USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake has abruptly resigned after just under three years in the role following a breakdown in his relationship with the USA Cricket board.

Kiran More, the former India wicketkeeper, was brought on as director of cricket in June, alongside former West Indies batsman Kieran Powell as high performance manager, to oversee the operation. They will be assisted in the interim by Pravin Amre, the former India Under-19 coach, former India spinner and recent Bangladesh spin coach Sunil Joshi, the Mumbai Indians fielding coach James Pamment and David Saker, the former Australia assistant coach.

Dassanayake had taken USA from World Cricket League Division Four in November 2016 to ODI status in April after USA secured a top-four finish at WCL Division Two in Namibia. However, ESPNcricinfo sources said that Dassanayake's relationship with the board became increasingly strained over the last year, in spite of USA's on-field success, due to his increasing influence over national team selection matters. The relationship continued to go south after the recent licensing agreement was signed between Willow TV and Times of India Group to form American Cricket Enterprises (ACE).

At a USA national team camp held in Los Angeles in June, More and 29-year-old Powell - who earlier this week was dropped from Cricket West Indies central contracts list for 2019-20 - were introduced and the pair of hires are being backed by ACE with board members split on Dassanayake's role. Dassanayake was understood to have been informed by More at the camp that all selection decisions going forward would have to go through More whereas previously Dassanayake had a heavy say in selection matters along with USA Cricket selection chairman Ricardo Powell.

A USA T20 World Cup qualifying squad was supposed to be announced shortly after the selection camp ended in June, but the announcement has been delayed by disagreements over selection between More and Dassanayake, according to sources. Dassanayake flew to England with USA Cricket administrator Wade Edwards to sit with ICC COO Iain Higgins this week in an attempt to mediate the selection issues. Higgins is due to be announced as USA Cricket chief executive at the conclusion of the World Cup.

But the issues could not be smoothed over. Dassanayake's contract, which had originally been due to end in March 2019, was extended through December 2019 to cover USA's tour of Namibia in April - where he helped lead them to ODI status - as well as keep him in charge through the T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE this October. However, once the ACE licensing deal was announced in May, he was not expected to be offered an extension beyond the end of 2019 even though he had just led USA to ODI status. His support within the board had waned in the last year while ACE management had expressed a desire to hire their own leadership to guide the national team.

More is now expected to have a major influence in USA national team affairs going forward. According to sources, meetings had already begun last week to find a replacement for Dassanayake in anticipation of his resignation with Joshi a prime candidate for the full-time role.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Don't hold your breath waiting for an 18-game NFL regular season unless the players' association has a major change of heart.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith spoke with ESPN on Friday at a union-led gathering of former players to discuss a variety of topics, including negotiations on the collective bargaining agreement, the power of players using their voices and making their own economic decisions, and of course, the topic that won't go away -- an 18-game season.

Smith confirmed that the NFL raised the idea of such a schedule in early labor negotiations, as the Wall Street Journal first reported Thursday, with indications that it isn't something he sees happening.

"I don't see an 18-game schedule -- under any circumstance -- being in the best interest of our players," Smith said. "If somebody wants to make an 18-game proposal, we'll look at it. I haven't seen anything that makes me think that it would be good for the players."

Significant questions remain about the 18/16 proposal -- which would put 18 games on teams' schedules but limit individual players to playing in a maximum of 16 of them -- including how the plan would affect wages, hours, working conditions, health and safety, quality of play and players' pensions.

Currently, players must play at least three seasons to be eligible for a pension. The union estimates the average NFL career lasts 3.4 years, but an 18-game season would drop that to 2.8 years, or just below the league requirement to be eligible for a pension.

"Fans and media discuss what would happen to ratings and revenue or whether [18 games] is a good idea or bad idea. For us, it comes down to who players are as men and is it good for us," Smith told ESPN. "If a coal miner is willing to spend more time in the hole, does it likely result in more money? Yeah. Is that a good thing for him as a person? Probably not. That's the question nobody confronts. It's easy to say it's more money. But is it good for us? The answer is no."

Also at the surface are questions like how teams would deal with how to competitively manage players on a 16-game limit over 18 games, plus how roster sizes would be affected.

"Why is it our job to figure out how to make 18 games work as players? You tell someone you're going to work longer and you figure out how to make it work? That doesn't work," Smith said. "It's not our job to put that square peg in the round hole."

Talks between the NFL and NFLPA, aimed at reaching a new CBA, are set to intensify in July to try to reach an agreement before the start of the 2019 regular season. A source tells ESPN's Josina Anderson those talks will begin Friday and go through July 19.

The current CBA expires in 2021.

There is no timeline for a new CBA getting done, Smith said, though he characterized negotiations with the NFL as "positive." Among his goals are making continued improvements in former players' benefits and engaging young fans in the game the way the NBA has with its base because of annual league-altering free-agency periods.

One of the topics that will likely be on the table in the coming week is making changes in the CBA that benefit core NFL players, the large group between the league's highest-paid players and rookies. Several potential routes exist here, such as adjusting the salary-cap minimums each team is forced to spend in hopes of getting more guaranteed money in contracts or shortening lengths/making restrictions on rookie contracts.

Both sides hope a new agreement can be reached rather than resorting to an NFL lockout like the one before the 2011 season, or a player strike like the ones that occurred in the 1970s and 1980s.

Smith is in Miami Beach for the weekend as part of the NFLPA's former player summer getaway, a link-up with retired players geared toward post-career professional development opportunities. But next week, it's back to negotiations with NFL owners to work out what he hopes is a "fair and balanced" new CBA in terms of economics and work rules.

One element that Smith was proud to see since the most recent CBA is players embracing opportunities to discuss social justice issues, whether it be Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid, Kenny Stills, Malcolm Jenkins, Ben Watson or Chris Long. But in terms of the CBA, Smith also remarked how players have increasingly used their power in the economic sphere as well.

"Le'Veon [Bell] is a perfect example. He used his power to dictate his own destiny. It's an opinion whether you agree with him, it's a fact that he chose to make a decision as a grown man," Smith said of Bell, who missed a season instead of signing a franchise tag with Pittsburgh, and now has a long-term contract with the New York Jets. "I found it disappointing that people viewed it [in] a negative way because he made the decision on the back of his work."

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Angels infielder Zack Cozart will undergo another procedure on his injured left shoulder, this one an arthroscopic debridement that will essentially clean damaged tissue in hopes of getting him on track toward a full recovery.

Cozart will not return this season -- a reality the Angels had long accepted -- but is hopeful of swinging the bat again in six weeks and riding that into a normal, healthy offseason.

Cozart, 33 and in the middle of a three-year, $38 million contract, re-tore the labrum that was surgically repaired on the final day of June in 2018. He felt a sharp pain after a swing in a game against the Minnesota Twins around the middle of May and said he played through pain for a couple of weeks before landing on the injured list. Doctors believe that swing was the genesis of Cozart's re-injury.

Cozart spent his first seven seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and made the All-Star team in 2017, but has been unable to match that success with the Angels. In 96 games through his first two seasons, Cozart has batted only .190/.261/.296.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache will perform the next procedure in Los Angeles on Wednesday with the hope it will eliminate the need for another full-scale shoulder surgery.

"It's pretty complicated, actually," Cozart said. "I've learned a lot about my anatomy in the past two months that I didn't really care about until now. Hopefully, this works and just cleans it up; I can get my motion back and get the strength in there again and start swinging."

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy remembers getting leveled by the Astros' Jake Marisnick and nothing else until he was carried onto the golf cart in Houston.

"He knocked me out," Lucroy said Friday, reliving the play that led to a hospital visit for Lucroy and a two-game suspension for Marisnick.

Lucroy was positioned in front of home plate to receive a throw from Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning of a tie game Sunday at Minute Maid Park. Marisnick made a last-second move to his left and collided viciously with Lucroy, seemingly regretting the decision instantly. Lucroy sustained a broken nose and his third diagnosed concussion. Marisnick reached out via text message later that night.

"A situation like that, split-second decisions have to be made," said Lucroy, who will have his nose repaired Monday and doesn't expect to spend much time on the injured list. "I don't think he was trying to hurt anybody. However, I did give him the whole lane, the whole foul territory, to slide. I did tell him that in the text. As a catcher, when the play's at home, I always try to give the runner some place to slide. That's what the new rule says. You're supposed to do that. If you don't, you can get called for interference. We communicated. And it is what it is."

Marisnick, who was also fined, appealed his suspension in part because he wants to elaborate on the matter with officials from Major League Baseball. In his initial statement, Joe Torre, MLB's chief baseball officer, said that though Marisnick might not have intended to injure, the Astros outfielder nonetheless violated rules designed to protect catchers from this.

The Angels have since added some depth behind the plate, activating backup Kevan Smith off the injured list and acquiring veteran Josh Thole -- along with left-handed reliever Adam McCreery -- from the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations on Friday.

Lucroy has made it a point to position himself in front of home plate while awaiting a throw ever since he was called for interference while playing for the Milwaukee Brewers and facing the Angels a few years ago. He hopes baserunners will do their part to abide by the rules in the future.

"I mean, you can look at my face," Lucroy said, pointing to his black eye. "There's a reason why the rule is in place."

MIAMI -- Brodie Van Wagenen expressed confidence in the New York Mets shortly after the former agent was hired for his first general manager job in the offseason.

He urged the rest of the National League East to "come get us," and it has.

"I wasn't shy in the offseason, but they came and got us," Van Wagenen said before New York visited Miami for its first game after the All-Star break. "I think that now we view ourselves as the underdogs."

The Mets began the weekend series against the Marlins with a 40-50 record, good for fourth place in the division, 13½ games behind NL East-leading Atlanta.

"We are incredibly disappointed with both of those results in the standings," Van Wagenen said. "This season has not gone the way we wanted. It certainly hasn't gone the way our players have wanted and most importantly it hasn't gone the way our fans want."

Van Wagenen reportedly threw a chair in frustration during a meeting with the coaching staff before the break.

"I let those emotions get to me," Van Wagenen said. "I am not typically throwing furniture and I'm sure our fans may have thrown a few remote controls at TVs over the course of the season. I think the coaches understood my emotion and we're ready to go forward."

The Mets have a trio of All-Stars in Jacob deGrom, rookie slugger Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil, but the future of their teammates remains unclear with the July 31 trade deadline approaching.

"I think we have to face our reality to some degree of where we are in the standings so we are going to be open-minded," Van Wagenen said. "We are going to be thoughtful and measured in terms of what we do as we approach the deadline all with the eyes of trying to improve this club."

A number of teams have inquired about Mets players, according to Van Wagenen.

"Significant volume, lots of dialogue, and an overwhelming amount of incoming calls," he said. "To the extent of if they are serious, I think that is hard to define, but I think there is real interest in our players and we have to be thoughtful with what we do with that interest."

There has been uncertainty circulating around the future of Mets manager Mickey Callaway, who is 117-135 in two seasons with New York heading into the second half.

"I think he has done a difficult job very well," Van Wagenen said. "I think our results in the standings are not what we want them to be. I know he shows up every day with a passion to win and a desire to work to get better and so I'm very satisfied with that."

Two of the Mets' key offseason acquisitions have struggled. Second baseman Robinson Cano hit .240 with four homers and 18 RBIs in his first 65 games with New York, and Edwin Diaz began the weekend with a 1-6 record and 5.50 ERA while converting 19 of 23 save opportunities.

"We acquired the best closer in the American League last year and we acquired a 3-hole hitter that was coming off of years of production," Van Wagenen said. "I think we have to acknowledge those two players have not performed what our expectations were. The onus is on us now to support them to be better and regain their talent. Players are now healthy. Both players have 72 games in front of them to change the narrative on this season."

The shortcomings have led to Van Wagenen accepting blame.

"This team that we built was one that was a unified vision and it hasn't worked so I accept my responsibility in that capacity," Van Wagenen said.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels honored their late teammate, Tyler Skaggs, in the best way possible Friday night. They all wore his No. 45 jersey onto the field, played a video montage on the giant video board, brought his mother out to the pitcher's mound, then put together one of the most impressive and inspired performances of the 2019 season.

Two pitchers, Taylor Cole and Felix Pena, teamed up to no-hit the Seattle Mariners in a 13-0 victory at Angel Stadium in the Angels' first home game since Skaggs died in his hotel room in Texas on July 1. Cole worked two perfect innings to open the game, and Pena dominated through the final seven, allowing just one fifth-inning walk.

They each pitched with the comfort of a massive lead, the product of a seven-run first inning that saw Mike Trout drive in four runs by himself -- two on a home run, then two on a double.

After Seattle's Mallex Smith grounded out to second base to end the contest, the Angels took off their jerseys with Skaggs' name and number on the back and arrayed them on the pitcher's mound.

Skaggs was a local product who was drafted 40th overall out of high school by the Angels in 2009, then found his way back here in 2014 after three years with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tommy John surgery followed shortly thereafter, and the occasional struggles arose from time to time. But Skaggs was at his best leading up to the time of his death, with a 1.62 ERA over his last three starts. He was emerging as the best pitcher in the Angels' rotation.

"He became the ace of the staff," said Angels broadcaster Mark Gubicza, the former All-Star pitcher who forged a close bond with Skaggs. "He'd really figured out how to pitch."

The Angels cancelled their game on the day of Skaggs' death, then continued on with their final six games of the season's first half, splitting them against the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros, two teams ahead of them in the division.

When players returned from the All-Star break on Friday, they saw the shrine that was built by fans in front of the main gate of Angel Stadium now filled with caps and candles and hand-written letters. They saw images of Skaggs everywhere, including on the center-field wall.

They saw his locker preserved in its usual spot. They saw his No. 45 painted behind the pitcher's mound. And they found their own No. 45 jersey hanging in their own locker.

"Tonight's about him," Angels infielder Zack Cozart said. "We're going to do what we can to honor him and keep his legacy going."

Trout ultimately reached base five times and drove in six runs. He is batting .407 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs in the seven games he has played since the death of one of his closest friends.

In that time, Angels general manager Billy Eppler has seen Trout emerge as a leader.

"His shoulders are broad because he carries around a lot," Eppler said prior to the game. "This kid -- or this young man -- has just continued to be there for everybody."

Before the game, Debbie Skaggs was noticeably anxious as she boarded the elevator that would take her to the field for the heart-wrenching ceremony to honor her son. She was to deliver the ceremonial first pitch to Andrew Heaney, her son's best friend on the team.

"I hope I make him proud," Debbie, a longtime high school softball coach who in many ways inspired Tyler's love of baseball, said from the suite level of Angel Stadium.

She threw a perfect strike, without hesitation, then took four steps to the edge of the mound, brought her hands together and looked up to the heavens.

Minutes later, she watched as Skaggs' teammates honored him in the best way possible.

TORONTO – Injured NTT IndyCar Series driver Robert Wickens got a chance to drive Thursday for the first time since his massive crash at Pocono Raceway last August.

Wickens turned laps in a specially-modified Acura NSX Thursday and will drive the same car on a parade lap before Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto.

Wickens also revealed that he continues to make progress in his physical recovery from a spinal injury suffered in the horrific crash on Aug. 19, 2018.

“There is always steady progress,” Wickens said. “I haven’t woken up one day and had this miraculous gain, but I think little by little, we’re getting there, we’re getting a little bit stronger – well, quite a bit stronger I would say.

“In terms of new nerves firing, it’s funny, sometimes you don’t really notice, but something will be moving, and you’re like, when did that start moving, I don’t remember that. A couple months ago I started gaining some feeling in my abdominal area, and I just kind of one time just itched my stomach and realized that I felt it, but I just didn’t – I have no idea how long, if it was that day that I noticed it or it might have been there for weeks.

“Luckily I haven’t hit that plateau yet. I’m hoping I never will. And if it does, it’s years down the road because there’s people that defy odds. They always say that nerve regeneration is the first 24 months of a spinal cord injury, but then I know speaking to a lot of patients from Craig Hospital where I was rehabbing, the fact that people find their biggest gains four and five years afterwards because they finally start training really hard or they finally get stronger. Anything is possible with this injury. So, I think it’s not easy, but hopefully we can keep on keeping on.”

The next goal for Wickens is to dance at his wedding when he marries Karli Woods later this year.

“Like I said in March, I’ll confidently say I’ll be able to stand there, and then jokingly like that wouldn’t have been much different than if I wasn’t injured in the first place,” Wickens said of his dancing ability. “Hopefully we can sway a little bit. She might have to take the lead, and I’ll just drag behind her.

“But we’ll figure something out.”

The Guelph, Ontario, native will take the next step in his rehabilitation when he takes the modified Acura NSX on a parade lap prior to Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto. His fiancé, Karli Woods, will be by his side in the passenger seat.

“This was the longest I’ve not driven anything since I was seven years old,” Wickens said in an introductory video shot after his initial drive on Thursday. “It definitely felt like freedom. It was something that finally felt familiar to me.

“Braking points, hitting an apex, bouncing over curbs; it all felt the same. It was fun to figure that stuff out and I’m really excited to keep this project going and see where it takes us.

“This is just phase one of many more phases to come.”

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