Unless someone is in the market for a player with his skill set, you're a bit stuck.

The good news is that City's net spend last season was a mere £20m. In the two years prior to that, they averaged £180m in net spending per year. You assume they can go as high as £180m, when you factor in sales you get a budget of £230m, maybe a little more since they have an army of youngsters who they can also sell to finance the first team (hands up who thought they'd get £11m for Rabbi Matondo?). It puts them closer to £250m, which becomes well over £300m if -- as Ogden suggests -- they also sell Sane or Mahrez. With that money, they'd need to pick up a starter calibre left-back, central defender, midfielder and forward. Plus a serviceable back-up keeper and possibly another central defender.

Whichever way they go, one thing appears certain. We're nearing the end of a cycle and in 12 months' time, City's starting lineup could look very different.

South Africa's pre-World Cup practice facilities have come in for some criticism from fielding coach Justin Ontong, who suggested that the outfield at the Cathedral School in Cardiff was "not ideal".

"The school we've been practicing at has accommodated us nicely," Ontong said. "But just in terms of the fielding, the outfield is not ideal. It's a little bit bumpy. But we've been focusing on our catching, and that's really important."

Unlike previous tournaments, South Africa will not go into this World Cup as one of the favourites. Without AB de Villiers, they do not pack the batting firepower of hosts England or India, but Ontong said that his team has set the goal of being the best fielding side in the competition.

"We always work hard as a fielding unit, and we know the importance of fielding at a World Cup," Ontong said. "We're not taking it for granted, and we know that all of the other teams are strong in this department. Our goal is to be the best fielding team going into the World Cup. That's something we always pride ourselves on, and something we're working towards.

"South Africa has always been up there in the top three when it comes to fielding. But going into this World Cup, all of the teams are on par, so it will be about taking your opportunities when they are presented to you in the field. That will be very important."

South Africa's last World Cup in England, 20 years ago, is remembered mostly for their semi-final tie with Australia at Edgbaston, but they might have halted Australia's progress in the Super Six stage of the tournament had Herschelle Gibbs managed to hold onto a catch offered by Steve Waugh in an earlier match at Headingley. Waugh went on to make an unbeaten century, helping chase down South Africa's 271 for 7 and set up that famous semi-final clash.

Ontong did not mention Gibbs' lapse, but he did stress the importance of fielding in "defining moments".

"The fielding element is very important," he said. "If you look at previous World Cups, there have always been defining moments during games. We know about those big moments.

"From my point of view, I'm trying to prepare the guys for defining moments in the game. To make sure that we're ready for that. It's all about playing those big moments. We're well prepared for every opposition."

The Proteas are staying in Cardiff ahead of their first World Cup warm-up match against Sri Lanka at the Cardiff Wales Stadium on Friday. Their second warm-up game will be against West Indies at the Bristol County ground on Sunday, and South Africa will meet England in the tournament opener at The Oval on May 30.

"The excitement is sky high," Ontong said. "We can't wait for the tournament to start now. That's all we want. It's just the last couple of days of preparation now before that first game against England. We're just looking forward to that first game. The guys are raring to go."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Banning certain drills was among the group's recommendations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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