Report Lazio want Ivanovic on loan after struggle for Benfica playing timeLazio have reportedly set their sights on Benfica striker Franjo Ivanovic, hoping they can offer him something Como, Galatasaray, Real Betis and Hull City cannot.The 22-year-old Croatia international made the move to Benfica only last summer from Union Saint-Gilloise at a cost of 22.8m.Ivanovic wants playing timePODGORICA, MONTENEGRO NOVEMBER 17: Franjo Ivanovic of Croatia warms up prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Montenegro and Croatia at Podgorica City Stadium on November 17, 2025 in Podgorica, Montenegro. (Photo by Filip Filipovic/Getty Images)He scored eight goals with two assists in 42 competitive games for the Portuguese side, but was frustrated that he only got to start 13 of those matches.According to Sportitalia transfer pundit Alfredo Pedull, Ivanovic is eager to get regular playing time and this is the biggest consideration when looking for the next step in his career.Lazio believe they can provide that promise, so have reportedly asked Benfica if they can sign him on a dry loan, without an option to buy.There has been some interest in the centre-forward from Como in Serie A, Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig, and Hull City in England.Ivanovic made his senior Croatia debut last year and has two goals with one assist in nine caps.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 19, 2026: Luis Hernndez #8 of the San Francisco Giants bats during the fifth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Cincinnati Reds at Scottsdale Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty ImagesJust five games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Tuesday, as AA Richmond had their game postponed (theyre playing a doubleheader today), while the Arizona Complex League season is over. Lets dive into the action. Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.NewsSome unfortunate news, as AA Richmond outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) was placed on the 7-Day IL. Thats not normally something that happens during off-days, so thats a little strange. Hopefully hes OK and this isnt the end of his excellent season. High-A Eugene second baseman Isaiah Barkett, who was also just promoted, was also placed on the 7-Day IL.In happier news, AAA Sacramento RHP Trent Harris (No. 29 CPL) was named Pitcher of the Week in the Pacific Coast League!AAA Sacramento (56-44)Sacramento River Cats lost to the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) 8-4Box scoreThis game was all about the players at the back. The top (and heart) of the lineup was awful, while the back of it was excellent. The starting pitching was poor, while the bullpen was mostly strong. That was especially stark on the lineup front, where the 1st 6 hitters recorded just 2 of the teams 8 hits. The 1st 4 a quartet of players who are all hoping to make MLB debuts by the end of this season or early next year especially struggled. Second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) hit 0-4 with a strikeout and a double play; center fielder Scott Bandura went 1-4 with a strikeout; third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 0-4 with 2 strikeouts (his 1st hitless game since getting promoted); and left fielder Bo Davidson went 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout. But at the back of the lineup? Designated hitter Turner Hill, catcher Adrin Sugastey, and shortstop Aeverson Arteaga each hit 2-4. Hill in particular had an excellent game, smacking a 2-run home run and stealing a base, as his splendid 2026 continues.pic.twitter.com/za4VKZ3UZQ Steve Hill (@hooyahhill) July 28, 2026Hills numbers are really jumping off the page through 76 games with the River Cats: thats a large enough sample that theres nothing fluky about his average (.333), OPS (.899), wRC+ (137), strikeout rate (8.4%), or base-stealing (22 in 25 attempts). The only thing that probably isnt sustainable is the power, which is largely a result of the Pacific Coast League Hill has 7 homers in those 76 games, with just 5 home runs in 281 games at all other levels of the Minors, and his average exit velocity is 39th percentile in AAA. With Jonah Cox and Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL) likely returning to health soon, and with the Giants motivated to get longer looks at Grant McCray and Drew Gilbert, it seems highly unlikely that Hill, who is 27, will make his MLB debut this year and clog the roster through the offseason. But, assuming he survives the Rule 5 Draft (which is no certainty, though theres a good chance there isnt a Rule 5 Draft this year), hes a player who should show up to Spring Training in position to fight for a backup outfield spot.Sugastey also went deep, smacking a solo home run in the 9th inning. Hes fit right in since getting promoted, hitting 6-16 with 2 home runs, 1 walk, and just 1 strikeout. Though, like Hill, Sugastey is not a player who has a lot of power, so the homers are a little PCL-influenced. Still, great to see him hitting the ground running at the highest level of the Minors.On the mound, it was a very poor start for LHP Matt Wilkinson, who really struggled to fool batters with his pitches. He was simply far too hittable, giving up 8 hits in 3.1 innings, with 3 of those hits clearing the fence (and another 2 of them being doubles). Tugboat also walked 2 batters, en route to allowing 6 runs, though he did strike out 4 (though 4 strikeouts in 3.1 innings sounds a lot better than the equally factual 4 strikeouts out of 20 batters faced). Its a little hard to evaluate hittability in the PCL due to to all the aforementioned home runs. How much of it is because of the Coors Field-esque environments, and how much is the result of 90-mph fastballs and breaking balls set up by 90-mph fastballs being quite hittable? Wilkinson has a solid 10.2 strikeouts per 9 innings in AAA, with a not-too-bad 3.9 walks, but hes also ceded 6 home runs in 25.2 innings, leading to a 5.61 ERA and a 6.28 FIP. I know fans are clamoring for a debut on that front but maybe lets give him some time to develop!The bullpen was solid. RHP Braxton Roxby pitched 1.2 no-hit innings, though he walked 2 and didnt strike anyone out. RHP Spencer Bivens gave up a home run to a rehabbing Brendan Donovan, but otherwise didnt allow any baserunners in 2 innings, while recording 4 strikeouts. High-A Eugene (59-38)Eugene Emeralds beat the Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) 10-5Box scoreA brilliant and well-rounded offensive display from the Emeralds, despite their best prospect, Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) getting a day off. Eugene hitters had 14 hits and 6 walks on the day, with 8 of the 9 players in their lineup recording a knock.The best day belonged to third baseman Walker Martin, who hit 1-3 with a 2-run home run, a walk, a hit by pitch, and a strikeout. Have a season, Walker Martin!The Ems Third Baseman hits his career-best 14th HR of the year for some clutch insurance@Walkerm2023#RootedHerepic.twitter.com/g3EWkvCWqH Eugene Emeralds (@EugeneEmeralds) July 29, 2026Martin, the teams 2nd-round pick in 2023, has really been able to tap into his power a bit this year, as he has 14 home runs (5th in the organization), and a career-best .184 isolated slugging percentage (26th out of 72 Northwest League hitters with at least 150 plate appearances). Unfortunately, while the power is there, the contact simply isnt, as Martin continues to struggle with just putting the ball in play. Among those 72 hitters, his .230 batting average is 54th, his 33.6% strikeout rate is 67th, and his 19.7% swinging strike rate is 71st (ahead of only his teammate Jakob Christian [No. 40 CPL]). So theres certainly a lot for Martin to work on. A pair of other players had extra-base hits: left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL), who went 1-4 with a triple, a walk, and a strikeout, and designated Robert Hipwell, who hit 2-4 with a double, a hit by pitch, and 2 strikeouts. Gutierrez has now hit safely in 18 of the last 21 games, and during that time is 27-70 with 2 homers, 9 total extra-base hits, 18 walks, and just 13 strikeouts. Thats brought him up to an .840 OPS and a 126 wRC+ on the season, and Im wondering if he might get a taste of AA ball before the year ends which would be wildly impressive, considering as how the 21-year old lefty had played in just 85 games before this season began. As for Hipwell, hes been hitting well since returning from a brief demotion to Low-A, as hes gone 7-13 with 3 extra-base hits and 3 walks in 4 games since getting back to Eugene though hes also struck out 8 times. Those strikeouts are the downfall for the 2024 6th-rounder currently, as he has a terrifying 41.6% K rate at the level, which has resulted in just a .183 batting average and a .687 OPS though his wRC+ is still 94, thanks to a sky-high 18.1% walk rate. A trio of other players reached base 3 times: center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) hit 3-5 with a strikeout, raising his OPS to .780 and his wRC+ to 98; catcher Daniel Rogers went 2-4 with a walk, boosting his OPS to .627 and his wRC+ to 71; and shortstop Zane Zielinski hit 2-4 with a walk, a strikeout, and a stolen base, giving him a .739 OPS and a 102 wRC+. Zielinski had been playing in AA Richmond for a while, but was struggling, and returned to Eugene when Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) was promoted.A very odd start for LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL). Weve grown very accustomed to De La Torre limiting hits but giving up a ton of walks, but even so, this start was an extreme for him, as he allowed just 2 hits in 5 innings, while walking 6 batters. The good news is that resulted in just 1 run against him; the bad news is that his typical strikeout stuff was nowhere to be found, as he only Kd 2 batters on the day.LDLT, who threw just 45 of 87 pitches for strikes, is now up to a terrifying 7.2 walks per 9 innings a very bizarre number after he only walked 3.3 per 9 in his breakout campaign last year, including just 2.8 per 9 in his 35.2-inning stint in Low-A to end the year. Where did all these walks come from? His strikeout rate has also dropped a bit, though thats not surprising when moving up a level, and it remains at a very nice 11.4 per 9. But the walks and the home runs (hes allowed 9 in 78.2 innings, despite just 54 total hits) have done him in, giving him a 5.15 ERA and a 5.21 FIP, despite some clearly electric stuff in his arsenal. Weird season.A pair of other pitchers who struggle to avoid walks pitched, but, unlike De La Torre, they did a good job at suppressing free passes. That would be, of course, the 2 relievers with arguably the nastiest and hardest-throwing stuff in any Giants affiliated bullpen, RHPs Liam Simon and Gerelmi Maldonado (No. 21 CPL). Simon pitched 2 scoreless innings with 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout, while Maldonado struck out the side in his scoreless frame, with 1 hit and 0 walks. Both players have comical strikeout and walk numbers: 49 strikeouts and 31 walks in 33 innings for Simon (who has a 5.45 ERA and a 5.46 FIP), and 37 strikeouts and 32 walks in 24.2 innings for Maldonado (who has a 3.65 ERA and a 6.27 FIP). Always good to see them pitch in control Maldonado was especially impressive, throwing 12 of 16 pitches for strikes. More of that, please!Low-A San Jose (56-41)San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) 12-4Box scoreThe big news for San Jose is, of course, the arrival of a pair of shortstop phenoms, Josuar Gonzlez (No. 2 CPL) and Luis Hernndez (No. 6 CPL). And you know what? Thats going to be the news and the story for the rest of the year with the Baby Giants, and nothing will come close it it.Tuesday was a good day on that front. It was good for Gonzlez because he played, period. The 18-year old switch-hitter, who played shortstop in this game, left his Low-A debut on Saturday with what the team called a groin cramp. It was a scary scene at first Gonzlez has dealt with multiple hamstring injuries this year, and he left the game in the middle of an at-bat, so the assumption was that it was something fairly serious. Thankfully it was not, and he was back in the lineup and leading off on Tuesday, where he went 0-4 with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. He scored after one of those walks, thanks to Hernndez. The 17-year old righty, who played third base in this game, only hit 1-5, but he sure made that 1 count, with an absolutely stunning 2-run home run in the 1st inning.17-year-old Luis Hernndez clubs his first Single-A homer in his 3rd game for the @SJGiants MLB's No. 31 prospect (@SFGiants) posted a .917 OPS in Rookie ball prior to his promotion: pic.twitter.com/2hAKGC9uob MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 29, 2026Its hard to properly state how impressive Hernndezs combination of power and contact ability are, especially for a 17-year old infielder. So I wont even try to state it. Ill just say that the kid is very, very special.A pair of players from the 2025 draft class also went deep, as catcher Junior Barajas and right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) both hit 2-5 with a solo home run. For Barajas, its the continuation of a 3-act play where power is concerned. Just look at how the home runs have gone for the debut season of last years 11th-rounder:First 8 games: 4 home runsNext 54 games: 2 home runsLast 3 games: 4 home runsWhen it rains it pours, for better and for worse! Barajas has just a .763 OPS and an 89 wRC+ on the year, but the son of Rod Barajas is certainly showing flashes with the bat, and hes a damn good defensive player.Maldonado, last years 7th-round selection, has also been extremely streaky with the long ball. The 22-year old righty, who had a stretch in April where he homered 6 times in 4 games, hit his 1st big fly since June 12, ending a streak of 23 consecutive games (17 with San Jose, and 6 while rehabbing an injury in the ACL) without leaving the yard. July had been fairly dismal for Maldonado (who was 1-22 since returning to San Jose prior to this game), so hopefully this is the start of him ending his season on a high note. He has a .790 OPS and a 91 wRC+ on the year. Another tough outing for RHP Trey Seeley, who came an out away from a very aesthetically pleasing line: last years 14th-round pick gave up 4 hits, 4 walks, and 4 runs, with 4 strikeouts, though he only made it through 3.2 innings. So close! Seeley, a 24-year old who signed for $25,000 out of Hope International, has a 9.00 ERA and a 9.90 FIP with San Jose, though he is striking out 12.2 batters per 9 innings. Wildly, nearly half of his allowed hits are home runs: in 20 innings hes given up 22 hits, including 10 big flies. RHP Evan Gray, a 15th-rounder in 2024, threw 2 no-hit innings with 1 hit batter and 1 strikeout. It was a much-needed nice outing, after giving up runs in 3 straight appearances. The 25-year old has a 5.01 ERA and a 5.20 FIP.Dominican Summer League Black (26-15)DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Tigers 1, 7-6 (8 innings)Box scoreNice games from a pair of DSL veterans who will likely make their way to Arizona come the spring. Left fielder Franco Willias, a 21-year old from the DR who is in his 3rd season, hit 2-4 with a triple, a walk, and a caught stealing. That pushed his hitting streak to 11 games, and hes 20-43 with 8 extra-base hits and 5 walks during that time, pushing his OPS to 1.064 and his wRC+ to 159. Hes been one of the best players in all of the DSL this season.Shortstop Keiberg Camacaro, a 19-year old from Venezuela who is in his 4th season, went 3-4 with a stolen base. After a strong June, Camacaro has been otherworldly in July, posting a 1.169 OPS in the month. On the year he has a 1.041 OPS, a 157 wRC+, and 23 stolen bases in 25 attempts. Just a spectacular year, following a very poor 2025.The best pitching performance belonged to LHP Moises Soto, a 17-year old from Venezuela who was making just his 2nd career appearance. Soto struck out 2 batters in a no-hit relief inning, though he did issue 2 walks. LHP Santiago Guerrero, a 19-year old from Mexico who is also in his debut season, struck out 6 batters in 2.2 innings, though he allowed 2 hits, 4 walks, and 5 runs. Guerrero has 31 strikeouts in 27 innings this year, and has only allowed 13 hits but hes walked 28. Dominican Summer League Orange (23-18)DSL Giants Orange beat DSL Miami 11-4 (7 innings)Box scoreA few nice games in this one. Center fielder Jose Valdez, a 17-year old from Venezuela, had a perfect outing, going 3-3 with a walk, 4 runs batted in, and a stolen base. Valdez has had a really nice debut season, with an .854 OPS, a 110 wRC+, and 8 stolen bases. My guess is that hell be staying in the DSL for another year, though, so that he can work on his contact skills (he has a .263 average and a 23.9% strikeout rate). A pair of other players in their debut seasons shined: shortstop Jonathan Valle, an 18-year old from Cuba, went 1-1 with a double and a walk, while left fielder Angelo Ugueto, a 17-year old from Venezuela, hit 2-3 with a triple, a walk, and a strikeout. Valle has really struggled (.475 OPS, 19 wRC+), while Ugueto (.666 OPS, 75 wRC+) has been a little better.RHP Frainer Mejias, a 20-year old from Venezuela who is in his 4th season, threw 1.2 no-hit innings with 1 walk, 1 hit batter, and 2 strikeouts. Its been a tough season for him, as he has a 5.71 ERA, a 7.85 FIP, and more walks than strikeouts.Home run tracker14 Walker Martin [High-A]12 Cam Maldonado [Low-A]10 Junior Barajas [Low-A]7 Turner Hill [AAA]7 Luis Hernndez [1 in Low-A; 6 in ACL]5 Adrin Sugastey [2 in AAA; 2 in AA; 1 in ACL]Wednesday scheduleSacramento: 7:05 p.m. PT at Tacoma (SP: TBD)Richmond: 9:05 a.m. PT doubleheader at Somerset (SPs: Trystan Vrieling & Greg Farone)Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Tri-City (SP: Hunter Dryden)San Jose: 6:30 p.m. Pt at Rancho Cucamonga (SP: TBD)

It looked like New Mexico State's starting quarterback this season would be Trey Hedden. Now, it's official.Aggies coach Tony Sanchez officially named Hedden the starting quarterback in a media scrum after NM State's first fall camp practice on Wednesday, July 29. Sanchez previously said Hedden had "the nod" as the starting quarterback going into fall camp during the Conference USA Kickoff Show on July 20, but now he's gone one step further.MORE AGGIES FOOTBALL: Bowl or bust? New Mexico State faces defining season in Tony Sanchez's third yearMORE AGGIES FOOTBALLL: 2026 New Mexico State Offense Preview Aggies look for more pop compared to 2025Barring anything unforeseen, Hedden will guide the Aggies' offense in their season opener against Florida State on Aug. 29 on the road."Trey has the quarterback one job, so we anticipate him having it going into game one," Sanchez said. "That decision's already been made... Unless something crazy or egregious happens, which I don't anticipate that happening, we're good. We've got our starter going into Week 1."Hedden transferred from Furman over the offseason and battled 2025 backup quarterback Adam Damante for the starting job during spring football. Damante now heads back to the bench, and Hedden gets the chance to lead a team for the third consecutive season.Hedden started eight games for Furman in 2024 and made the All-Southern Conference Freshman Team before starting all 12 games for the Paladins in 2025. He completed 68.3% of his passes and threw for 2,697 yards with 18 total touchdowns, 13 interceptions and three lost fumbles. Hedden also spoke in a media scrum after Wednesday's practice. He believes the roster NM State has will make his FCS-to-FBS adjustment easier, and promised he won't have the same struggles other FCS quarterbacks have."The challenges that you think of, the speed of the game and the players that you're playing against, are really helped by the team that you're surrounded by," Hedden said. "There's no TK Kings playing FCS football. Bottom line, that's that's reality. Every challenge that you can think of is backed up by a benefit that I'm going to be surrounded by."I think a lot of FCS guys struggle with arm talent or size, and I don't struggle with either one of those things. I think some of the natural things that people struggle with are not going to be my issues."Hedden is a 6-foot-3, 225-pound quarterback with 20 games of Division I starting experience under his belt. Per Pro Football Focus, he ranked fourth in the SoCon last season with 14 big-time throws, and his 76.1 PFF passing grade ranked fifth among the 11 SoCon quarterbacks who played at least 20% of their team's snaps.However, PFF also ranked Hedden second in turnover-worthy plays with 14, and he had only two less turnovers than total touchdowns. Hedden admitted during the scrum that he's struggled with taking care of the ball in the past, but says guidance from NM State offensive coordinator David Yost will fix the issue."I've struggled turning the football over. It has happened at Furman. It's something that I've dealt with," Hedden said. "What I will say though is that I've spent a lot of time... There's a lot of time and work and effort that's been put in to positively affect that this offseason. "Working with Coach Yost, he's coaching me like I've never been coached before. He's on me. I spend a ton of time with him every day. I'm going to do everything I can to eliminate those things and help our offense continue to be successful throughout."This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Trey Hedden named New Mexico State's Week 1 starting quarterback

The Saints might have already lost a key player for the season, as NFL Network reports that defensive tackle Bryan Bresee has suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entirety of 2026. Bresee played in 15 games in 2025, all starts, after appearing in 17 games and making 11 starts the previous two seasons. He hit the QB eight times in 2026 with 13 pressures, and posted career-bests in total (37) and assisted (22) tackles. Bresee had previously torn his left ACL in 2021, while playing for Clemson. He was a first-round pick of the Saints in 2023. Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart was carted off the field during the teams first practice of training camp on Wednesday with an apparent left leg injury. The Bengals havent released any details on Stewarts injury, but he was seen with crutches and a brace on the leg after practice. Coach Zac Taylor met with the media before practice. Stewart, the Bengals first-round draft pick in 2025, is entering an important training camp as he works on solidifying his role on the depth chart. His rookie season was inconsistent, and the hope entering camp was that hed get enough reps to put the challenging season behind him. Stewart wasnt a participant at the start of training camp last year because he still hadnt signed his rookie contract. He also didn't participate in rookie minicamp or any offseason practices because he didn't sign a practice waiver. Given all the time off the field, Stewart was behind when he started practicing. He showed flashes in the first two weeks of the season but then suffered an injury in Week 2 against Jacksonville, missed time and was banged up for most of the eight games he played. The Bengals invested heavily at defensive end in the offseason with free agent Boye Mafe and second-round pick Cashius Howell. Myles Murphy, their 2023 first-round pick, is a projected starter. Cedric Johnson, a 2024 sixth-round pick, and Isaiah Foskey, claimed off waivers last season, are behind Stewart on the depth chart. Defensive tackle BJ Hill and tight end Josh Kattus are out with undisclosed injuries at the start of camp. Everyone else on the roster was in uniform on Wednesday. Carolina Panthers promising rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell III was carted off the practice field on Wednesday with a left knee injury. Coach Dave Canales said Brazzell would undergo testing to determine the extent of the injury. According to the Athletic, that testing revealed Brazzell sustained an LCL tear and could miss up to eight weeks recovering. Brazzell missed the previous two days of practice with soreness in the same knee before being cleared to return. "Same knee, something happened," Canales said. "He felt weird on it, sat down and we took him in. We will get a full picture of that." The third-round draft pick out of Tennessee became the latest Carolina player to sustain an injury since the start of training camp last week. Carolina lost second-year pass rusher Nic Scourton to a season-ending torn ACL last week and backup tight end Mitchell Evans was carted off on Tuesday, although that injury was not as severe. Canales said Wednesday that exams revealed Evans has a low ankle sprain, and he could return later this week. The Panthers drafted Brazzell in the third round with an eye toward him becoming a valuable deep threat to pair with last year's NFL Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette in a young but developing wide receiver room. Brazzell ran a 4.37-second, 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine in February and has big-play ability that can stretch a defense. He had 62 catches for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns last season for the Volunteers. It's been a rough summer so far for the defending NFC South champions. The Panthers will be without both starting offensive tackles, Taylor Moton (blood clot/lung) and Ickey Ekwonu (knee), to start the regular season, while starting guards Damien Lewis (calf) and Robert Hunt (back) have missed time at practice because of injuries. Several others players have missed practice time with nagging injuries as well. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pakistan fast bowlers Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad have been sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for separate breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct during the opening Test against the West Indies at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba. Both players were found guilty of Level 1 offences under Article 2.5, which prohibits players from using words, gestures or actions that could incite or provoke an aggressive response from a batter following a dismissal.Khurram Shahzad fined, Abbas officially reprimandedKhurram Shahzad received a 15 per cent fine on his match fee and was handed one demerit point after celebrating too close to West Indies batter Shai Hope following his dismissal in the 17th over of the hosts' second innings. Meanwhile, Mohammad Abbas was issued an official reprimand along with one demerit point for his animated celebration after dismissing Jomel Warrican, the final wicket of the West Indies innings. The ICC ruled that both celebrations crossed the acceptable standard of player conduct and had the potential to provoke the dismissed batters.No formal hearing requiredBoth Abbas and Khurram accepted responsibility for their actions and agreed to the sanctions proposed by ICC Elite Panel Match Referee Jeff Crowe. As a result, the disciplinary process was concluded without the need for formal hearings. The charges were brought by on-field umpires Alex Wharf and Richard Kettleborough, along with third umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal. The ICC also confirmed that this was the first disciplinary offence for both players in the past 24 months.The West Indies won by 90 runs against Pakistan in the first Test at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The historic match, the first-ever Test hosted at the venue, concluded on day four after a dominant display from the West Indies pace battery. The defeat marks Pakistan's eighth consecutive away Test loss. Pakistan will now look to level the series when the second and final Test begins at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain on August 2.

Here's a fact that might come up this weekend: did you know 2025 was the first year in more than two decades that WWE had no Hell in a Cell match? The iconic structure has long been a fixture in the WWE calendar even carrying its own PLE for more than a decade serving as the ultimate score-settler for the most explosive of feuds. Then last year, it was placed on hiatus.You can understand why they chose to give it a rest. The last time we saw a Hell in a Cell match was the brutal slobberknocker between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre at Bad Blood 2024, perhaps the last great personal vendetta we've seen on WWE programming. After a match reaches those levels of violence, it makes sense to let the dust settle and the impact speak for itself.Now the 20-foot structure is coming back out of storage, chosen by Triple H as the perfect way to settle the score between Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar at WWE SummerSlam. To be fair, the Femi-Lesnar feud hasn't quite had the emotional ferocity of Punk-McIntyre. But it has still been the best thing on WWE television in recent months, certainly when compared to the lackluster build for Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins.There's another factor at play here, too: WWE knows it need to up the stakes for the final part of this trilogy. After all, it was the companys decision to keep this feud running beyond WrestleMania. What happens inside that chain-link structure on Saturday will decide whether that was a foolish call or not.Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi's trilogy match goes down Saturday at WWE SummerSlam.WWE via Getty ImagesI've made my views on that clear. To me, Oba Femi's triumph over Lesnar at WrestleMania 42 was the closest WWE has come this year to capturing lightning in a bottle. It was the sort of match that was destined to be talked about for years to come. To paraphrase George H. W. Bush's famous line from The Simpsons, the match achieved everything it had set out to do, meaning there was no need for a second one.So why did we get a rematch? As is usually the case with WWE, commercial factors triumphed over creative ones. When you have 50,000 overpriced seats to shift for SummerSlam, there's no way you can risk leaving your most successful feud off the card. If that means bringing Lesnar back from "retirement" to ruin Femis unbeaten streak at Clash in Italy, then so be it.In fairness, WWE has done a competent job in selling the notion of Hell in a Cell as the final destination for this feud. On Monday, they brought the cell out in Los Angeles for the final face-to-face segment between Femi and Lesnar. However cynical you feel about the rest of the product right now, it was hard not to get tingles watching that thing lowered from the rafters accompanied by its own little theme music.The Cell pic.twitter.com/paQuAB9oCg WWE (@WWE) July 28, 2026They've made good use of Lesnar's history too, reminding us about his unbeaten record in Hell in a Cell matches, as well as his achievements in another chain-link structure with a reputation for high-stakes violence (what Paul Heyman now calls "The Brocktagon"). That's helped build Lesnar up again as a suitably scary obstacle for a young competitor looking to earn his place in history.For all the hype, though, there are still outstanding questions. Take Lesnar, for example. His terrifying combat sports pedigree doesn't change the fact that his past three pro-wrestling matches clocked in at less than nine minutes each. Whatever "The Beast" has planned for this weekend needs to be a lot less like his half-baked battle with John Cena and more like his bombastic Last Man Standing match from SummerSlam back in 2022.There are questions for Femi too. The former NXT champion has been dominant since his call-up to the main roster, but his big match experience isn't exactly extensive. Indeed, one of the more surprising bits in season three ofNetflixs WWE Unreal was hearing Bruce Pritchard express doubts about Femi's readiness. We'll all be hoping that Pritchard isn't proven right this weekend.Because these two will need need fireworks to make this work. Ultimately, most Hell in a Cell matches live or die on whether they deliver that one bombshell moment. Last time around, it was the wince-inducing moment when McIntyre flopped spine-first onto the toolbox. In 2022, it was Cody Rhodes pulling back his jacket to show us that massive pectoral tear probably the first big Hell in a Cell moment to happen before the match had even started. Then there's the granddaddy of them all: Mick Foley's death-defying fall from 1998 that has been immortalized in every Hell in a Cell package since then.Obviously, no one will be expecting to see Femi doing anything that crazy. But he still needs to give us something that can justify the occasion this weekend. If there isn't a clip thats getting shared like crazy on social media afterward and not just on the WWE accounts then you can probably deduce that the gambit has failed. Though surely you have to assume everyone involved has something up their sleeves for the return of Hell in a Cell and the closing chapter of the Femi-Lesnar feud.We've had the build-up and the exchanges of insults. We've had the hype packages and the breathless previews from the commentary desk. We've had the incongruous UFC-style weigh-in to kick off this week's "Raw." On Saturday, we will find out whether the whole thing has been worthwhile.For the sake of Oba Femi, I really hope that it will be.

DETROIT (AP) Trade deadline target Tarik Skubal and Detroit fans gave each other a warm farewell Wednesday, just in case this was the two-time Cy Young Award winner's final appearance in a Tigers jersey. Skubal was cheered at every opportunity by a crowd of 34,406 while taking a shutout into the seventh inning against Baltimore. His first standing ovation came when he struck out leadoff hitter Taylor Ward on a 3-2 changeup to record his 1,000th career strikeout.He reached the mark in 857 innings, breaking Max Scherzer's franchise-best mark of 944 2/3 innings.He got another ovation when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch removed him after Leody Tavares' RBI single with two out in the seventh.With Detroit lingering below .500, the Tigers could deal their ace ahead of next Mondays trade deadline. Skubal is eligible for free agency after the World Series. He has a $32 million salary, a record total in arbitration, after the team offered $19 million, and is expected to sign a massive contract in the offseason. The 29-year-old lefty said earlier this month that it was his preference is to finish the season with the Tigers to compete for a World Series championship, which has eluded the franchise since 1984.Going into spring training and the whole offseason, Ive never been more motivated to try and win a World Series for this city, the team that drafted me and helped develop me, he said on July 23.Detroit has bounced back in June and July but still entered Wednesday at 51-57, 3 1/2 games out of the last AL wild card.Skubal had experimental surgery on May 6 to remove a loose body from his pitching elbow and returned to pitch on June 13.The way the surgery went is exactly how it was supposed to go, he said in July. I dont know if remarkable is the word I would use.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Jul 29, 2026; Rochester, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) catches a pass during training camp at St. John Fisher University. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe Buffalo Bills are trying to remedy an inconsistent and predictable performance out of the wide receivers room that plagued the team in big moments during the 2025 season. One Bills Drive has added wide receivers DJ Moore and Skyler Bell to the mix, the former through a trade with the Chicago Bears, and the latter during the 2026 NFL Draft.Yet by and large, the teams group of wide receivers remains otherwise very similar entering 2026. That includes Keon Coleman, who has a lot to prove in year three. Coleman has just turned 23 years old, but this season feels like it carries the weight of a necessary redemption arc for his NFL career. President of football operations Brandon Beane and quarterback Josh Allen understand this, and both have made sure to build a case for Coleman as fairly as possible. During his first press conference of camp, Beane spoke at length about Coleman, and his level of maturity stating if you know Keon the way I know him and his teammates know him, you feel a guy whos really matured the light has come on, he understands some of the things he couldve done better along the way, while reflecting on his own level of maturity at a similar age and adding that Coleman finally appears to be growing comfortable in his skin.Beane then went on to say that hes very proud of Keon and where he is. He couldve taken the negativity from the press-conference thing, the season, the benchings, whatever has happened to him. He has has the most positive outlook on things I think hes done everything that he could control, up to this point.Beane was then asked if expectations are higher for Coleman now, given the hurried not for long nature of professional football. Ever in Colemans corner, Beane said that if you handle the things the way hes handled them this offseason up to this point I think those things will come. If you just prepare, do the right things on the field, off the field, I think the rest will come. Beane then stated that he doesnt believe Coleman has come up short with his ability. I think hes shown plenty of things going back to his rookie year before the injury. In summing it up, Beane said I think when hes done things the right way which, hes doing that and the light is on, I think that will naturally come, before adding that hes unconcerned about the immaturity issues from prior seasons thanks to what Colemans shown so far in 2026.Allen also continues to show confidence in Coleman, evidenced by the offenses first 7-on-7 play of camp, a quick out to Coleman on the edge. The pass fell incomplete, but the key takeaway was that Allen went right back to Coleman on the very next play a far more difficult pass and catch down the right side of the field, which Coleman hauled in. After practice, when asked about Coleman and whether hes earned his trust, Allen responded by saying Absolutely. You know, hes put in the work this offseason. He continues to get better. He continues to master the offense and the role that were asking him to do. Allen would go on to add that Coleman is working extremely hard and I think people see that. I respect that about him. Hes never once put his head down and pouted and woe is me. Its always hey, Im gonna figure this thing out. And when you have a guy thats willing to put in the extra work, that you start pulling for that guy. But again, I understand his body language now. I know where hes gonna be.As for what transpired on that first incomplete pass, Allen mentioned that back-shoulder balls, some guys arent easy to throw to, but hes got such a big frame where those are something that hes gotta be very very excellent at. But it takes reps to do that and Im glad we got that today. Though the internet has been sharply divided where some are quick to criticize Coleman, its best for outsiders to calm down after one pass on the first (and very rainy) day at camp. Everyone is rusty and it takes time to (re)establish football rhythm.Coleman drops the first pass, but gets the next one pic.twitter.com/yKI0QeJNbY Lauren (@BillsBabe721) July 29, 2026Coleman was busy throughout day one, the successful target of several additional passes, but folks in attendance saw a new wrinkle to his pro game. When it came time for punt returns, Coleman was the first man up for the job as in ahead of everyone else on the roster. While its just the first day, its clear that the Bills are intent on building out Colemans on-field potential and theyre confident in his ability to master whatever they send his way. With wide receiver Tyrell Shavers being placed on the Active/PUP list to begin camp, there may never be a better chance for Coleman to leave a good impression on his coaches.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (L) alongside US President Donald Trump at the 2026 Wprld Cup final (FRANCK FIFE)FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that the proposed launch of a private subsidiary to expoit the commercial benefits of the World Cup was "an opportunity but not an obligation".A proposal to sell stakes in FIFA's major competitions sparked disbelief and outrage globally since it was revealed Tuesday, but Infantino defended the idea, saying too little of football's commercial value reached the parts of the game that need it most."FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE, is actually a proposal, an offer. It's part of a democratic process a consultation process and, above all, it is an opportunity but not an obligation," Infantino said in a video released Wednesday evening."It is a golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally. But again, it is just an offer, not an obligation."Infantino insisted the proposal was centred on unlocking "previously uncaptured commercial value" and was conditional on a democratic vote of FIFA's 211 member associations and approval by the FIFA council."Capturing that value requires additional expertise, additional insight, distinct from governing and developing the sport," he said."It would simply commercialise and organise all FIFA-owned competitions along with sponsorship, broadcast, licensing and new ventures for the benefit of FIFA's 211 member associations."Infantino said the game would not change and the fans would be happier."Fans from everywhere in the world would gain immeasurably from this game-changing potential because it will transform football in their countries," he said.ah/dmc/lp