Kyle Lowry of the NBA champion Toronto Raptors says his surgically repaired thumb has not recovered sufficiently enough to allow him to participate with USA Basketball in camp for the FIBA World Cup, and he is withdrawing from consideration for the team.

Lowry made the announcement Monday after meeting with his surgeon to gauge the recovery of his thumb, which was operated on last month. He was hoping to be on the court with the Americans this week when they resume practice in Southern California.

Lowry wrote on Instagram that he loves "playing for USAB but I have to sit this one out and support the team from home."

Lowry's decision means there are 15 players in the running for 12 spots on the final roster. Sacramento still has two players left as World Cup roster candidates, with Harrison Barnes and De'Aaron Fox headed to camp this week. The Boston Celtics have four: Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart (who is also dealing with an injury), Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker.

Milwaukee's Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton remain candidates, along with Brooklyn's Joe Harris, the Los Angeles Lakers' Kyle Kuzma, Utah's Donovan Mitchell, Denver's Mason Plumlee, Houston's P.J. Tucker, Indiana's Myles Turner and San Antonio's Derrick White.

The Americans will practice at the Lakers' facility Tuesday through Thursday, then face Spain in Anaheim, California, on Friday night.

The St. Louis Cardinals are bringing back catcher Yadier Molina from the injured list while outfielder Jose Martinez heads to the 10-day injured list after being hurt on Sunday.

Molina has been out since July 8 with a right-thumb tendon stain and missed 28 games. He was out 12 games earlier in the season with a similar injury and had initially been expected to miss about three weeks this time.

A nine-time All-Star, Molina is hitting .261 with four home runs and 36 RBIs in 71 games this season.

Martinez left Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fifth inning with right-shoulder discomfort. He is hitting .266 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in 2019.

In other moves, outfielder Randy Arozarena was called up from Triple-A Memphis and catcher Andrew Knizner was optioned to Memphis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Former All-Star Doug DeCinces will avoid prison following a conviction for insider trading in which he earned more than $1 million.

DeCinces was sentenced to time served -- one day in prison -- along with eight months of home detention and two years of probation. He was also fined $10,000.

The former Orioles and Angels third baseman was convicted of 14 federal charges in May 2017. Each count potentially carried a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Eighteen other counts had been declared a mistrial after jurors deadlocked.

DeCinces was tipped off in 2009 that a Santa Ana-based medical device firm, Advanced Medical Optics, was going to be sold. The information came from the company CEO, who was DeCinces' neighbor in Laguna Beach, California, prosecutors argued.

DeCinces bought more than 90,000 shares in the company days before Abbott Laboratories bought the firm, and he sold the shares for a profit of about $1.3 million, prosecutors said.

Fourteen other people made another $1.3 million after DeCinces passed on the tip to friends and family members, prosecutors alleged.

DeCinces spent 15 years in the major leagues, recording 1,505 hits and 237 home runs. He played for the Orioles from 1973 to 1982, when he was traded to the Angels. He was on the American League All-Star team in 1983.

The Angels released DeCinces in 1987, and he played four games for the St. Louis Cardinals that season. The next year he played for Tokyo's Yakult Swallows in Japan but didn't finish the season because of back problems and retired.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Philadelphia Phillies have hired former manager Charlie Manuel as the team's new hitting coach after relieving John Mallee of his duties, the team announced Tuesday.

Manuel, 75, last managed the Phillies in 2013. He is the franchise's winningest manager with a 780-636 mark, leading the team to a 2008 World Series championship and five straight division titles.

Since the All-Star break, the Phillies rank last in the National League in batting average (.240), RBI (109) and extra-base hits (82), and the team's .705 OPS ranks ahead of only the Marlins during that span.

Manuel will assume his new role immediately, the team said. He has previously twice served as a hitting coach for the Cleveland Indians, with whom he also was manager from 2000 to 2002.

After he was fired by the Phillies, Manuel was brought back into the fold as a senior adviser to general manager Ruben Amaro in 2014.

The Phillies are just two games back in the National League wild card race. They trail the Atlanta Braves by nine games in the NL East standings through Monday.

The big story of the 2019 New York Yankees so far has been Gio Urshela and Mike Tauchman and DJ LeMahieu and Cameron Maybin doing amazing and wondrous things. Heck, Urshela and Tauchman each hit five home runs last week, and Urshela homered again in Monday's doubleheader. LeMahieu is an MVP candidate (non-Mike Trout division). Maybin entered the season with a career OPS+ of 91, which means he had been a below-average hitter, but he began the week at 144 -- which happens to be the career mark for Giancarlo Stanton.

The story of the 2019 Yankees -- the ending to the final chapter, anyway -- likely will rest with the starting rotation and how it performs in October. There is much angst among Yankees fans these days about that rotation, even after Masahiro Tanaka tossed eight scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. As the fans will quickly point out, that was Tanaka's first good start in a while. In his previous seven starts, he allowed 36 runs in 31⅔ innings and had the worst ERA of any starter in the majors with at least five starts since the All-Star break.

It's not just concern about Tanaka. Going back to the beginning of July (through the first game on Monday), the Yankees' rotation has a 5.56 ERA, 23rd in the majors. Since July 1, Yankees starters have allowed the most home runs in the majors -- yes, even more than the Baltimore Orioles.

OK, maybe it has just been a bad month and 12 days? Well, since June 1, the rotation has a 5.63 ERA, 25th in the majors. For the season, the Yankees have the worst road rotation ERA in the majors.

All that is bad news, and there's no sense sugarcoating it -- thus, all the extra love for Urshela & Co. these days. It's easier to love those who love you back.

The Yankees, however, can win the World Series with this rotation. Despite the struggles, there is obvious upside to each starter:

-- Tanaka: He actually hasn't been as bad as his 4.64 ERA indicates, as two awful starts against the Boston Red Sox have ruined his ERA (six runs in two-thirds of an inning in London, then 12 runs in 3⅓ innings). Plus, in five career playoff starts, he has a 1.50 ERA. That doesn't automatically mean he'll pitch well in October, but at least he has a history of stepping up in big games.

-- James Paxton: He has a 4.40 ERA after Monday's win. That's actually better than that of the average American League starter, who has a 4.60 ERA, and Paxton has done it in a hitters' park. His stuff obviously remains above average, and he has 137 strikeouts in 108⅓ innings. He has allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his past 11 starts. There's no reason he can't reel off several good starts in October.

-- Domingo German: Overall, his season has been solid, with a 4.05 ERA, 19.7% SO-BB rate (same as Clayton Kershaw's) and a .232 batting average allowed. He has been homer-prone (23 allowed in 109 innings), and his .298 wOBA allowed is one point worse than that of Madison Bumgarner and better than that of Aaron Nola, Trevor Bauer, Kyle Hendricks and Robbie Ray. Yankees fans wanted Bumgarner or Ray at the trade deadline, but are they really any better than German?

-- CC Sabathia: He has to recover from right knee inflammation, and he hasn't had a good year, but never count out the old warrior. Or maybe Luis Severino will be ready in October.

Yes, I've spun a positive side to all those guys. It's just as easy to spin the negative. It's true that they will have to pitch better in October than they have of late. Here's how the rotations of the past five World Series winners fared in the postseason:

2018 Red Sox: 3.80 ERA, 5.1 innings per start, 1.14 HR/9 IP

2017 Houston Astros: 3.33 ERA, 5.4 innings per start, 0.65 HR/9 IP

2016 Chicago Cubs: 2.60 ERA, 5.5 innings per start, 0.77 HR/9 IP

2015 Kansas City Royals: 4.97 ERA, 5.2 innings per start, 1.30 HR/9 IP

2014 San Francisco Giants: 3.38 ERA, 5.6 innings per start, 0.56 HR/9 IP

Of course, the 2015 Royals stand out: Their rotation did not pitch well, and they went all the way, relying on a deep and wonderful bullpen. What do the Yankees have? An even deeper bullpen than those Royals had. Plus, you'll note the average innings per start. Not even the Giants, with Bumgarner's magnificent run in 2014, in which he started six of the Giants' 17 postseason games, cracked six innings per start.

Not only did the Royals' rotation pitch relatively poorly in the postseason, but they also weren't that great in the regular season, with a 4.34 ERA and 8.5 cumulative WAR (according to FanGraphs) that ranked 21st in the majors. In fact, check out some of the regular-season rankings for rotations of recent World Series winners:

2015 Royals: 4.34 ERA, 8.5 WAR

2014 Giants: 3.74 ERA, 8.3 WAR

2013 Red Sox: 3.84 ERA, 11.6 WAR

2012 Giants: 3.73 ERA, 9.7 WAR

2011 St. Louis Cardinals: 3.81 ERA, 11.4 WAR

2006 Cardinals: 4.79 ERA, 6.6 WAR

The Yankees currently are 17th in the majors, at 7.2 WAR.

You don't need a rotation of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke to win it all. You can do it with Edinson Volquez, Yordano Ventura, Johnny Cueto and Chris Young.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone will have the added luxury of his great bullpen. Knowing that starters barely average five innings per game in the postseason these days, expect an even tighter leash on the starters, especially with eight or nine relievers on the roster. No doubt Boone learned his lesson in last year's division series against the Red Sox. In Games 3 and 4, he left Severino and Sabathia in too long, and they gave up big innings, though even then the criticism felt a little unfair, as both were pulled after three innings (and J.A. Happ lasted just two innings in Game 1). The lesson: Don't let a big inning get out of hand, even early in a game, and have the bullpen ready ASAP.

What we don't know yet is how creative Boone will get -- or might have to get. The Yankees have used Chad Green as an opener 10 times this season, and that should be an option in the postseason as well, though it's worth noting that Boone has done that only in "bullpen" games. Of his five main starters (including Happ), only German has made a relief appearance this season.

Boone also could consider tag-team outings, such as Paxton for two or three innings and Severino or German for two to bridge the gap to the bullpen. All the off days in the postseason mean more rest for the relievers, as the only time teams play three days in a row (barring rainouts) are Games 3, 4 and 5 of a seven-game series.

Plus, there's this: The Yankees can score runs. They won't need six innings of one-run baseball every game from their starters as long as Gio and friends keep mashing. Still, it would be nice -- at least for Yankees fans -- to see the rotation pitch a little better between now and the start of the postseason.

Barcelona have begun negotiating a cash deal with a player exchange to sign Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain, sources have told ESPN FC.

According to ESPN FC sources, Barca are prepared to offer as much as €100 million with Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic -- who Barca will need to convince in order to make the switch -- included as part of the deal.

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Until now, Barca had hoped to negotiate using only players. As well as Coutinho and Rakitic, the Spanish champions had considered adding Ousmane Dembele and Nelson Semedo despite the fact the Portugal international is considered "unsellable."

However, sources have told ESPN FC that PSG are not too keen on Rakitic, but are interested in Coutinho and continue to push for Semedo to be included in the deal.

An initial offer of €60m plus Coutinho from Barcelona has already been rejected by PSG, according to ESPN FC sources.

A meeting between the two clubs has been arranged for Tuesday and sources have told ESPN FC that Camp Nou president Josep Maria Bartomeu has chosen director of football Eric Abidal and technical secretary Javier Bordas to represent them. Also in attendance will be Andre Cury, the club's director based in Brazil, who has a strong relationship with Neymar's family.

PSG sporting director Leonardo will be present alongside trusted No. 2 Aneglo Castellazzi and super-agent Pini Zahavi, who brokered Neymar's move from Barca to the Ligue 1 side, is also expected.

Barca still believe this deal is "very complicated," but Real Madrid's inability to meet PSG's demands could help the Blaugrana.

Madrid president Florentino Perez is interested in the Brazil international's signature but having failed to find the funds to sign Paul Pogba from Manchester United, who was manager Zinedine Zidane's No. 1 target, it is unlikely they can afford Neymar.

Madrid are still in the race, however, due to Perez's relationship with Neymar Snr., while they also have more financial power than Barca. However, sources have told ESPN FC that a return to Camp Nou is the Brazil international's preferred choice.

Barca's financial situation is not at its healthiest, but Bartomeu is ready to make one final push to secure Neymar's return.

Coutinho appears resigned to the fact his future lies outside of Barca and would see PSG as a good opportunity to continue his career. Bayern Munich remain interested, but Barca deem him crucial in any negotiations for Neymar. Coutinho is the Catalan club's record signing, having cost €160m in January 2018.

Another player who could be used as a makeweight is Rakitic. Having been vital in Ernesto Valverde's first two seasons, the Barca boss refused to confirm the Croatia international would remain at the club. When asked about Rakitic's future, he replied: "I don't know if he will stay."

The departures of Coutinho and Rakitic would free up wages for incoming players, with the duo among the highest-paid players at the club.

This week is deemed "vital" in understanding how much cash will be required to complete the transaction. Barcelona are confident, though they are awaiting a gesture from Neymar to reject the rumours of a move to Real Madrid.

Barca defender Gerard Pique said recently that the "squad are in contact with him," but added the chats are "private." Pique also invited Neymar to make a statement of intent.

ESPN FC first reported than a deal for Neymar was "doable," despite the impending arrival of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid in June.

Information from ESPN FC's France correspondent Julien Laurens was also used in this report

The Premier League transfer window is closed again for the rest of the year, but how did your team do? Did they leave any gaps?

Our correspondents assess how the top clubs failed to address their weaknesses this summer.

Jump to: Liverpool | Tottenham | Man United | Arsenal | Chelsea

MAN CITY: No replacement for Kompany

Pep Guardiola started the summer looking for a holding midfielder and a central defender. He got one, but not the other, while also upgrading his full-back options with Joao Cancelo and Angelino.

After missing out on Jorginho last summer -- the Italian moved to Chelsea instead -- City finally found their long-term replacement for Fernandinho in Atletico Madrid's Rodri. At around €70m, the 23-year-old is the club's record buy and, judging by early performances against Liverpool and West Ham, it already looks like money well spent.

However, the search for a centre-back wasn't so successful. Leicester's Harry Maguire was on the list of possible replacements for captain Vincent Kompany -- who left for a player-manager role at former club Anderlecht -- but ultimately City would not match Man United's £80m offer.

Kompany was a huge character in the dressing room and almost impossible to replace, but one positive for Guardiola is that he will not have to squeeze too many extra games out of his other options. Kompany hasn't made more than 20 Premier League appearances since 2014-15 -- also the last time he played more than 30 games in all competitions -- and Aymeric Laporte, John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi will take on most of the extra workload.

Guardiola has also hinted that midfielder Fernandinho could also find himself at centre-back at times this season. City managed without an extra holding midfielder last season and it's unlikely their title defence will be dented too much after missing out on a centre-back. Still, expect the search for a new one to re-start in 12 months' time. -- Rob Dawson.

LIVERPOOL: A gamble on the future, especially at full-back

If anyone was surprised by Liverpool's minimal business in the market, they clearly haven't being paying attention to Jurgen Klopp's words or methodology. Stretching back to his days as manager of Borussia Dortmund, the German has craved squad continuity and while the Bundesliga side weren't equipped to fend off interest from the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester United, a policy of player retention has been core at Anfield.

He believes in the power of collective development and generating improvement from within, so sporting director Michael Edwards' main responsibilities this summer have been to trim the squad and recruit gifted young players with lots of potential. Dutch defender Sepp van den Berg, 17, and Harvey Elliott, who become the youngest player to feature in the Premier League at 16 years and 30 days while at Fulham, have been drafted in as Liverpool consider the club's future.

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The only first-team addition came in the form of goalkeeper Adrian on a free, who replaces Simon Mignolet as Alisson's deputy. The club were never going to go back in for Lyon's Nabil Fekir as they are well stocked in central midfield but they did have designs on getting cover for Andy Robertson at left-back, before their first-choice target Lloyd Kelly joined Bournemouth instead.

The performances of youngster Yasser Larouci in preseason convinced Klopp not to spend on a position where James Milner and Joe Gomez can also deputise in -- though it is not ideal for either to start on that flank. On the other side, Ki-Jana Hoever -- one of the Academy's brightest prospects -- will develop into cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Milner and Joel Matip could also be used as a temporary fix at right-back.

All in all, the Merseysiders are confident their transfer policy will allow them to bring in gamechangers in future and while it is a risk not to add greater quality in depth, it is a gamble Klopp is quite comfortable in taking. -- Melissa Reddy

TOTTENHAM: An Eriksen mess, defensive questions and a backup to Kane

Mauricio Pochettino has spoken of the "big mistake" made by the Premier League in enforcing the Aug. 8 transfer deadline which, the Spurs manager claims, places England's top clubs at a disadvantage against most of their European counterparts, who can continue to sign players until Sept. 2.

Pochettino's comments hinted at a realisation that his own rebuilding programme was incomplete, despite chairman Daniel Levy signing off the club's first purchases since January 2018.

The failure to push through a deal for Juventus forward Paulo Dybala saw Spurs fail to secure a replacement for Christian Eriksen, whose ongoing refusal to sign a new contract could see him leave on a free transfer next summer. And with Juan Foyth ruled out for at least a month with an ankle injury, amid doubts over Pochettino's faith in both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, Spurs have gone into the season with question marks over the centre of their defence.

Youngsters Jack Clarke (loaned back to Leeds) and Ryan Sessegnon have been signed for the long-term, while Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso have added ready-made quality in midfield.

But having offloaded Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente since the end of last season, Spurs could once again find themselves short on attacking options if Harry Kane is sidelined through injury.

Allowing two centre-forwards to leave without replacing either of them is a risky strategy, even though the likes of Lucas Moura, Son Heung-Min and Dele Alli have all shown their ability to find the back of the net whenever Kane is absent. -- Mark Ogden.

MAN UNITED: Midfield depth and a Lukaku replacement

United made significant improvements to their defence over the summer with the arrivals for Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire for a combined fee of £130m. But when the transfer window closed last week, there were still gaps in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad and one in particular was emphasised during the 4-0 win over Chelsea on the opening weekend of the season.

Marouane Fellaini left Old Trafford in January, while Ander Herrera followed him at the end of last season, and it has left United short in midfield. Solskjaer will expect Andreas Pereira and Scott McTominay to play more games but it is still an area of the squad that looks short both on numbers and quality.

It will not have escaped United fans that even during a positive afternoon against Chelsea, there were significant chunks of the first half that were dominated by Frank Lampard's side and the scoreline at half-time would have been different had the visitors been more clinical.

After the departure of Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan for €80m, there are also still question marks up front. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have made a good start in trying to fill the void in terms of goals, with young Mason Greenwood ready to step up from the academy, but failing to replace the Belgian striker is still a risk for Solskjaer.

Rashford and Martial have both averaged close to a goal every four games during their United's careers and Solskjaer is asking both reach levels they have never managed before. Solskjaer has put his faith in young players in both midfield and up front and in the absence of new arrivals, United's success this season depends on it being repaid. -- Rob Dawson.

ARSENAL: Defensive depth and consistency

While the £72m acquisition of Nicolas Pepe was the headline business for Arsenal this summer, their most vital trading occurred on deadline day with the signings of Kieran Tierney and David Luiz for less than half the Frenchmen's fee combined.

Over the past two league seasons, only Manchester City and Liverpool have outscored the Gunners, with their failings coming at the opposite end of the pitch. Arsenal shipped 51 goals in consecutive campaigns rendering the addition of the experienced Luiz from rivals Chelsea for £8m at centre-back and Celtic's Tierney at £25m to solidify the left flank as imperative.

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The loan move for Real Madrid's Dani Ceballos was inspired, as was the recruitment of highly-rated young defender William Saliba, who will remain at Saint-Etienne on loan for 2019-20. The common thread with all these players is their stylistic suitability under manager Unai Emery and while there are lingering doubts as to whether Arsenal will have enough consistency and resolve without the ball to secure a Champions League spot, the team will not be short of goals or a fear factor for plenty of opposition managers.

The exit of Aaron Ramsey to Juventus on a free transfer early in the summer was a mess, while the drama surrounding former captain Laurent Koscielny's forced £4.6m move to Bordeaux was a shock they could have done without.

There is still a feeling that the defence's depth will struggle against the elite teams, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles still deputising for the injured Hector Bellerin at right-back and Calum Chambers thrown in at the deep end to prove himself as a centre-back. Any injury to No. 1 goalkeeper Bernd Leno would leave them with the inexperienced Emiliano Martinez, too. But on paper, and especially with their financial restrictions, Arsenal navigated the window as best they could. -- Melissa Reddy.

CHELSEA: Transfer ban woes, but centre-back depth Chelsea's own doing

Having been hit with a two-window transfer ban by FIFA following an investigation into the signing of foreign players under the age of 18, Chelsea went into the summer knowing that they would not be able to add to their squad.

And with the realisation that Eden Hazard would be leaving for Real Madrid, the biggest challenge for the club was always going to be ensuring that Maurizio Sarri's successor as manager, Frank Lampard, would still have a competitive squad to take into the new campaign.

By striking a £57.6m deal for U.S. international Christian Pulisic in January -- with the Borussia Dortmund forward immediately loaned back to the German club for the remainder of the season -- Chelsea ensured they had a replacement for Hazard secured.

Mateo Kovacic's loan from Real Madrid also became a permanent deal in the summer and youngsters such as Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori returned from loan duty to bolster Lampard's options.

However, the departures of David Luiz to Arsenal (for £8m) and Gary Cahill to Crystal Palace (after being released) have left Chelsea without two experienced centre-backs, and that could become a problem during the campaign if the back four is hit by injuries. Kurt Zouma already highlighted the lack of depth with his poor performance in the 4-0 defeat to Man United this weekend.

Still, considering the restrictions placed upon the club by their transfer ban, Chelsea have emerged from the summer window in a healthier shape than their supporters may have feared.

Hazard is irreplaceable, despite Pulisic's potential, but the youngsters who have now been promoted to the first-team squad have the opportunity to stake their claim and save Chelsea more money in the market next summer. -- Mark Ogden.

Cricket is set to make a reappearance at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) for the upcoming edition - Birmingham 2022 - with the top eight international women's teams from among countries that come under the Commonwealth ambit competing in the T20 format over eight days, with all matches taking place at Edgbaston.

The game, then in the 50-over format, last featured in the CWG back in 1998, in Kuala Lumpur, with South Africa winning the gold medal after beating Australia in the final by four wickets.

"Today is an historic day and we are delighted to welcome the sport of cricket back to the Commonwealth Games," Dame Louise Martin, president of the CWG Federation, said in a statement.

The ICC will lend support to the federation by overseeing the staging of the competition, apart from providing match officials.

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Amy Satterthwaite, the New Zealand women captain, was among the first to react after the news came out, calling it an "important milestone for the game".

"To expose the women's game to such a different global audience, and to be part of such a prestigious event such as the Commonwealth Games - it's a huge boost at a time of real momentum," she said. "Having the opportunity to play against countries we currently don't usually compete with will be unique and only a good thing for the growth of the game."

The growth of the game and it's increasing popularity were major factor in the first-ever standalone ICC Women's World T20 being staged in the Caribbean last November, with another edition set to be held in Australia in March 2020.

"This is a truly historic moment for women's cricket and for the global cricket community, who were united in their support of this bid," ICC's chief executive Manu Sawhney said. "Women's cricket continues to go from strength to strength, and we are delighted and honoured the Commonwealth Games Associations voted to include Women's T20 cricket at Birmingham 2022.

"Fast and exciting, the T20 format is the perfect fit for the Commonwealth Games and offers another chance to showcase women's cricket on the global stage as part of our ambitious plans to accelerate the growth of the game, whilst inspiring the next generation of cricketers. All the players who are lucky enough to compete at Birmingham 2022 will be part of a truly memorable experience."

Mohammad Hafeez has signed for Middlesex as AB de Villiers' replacement for three Vitality Blast games.

De Villiers' initial stint finished with a victory against Surrey last week, but he will return to the club for the final two games of the group stage, and the knockouts if Middlesex qualify.

Hafeez has been playing in the Global T20 Canada - he hit 85 runs in five innings for Edmonton Royals - and is expected to be available for Wednesday's game at Essex.

This will be Hafeez's first stint in county cricket, though he did play club cricket in the Liverpool League in 2004 and 2005.

Hafeez retired from Test cricket in December, but remains available for white-ball internationals.

He was part of Pakistan's World Cup squad, making 253 runs including a vital 84 against England at Trent Bridge, but was left off their central contracts list last week.

After reaching the knockouts once in the last ten seasons, Middlesex have had an impressive campaign, and sit second in the South Group with five games to play.

De Villiers' shoes will be difficult to fill: in five innings for the club, he made 253 runs, striking at 191.66, including two scores of 88 not out and a 40-ball 64 to sign off against Surrey.