The Texas Rangers have offered tickets to a family that says they were the victims of harassment at a game Saturday.

Jessica Romero posted to Facebook that a man made racist comments about Hispanics and intentionally made derogatory gestures behind her family photos taken in the upper-deck bleachers. She included one of the photos in her post.

The Rangers are offering the Romeros tickets to any home game in 2019, saying they will "make their next trip to Globe Life Park a memorable and enjoyable experience."

The team also released a statement earlier this week condemning the fan's conduct.

"The Rangers are committed to providing all of our guests with a safe and enjoyable experience and we are truly sorry that this family was subjected to this offensive behavior at Saturday's game," the team said. "There is no place at Globe Life Park in Arlington for this type of conduct to occur."

Rangers center fielder Delino DeShields was among the players to express concern over what happened.

"That's definitely not OK, especially when this is supposed to be the greatest country in the world," DeShields told reporters Tuesday. "I feel like everyone should be treated equally, especially at a sporting event when people want to come to enjoy a baseball game or a football game or whatever it is."

Romero told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that she has appreciated the support from others since making the post.

"I've gotten messages from Washington, D.C., Ohio, Louisiana, California, all over. I've tried to respond, but there are so many," she told the newspaper. "It's kind of amazing to me how kind people are and the words they're sending."

Along with the Rangers' offer, a season-ticket holder is offering four front-row seats to the family for a game in September.

Maybe this is the best way to sum up the National League playoff race. Consider the Philadelphia Phillies, with big expectations after a winter of big deals. Here's what's happened:

• Six of the relievers on the Opening Day roster -- and eight overall -- are currently on the injured list.

• Andrew McCutchen played 59 games and went down for the season with a torn ACL.

• Bryce Harper has been good but hardly great, and his 19 home runs in the season of the juiced ball while playing in a homer-friendly home park feel absurdly low.

• J.T. Realmuto? Similar to Harper, he made the All-Star team, but his numbers are down from last season, despite his leaving Marlins Park for Citizens Bank.

• Staff ace Aaron Nola has been very good but not as dominant as in 2018, when he finished third in the NL Cy Young voting.

• Zach Eflin and Nick Pivetta entered the season as popular breakout candidates in the rotation. Both have been demoted to the bullpen.

• Odubel Herrera played terribly and then got suspended for the season for violating the league's domestic violence policy.

• Just the other day, Gabe Kapler ran out of pitchers, and outfielder Roman Quinn had to pitch, losing the game in the 15th inning.

So all that ... yet if the season ended today, the Phillies would be in the postseason. They still have a reasonable chance to win the NL East. It has been that kind of season. Anything actually can happen.

With that in mind, here are a few noteworthy series to mark on your calendars over the final two months:

Aug. 8-11: Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins

The four-game series is the first set of 10 games remaining between the AL Central rivals, with two more series coming in the first half of September. The Twins catch the Indians at the right time in one sense, post-Trevor Bauer and before Corey Kluber is ready to return. Cleveland has withstood the various injuries to its rotation largely because (A) Shane Bieber has been a stud (B) Zach Plesac and Adam Plutko have been solid contributors. What I wonder is how Plesac and Plutko will fare down the stretch, especially with a much tougher schedule in August. Plesac has a 3.41 ERA and 5.23 FIP and Plutko a 4.55 ERA and 5.84 FIP.

Aug. 9-11: Washington Nationals at New York Mets

The Mets have their big boys lined up for this wild-card/NL East showdown: Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom. No surprise, the Mets have been hot in part because Syndergaard and deGrom have produced better results of late:

Syndergaard: 1.78 ERA past five starts
deGrom: 1.35 ERA past six starts

Let's see how Syndergaard fares against a Nationals lineup that is a little tougher than those past five opponents, however (Marlins, Giants, Padres, White Sox and Pirates). The Mets will also miss Max Scherzer, as he remains on the injured list with an upper back strain.

Aug. 13-15: Mets at Atlanta Braves

The Mets and Braves play six times in August and finish the regular season with three more games at Citi Field. The Braves lead the season series 6-4. An interesting subplot is the terrific three-way race for National League Rookie of the Year, one of the best we've seen in a long time. Pete Alonso probably holds the edge due to his impressive power numbers, but if you dig deeper, you can make a case for Alonso, Braves starter Mike Soroka or Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. The stats entering Tuesday (and Alonso added another home run):

Alonso: .259/.363/.585, 35 HRs, 80 RBIs, 3.9 WAR
Soroka: 10-2, 2.45 ERA, 121 IP, 97 SO, 7 HRs, 3.9 WAR
Tatis: .323/.383/.587, 19 HRs, 46 RBIs, 3.8 WAR

Can we just make it a three-way tie? Look, if Alonso hits 50 home runs, he's going to win. I think. Tatis' all-around game is remarkable, however, and if he hadn't missed more than a month, he might be the favorite. But he did miss a month. Soroka's ability to limit the power game has made him an elite starter as a rookie, and the Braves have indicated that they won't hold him to an innings limit, so he should easily soar pass 5 WAR. All three have a chance.

Aug. 13-15: Chicago Cubs at Phillies

This is two teams fighting the perception that they're having disappointing seasons. But maybe those expectations were unfair, based more on big names and, in the Phillies' case, an active offseason. But check out the preseason projections at FanGraphs:

Phillies: 85-77, 48.5 percent playoff odds
Cubs: 87-75, 64.2 percent playoff odds

Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA projection was even more alarming on the Cubs, picking them to win just 79 games. Really, the National League has played out as expected: the Dodgers as the best team and a big mud fight in the middle in the NL Central and the wild-card race. What this all means is there's a chance we could end up with tiebreaker chaos.

Of course, it will be hard to top last season, when we had tiebreakers in the NL Central (Brewers over Cubs) and NL West (Dodgers over Rockies). In the two-wild-card era, we've had just one tie, with the Rays beating the Rangers in 2013. What we've never had is a three-way (or more) tie for one or two wild cards or the even more convoluted multiple-way tie for a division and wild card -- say, if the Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers, Mets, Phillies and Nationals all end up 84-78.

That would be fun. Unless you're MLB trying to figure out a tiebreaker schedule.

Aug. 19-21: Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals; Aug. 26-27: Cardinals at Brewers

The Brewers are trying to make the playoffs two years in a row for just the second time in franchise history -- they did it back in 1981 and 1982. The Cardinals are trying to avoid missing the playoffs for the fourth straight season. That hasn't happened for them since an eight-year drought from 1988 to 1995. Oddly, they were managed in that era by two Hall of Fame skippers: Whitey Herzog and Joe Torre. Anyway, the Cardinals better figure out a way to get Christian Yelich out:

His past 16 games versus the Cardinals: .358/.514/1.019, 10 HRs, 28 RBIs

These teams will also meet again in mid-September. The season series is tied 5-5.

Sept. 3-9: Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

This is a crucial seven-game homestand for Boston, as it could be their last gasp in the wild-card race. Look, maybe they'll dig down and find something extra -- that mostly means the starting rotation -- but the bottom line is the Red Sox have struggled against good teams:

Yankees: 4-11
Astros: 2-4
Rays: 6-9
Indians: 1-2
Dodgers: 1-2

They're 2-1 against the Twins and 4-3 against the A's, but they're 22-34 against teams currently better than .500, a .393 winning percentage.

Sept. 9-12: Oakland Athletics at Houston Astros

The Astros have owned the A's this season; they're 9-2 against them with a 60-27 run differential. This is their final meeting before the Astros coast into the postseason with series against the Royals, Rangers, Angels, Mariners and Angels. In one sense, that's a good thing, as it will help in their battle with the Yankees and Twins for home-field advantage. On the other hand, other than a two-game series against Milwaukee on Sept. 2-3, this is the Astros' only reasonably tough series the entire month of September (depending on how you feel about the Rangers, I suppose).

Will the lack of tough competition adequately prepare Houston for the playoffs? It's probably not a major concern, as they should be able to turn on the juice when it matters. The Astros should cruise past 100 wins for the third season in a row and become the first team to do that since the 2002-2004 Yankees.

Here's another way to put that in perspective. The Red Sox's past three 100-win seasons: 2018, 1946 and 1915. The Dodgers' past three 100-win seasons: 2017, 1974, 1962. The Giants: 2003, 1993, 1962. The Phillies: 2011, 1977, 1976. Many franchises have never had a 100-win season. To do it three seasons consecutively will be a remarkable achievement.

(Oh, and don't count out the A's!)

Sept. 17-26: Phillies at Braves, Indians and Nationals

Yeah, that's a tough 11-game road trip, including five games in D.C. and a doubleheader on the 24th. And that's following nine games against the Mets, Braves and Red Sox. Remember all those injuries in the Philadelphia bullpen? The Phillies will hope they don't lead to a repeat of what happened last season, when a fatigued pitching staff fell apart in September. The Phillies were two games out of first entering the final month but went 8-20 to finish under .500.

Sept. 20-25: Red Sox and Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays have a fairly forgiving schedule down the stretch, including two series against the Mariners, two against the Orioles and one against the Tigers. Then comes this stretch in September: They have a road trip to Texas, Anaheim and L.A. to face the Dodgers for a two-game series, and then they head home for four against the Red Sox and two against the Yankees. The Rays are 9-6 against the Sox but just 5-12 against the Yankees -- and have been outscored 95 to 50. The Yankees have homered 32 times in those 17 games.

Sept. 27-29: Cubs at Cardinals

Will the NL Central title be up for grabs? This could be a fun series. You know, Joe Maddon's job on the line, the Cubs' streak of four straight postseasons maybe on the line, Cubs and Cardinals fans going at it -- that's all.

Other season-ending series between possible contenders: Indians at Nationals, Braves at Mets, Dodgers at Giants.

The Premier League transfer window closes at 5 p.m. BST (12 p.m. ET) on Aug. 8, but the rest of Europe remains open until the end of the month, so English clubs will not be able to replace any players they sell after the deadline until January.

Here are some of the main talking points ahead of Thursday's deadline.

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Will Man United sign Eriksen and then sell Pogba?

It's been the saga of the summer, alongside Neymar's desire to quit PSG (which will keep going until the end of the month), but Paul Pogba looks set to stay at Manchester United. UNLESS, United sign a replacement in the hours before the window closes.

In mid-June, Pogba told reporters that he wanted a "new challenge" and speculation has linked him with a move to Real Madrid or Juventus. However, a month later, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made his position clear: United could offer the Frenchman that new challenge.

Real would certainly love to land the 26-year-old but have been unable to shift Gareth Bale or James Rodriguez to make room. Without adding players to the deal, which United have rejected, they do not have the £150m asking price but, if United are able to sign Christian Eriksen from Tottenham, then Real have until Sept. 2 to figure out a deal and sell some of their deadwood to raise funds.

Juventus are probably out of the running as they have not got the kind of money United want for Pogba and have already signed two midfielders (for free) in Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot anyway. There was a suggestion that striker Paulo Dybala could be added to any deal, but that broke down with Juve seemingly more keen on Romelu Lukaku. And time is running out.

Will Tottenham sign more players?

How no clubs have moved seriously for Toby Alderweireld or Eriksen up until now in this transfer window is a mystery. Alderweireld was available for just £25m due to a clause in his contract that expired last week, while Eriksen's lack of progress over a new contract should have seen interested clubs testing Spurs' resolve to keep the midfielder.

Alderweireld looks like he's staying put, but Eriksen has attracted late interest from Man United. Tottenham don't want to miss out on a transfer fee for the Denmark international so could sell him to United, but only if they sign a replacement.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino's angry comments about not being in charge of transfers might have something to do with it, but after spending €60m on Tanguy Ndombele, Spurs could be busy up until the deadline as talks over Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, Sporting Lisbon's Bruno Fernandes, and a full-back -- possibly Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon or Napoli's Elseid Hysaj -- continue.

Also keep an eye on interest over Dybala and a possible loan bid for Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho. Neither are a like-for-like Eriksen replacements, but they are class acts and the rumours are hard to ignore.

Will Arsenal sign a defender?

Laurent Koscielny threw a spanner in the Arsenal transfer plans this summer by refusing to go on the club's summer tour, stating his desire to leave and eventually joining Bordeaux for €5m. The Gunners were counting on their captain -- one of the team's few top-class defenders -- and focused attention on bringing in attacking players.

While Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney would be a bargain at £25m, and a move that would allow Nacho Monreal to play as a centre-back more regularly, Arsenal needed to add a defender even before Koscielny's ill-timed exit; the €30m spent on St Etienne's William Saliba is no good this season because he has been loaned back to France for a year.

Juventus' Daniele Rugani has reportedly been the subject of a two-year loan bid, while RB Leipzig pair Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate have been on the radar for some time but would be expensive. Arsenal are nearing the limit of their budget, so perhaps a move for someone £10m-rated Pape Abou Cisse of Olympiakos would work.

Will Zaha stay at Crystal Palace?

Arsenal's move for Nicholas Pepe has seemingly put paid to Zaha's dream of joining his boyhood club, but that does not mean that he will not move. Everton showed interest and had a bid of £54m rejected, while Napoli are also keen after they missed out on Pepe.

Man United will get a cut of any transfer fee for Zaha, having added a clause in his contract when they sold him to Palace in 2015, so the London club want to get as much money as possible. They have only brought in Jordan Ayew and Gary Cahill so far and selling Zaha on Deadline Day would give them virtually no time to find a replacement.

Having sold Aaron Wan-Bissaka to United for £50m earlier in the window, Palace have lots of cash but unless they make some late moves they will be a shadow of their former selves this season.

Will Liverpool or Man City make any moves?

Liverpool have appeared content with their Champions League-winning squad, only adding youngsters Harvey Elliott and Sepp Van Den Berg, while Jurgen Klopp told ESPN that the club are not interested in bringing Philippe Coutinho back from Barcelona.

The Reds could do with some depth, though, particularly more creativity in midfield, but Nabil Fekir has moved to Real Betis and only a handful of names have been linked, including Leipzig striker Timo Werner and Coutinho. It seems unlikely Klopp will move for anyone new, but he will not be afraid to spend in January if needed.

City, meanwhile, did the majority of their business early. A defensive midfielder to share the burden with the ageing Fernandinho was the main target and €70m landed them Rodri from Atletico Madrid. A left-back to provide cover for Benjamin Mendy also arrived with the familiar face of Angelino returning from a loan at PSV.

A like-for-like swap for Juventus full-back Joao Cancelo could happen, with Danilo and €30m going the other way, but big-money links with Jadon Sancho, Joao Felix and Harry Maguire all came to nothing. Indeed, City's depth is so impressive that they might not even need to sign a replacement should they let Leroy Sane join Bayern for around €80m.

If the top two Premier League clubs are this confident, it's a worrying sign for the rest of the league.

The European transfer window is open. Click here to view all the latest transfers and keep up to date with the latest gossip below.

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TOP STORY: Spurs jump United in move for Dybala

Spurs fans will be salivating at the prospect of their club making two major signings. First up is news of a possible move for Paulo Dybala, who reportedly already turned down Manchester United, with the Argentine expressing an interest in joining the north London club. These rumours come courtesy of Sky Sports Italia, which suggests a deal for between £62m-£65m has already been agreed between the two clubs, with just the player to agree.

Juve have made it clear that Dybala has no future in Turin, which is why he is now more open to a move to England. Mauricio Pochettino is also rumoured to have called compatriot Dybala personally over the weekend in an effort to help get the deal over the line.

Next up for Pochettino is a loan move for Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho in a deal that would see the duo reunited for the first time since they worked together at Espanyol. This comes on the heels of news which ESPN confirmed that Arsenal had no interest in the Brazilian.

Pochettino is keen to add the 27-year-old to his midfield to further enhance his new-look side following the signings of Tanguy Ndombele and Jack Clark. Coutinho's representatives are alleged to have contacted a number of Premier League clubs in an effort to get the Brazilian away from Camp Nou.

LIVE BLOG

09.41 BST: PSG goalkeeper Kevin Trapp is set to join German side Eintracht Frankfurt later today for at least €7m and will sign a five-year contract, sources have told ESPN FC.

Trapp leaving opens up a space for PSG to sign a new goalkeeper, so they could revisit their interest in AC Milan's Gianluigi Donnarumma from earlier this summer. A reminder that clubs in Europe have until Sept. 2 to complete their deals.

09.25 BST: Both Manchester City and Manchester United had scouts watching Norwegian prospect Hakon Evjen this week, according to Norwegian broadcaster TV2.

Evjen, 19, scored twice in Bodo/Glimt's 3-1 win over Stromgodset on Monday, and the club tweeted that representatives of the Premier League sides were watching on from the stands.

TV2 reported that the scouts had made the journey to watch, who took his goal tally to six goals in 14 Tippeligaen appearances this season.

09.05 BST: Fabinho's wife has reacted incredulously to rumours circulating on social media that the Liverpool midfielder has agreed a deal to join Real Madrid.

The Brazil international and his wife, Rebecca Tavares, are happy and settled on Merseyside.

pic.twitter.com/ydvLcVLqoE

— Rebeca Tavares (@reebecatavares) August 6, 2019

Fabinho is a guaranteed starter for Jurgen Klopp and the reported fee of €65m + €10m in add-ons is unlikely to have been signed off by sporting director Michael Edwards, who has a reputation for maximising the club's earnings when selling players. The club has described the rumour to ESPN FC's Melissa Reddy as "absolute nonsense."

08.29 BST: Manchester City full-back Danilo has arrived at Juventus this morning to seal his move to Turin.

The deal is set to see Joao Cancelo move in the opposite direction between the two clubs, although reports suggest that the two transfers will not be officially linked.

Danilo, 28, joined City from Real Madrid in 2017 and went on to win back-to-back Premier League titles in England.

Cancelo, 25, had been linked with a move to England before joining Juve last summer from Valencia. His move could be announced as early as today, according to reports.

08.00 BST: Welcome to Wednesday's Transfer Talk live blog. It's Transfer Deadline Eve and there is plenty going on. Tuesday's top story was Wayne Rooney's move from D.C. United to Derby County and we're going even bigger today. Jason Puncheon has signed for Pafos FC in a move labelled "the greatest transfer" in their history.

Puncheon moves to Cyprus on a two-year deal after leaving Crystal Palace on a free transfer and the 33-year-old is being talked up as "brilliant on both wings."

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PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd)

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Ozil could replace Rooney at D.C. United

Staying in north London, and not to leave out those of a red persuasion, Arsenal look like they could potentially offload Mesut Ozil, with talks planned between the German's representatives and MLS club D.C. United.

The news follows Wayne Rooney's announced move to Derby County as player-coach and could see Ozil replace Rooney in Washington as the main marquee signing.

Any deal would see Ozil stay at the Emirates until January -- the same month Rooney will join Derby -- before making the switch to the U.S. Ozil would represent another huge signing for United.

Everton close in on Sidibe loan

Everton are on the verge of signing Monaco defender Djibril Sidibe, according to the Mail.

The Mail reports that the 27-year-old defender is arriving at Goodison Park on Wednesday for a medical ahead of a season-long loan. The France international made 26 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, which followed his forming part of the France side that won the World Cup this time last summer.

Sidibe operates at right-back but can play on either side, and Everton boss Marco Silva wants competition for places alongside Seamus Coleman after having offloaded Jonjoe Kenny to Schalke.

Silva remains hopeful of making more additions before the transfer window slams shut on Thursday (see our tap-ins below).

Tap-ins

- You might be tempted to switch off when you hear the names Wilfried Zaha and Everton mentioned together, such has been their on-off deal this summer. And tonight, the Mail reports that Crystal Palace have turned down a £70m cash deal plus Cenk Tosun and James McCarthy for Zaha from the Toffees. Palace maintain that the winger won't be sold.

- Plenty of action in Sheffield tonight too, with the Mail reporting Wednesday are set to move for Chelsea defender Michael Hector. The news follows Sheffield United's sale of Ched Evans to Fleetwood on a permanent deal earlier in the day. Like Evans, Hector spent last season on loan, making 39 appearances for the Owls. Hector has failed to make an appearance for Chelsea in four years since signing from Reading in 2015, and would welcome regular first-team action.

Australia's Ashes blueprint to starve England's boundary-hungry batsmen from scoring paid off handsomely at Edgbaston and may see Peter Siddle playing as expansive a role in the series as any of the touring pacemen.

In a plan that the national team coach Justin Langer has hinted was partly inspired by the way a 2004 touring team to India won Australia's only series victory in the country for the past 50 years, England's scoring - and boundary count - were drastically clamped down upon, after Siddle was chosen when the selectors resisted the urge to choose the faster Mitchell Starc or Josh Hazlewood on a Birmingham pitch that was drier than anticipated.

While Siddle did not have the sort of seam movement at his disposal that has characterised many of his spells for Essex over the past couple of seasons, his nagging lines and lengths, pressuring England into the sort of shots played by Jonny Bairstow in the first innings and Jason Roy in the second, helped the Australians suffocate an England team that is used to getting regular release from pressure by finding the short boundaries of their home grounds.

Over the course of the Test, England were restricted to 0.33 boundaries per over and 2.75 runs per over, a long way behind Australia's 0.47 boundaries per over and 3.99 runs per over. Across 39 overs for the match that cost 80 runs, Siddle's economy rate of 2.09, conceding just eight boundaries at 0.21 per over, made him the only bowler in the match to go under 2.5 runs per over. It was a performance that not only reaped wickets at the other end, but also prevented England from surging to high-scoring bursts that would also bring Edgbaston's crowd to life.

"We knew 10 of the [starting] XI two days before; we made a decision between Starcy and Peter Siddle quite late actually, on the morning of the game," Langer said. "We were going to have a last look at the wicket on the morning and when we got here it was a pretty strong gut feeling.

"For some reason, the way Sidds played in the practice game and the way he's been bowling and the style of cricket we need to beat England - it was a line-ball decision and it is easy to say in hindsight, but I thought Peter Siddle was almost the bowler of the game. He was brilliant. That was the best none-for I've ever seen.

"We've got a pretty clear view on how we think we can beat England in this series. I go back to 2004, India, when we finally beat India in India. We had a very, very clear [plan]. Adam Gilchrist drove that. Remember, he was the captain at the time; Punter [Ricky Ponting] was injured, so he drove that. We've got a really clear plan for how we can beat England. We'll stick to that."

Gilchrist has spoken about how the 2004 plans in India called for the denial of boundaries to India's batsmen, playing on patience and fitness by forcing them to run frequently between the wickets. "The main thing with the quicks was that we went really negative," Gilchrist had said in 2017. "We started with one slip, a deep point, a deep square leg and just played on the Indians' egos. That was probably the key tactical change we made in that series, and it worked nicely. It was a patience game, but it came through. That allowed us to get into the game without being blown away, and the deeper you take it the more chance you have."

Siddle echoed these words in assessing how he, Pat Cummins, James Pattinson and Nathan Lyon had complemented each other in Birmingham. "That's the good place that the team is in at the moment," Siddle told Macquarie Sports Radio.

"The bowling group is happy to get the job done and build the pressure. You're not always going to be the one to take the wickets and gets the rewards. But that's the strength of this bowling group, that's how to have success in England. The second innings was a perfect example, Nathan and Patty [Cummins] got the rewards but Patto [Pattinson] and myself were able to build pressure when we had the chance. To bowl them out so cheaply, it was a great start to the series."

Travis Head, a deputy to the captain Tim Paine alongside Cummins, said that the team was committed to ensuring that they would not chase wickets too aggressively at the risk of conceding rushes of boundaries. "The only time I remember them doing it was a couple of overs on day two where we chased it a little bit. I think we bowled two overs for 10," he said. "We spoke about that, and said we don't mind going for wickets but we have to consolidate and keep the scoreboard quiet.

"We know that if we can do that there will be enough balls in the right area and enough balls to create an opportunity and then we can keep them at a low total. I think that will be the same throughout the series. You can see how quickly we scored [on day four], that great day we had.

"On the flip side of that is minimising how much they can score, as defensive as it looks, making sure we have our catches, getting our wickets, we can protect at the same time and build pressure that way. A couple of ones to the boundary is better than a four. I thought we had a really good mix of trying to get boundaries [with the bat] and containing the scoreboard [with the ball]."

Mickey Arthur's time as Pakistan's head coach will come to a close next week with the PCB deciding against renewing his contract. It's not just Arthur. The board's decision will mean that nearly the entire coaching staff of the senior men's team - batting coach Grant Flower, bowling coach Azhar Mahmood, and fitness trainer Grant Luden - will not have their contracts extended.

According to a statement released by the PCB today, the board will be "immediately undertaking a robust recruitment process" to fill these roles ahead of Pakistan's next international commitment, a Test series in October against Sri Lanka.

With the contracts of Arthur, Flower, Azhar and Luden all scheduled to end on August 15 anyway, none of the coaches have been sacked per se. But Arthur, certainly, had expressed an eagerness to continue: in an exhaustive review conducted by the PCB after the World Cup, Arthur asked for a chance to present his report, which was widely seen as a chance for him to defend his record and make a case for an extension.

The decisions were arrived at following a five-hour PCB cricket committee meeting on Monday, in which Arthur was grilled about his performance with the team over the last three years. He was keen to continue, and ESPNcricinfo understands that he asked for two more years at the job.

Ehsan Mani, the PCB chairman, said in a statement: "I am thankful to the PCB Cricket Committee for submitting their recommendations following an exhaustive and detailed review process. The committee comprised of individuals who possess tremendous acumen, experience and knowledge. The unanimous recommendation of the Committee was that it was time for new leadership and a fresh approach. I am happy to accept their strong recommendations.

"On behalf of the PCB, I want to sincerely thank Mickey Arthur, Grant Flower, Grant Luden and Azhar Mahmood for their hard work and unwavering commitment during their tenures with the national men's team. We wish them every success in their future endeavors."

The latest development means five key people will be out of the set-up following Pakistan's fifth-place finish at the World Cup in England and Wales, chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq having earlier decided against contract renewal once his stint ended in July. The only survivor from the coaching staff is fielding coach Grant Bradburn, whose contract runs until September 2021.

Bradburn's continuation in his position underscores the PCB's stated position that no one has been removed, their contracts just haven't been renewed. However, with the men leaving interested in staying on, it's really a distinction without a difference.

Arthur was appointed as head coach in May 2016 after the side's disappointing performance at the World T20 in 2016 ended with Waqar Younis' stint coming to a close. Arthur immediately adopted a tough stance on the fitness and fielding standards of the players and brought in Steve Rixon as fielding coach. Several players were cast aside - Umar Akmal, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz and Sohail Khan for example - for not being at the levels Arthur wanted, while Pakistan's fielding numbers soared under Rixon's watch; in the 12 months before he left in June 2018, Pakistan were a better fielding side than South Africa and Australia.

Under Arthur, Pakistan reach the top spot in the T20I rankings and, following a 2-2 series draw in England in 2016 - it was his first assignment as head coach - they rose to the top of the Test rankings. That didn't last long, though, as Pakistan endured a disappointing run in the format after that, losing nine of the following 11 they played, including 2-0 at home to Sri Lanka. It was Pakistan's first Test series loss in the UAE since it became their home away from home. Overall, Pakistan won ten and lost 17 of the Test matches played under Arthur, by far the most disappointing aspect of his coaching record with the side.

But there were also concerns that his robust, high-intensity methods, and no-nonsense headmasterly style of coaching was beginning to wear out his players. There was a high-profile falling out with Umar Akmal in 2017, following which the player was sidelined for over a year, only to play in a five-match ODI series where Pakistan rested half-a-dozen frontline players. Then, in South Africa last year, Arthur had a go at several players following a second-innings collapse in Centurion, and also had tough words for Babar Azam following a loss against England in a five-match ODI series in May this year. Babar had scored a hundred in the game, but Arthur felt his strike rate was a contributing factor to the defeat.

Flower's departure, meanwhile, means Pakistan have let go of the longest-serving member of the coaching staff. Flower, who ESPNcricinfo understands was also willing to continue, was appointed in May 2014 as batting coach, and it was during this time that Sarfaraz Ahmed emerged as the No. 1 wicketkeeper-batsman in Test cricket, and players like Babar, Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman all broke through.

The highest point for the team, of course, was winning the Champions Trophy in 2017, where everything came together brilliantly. Arthur was the motivator as Pakistan turned a thumping early loss to India around with four wins on the trot. The top-order batting clicked in semi-final and final thrashings of England and India, while the pace bowling in those two games was exquisite. The fielding still hadn't touched the heights it would in the 12 months to follow, but there were signs that a corner was being turned.

Now, they have chosen to try and turn another corner and they will have to do it with a whole new group of people for company and guidance.

Rachel Taylor has been appointed as the first female Welsh Rugby Union regional academy skills coach.

The 36-year-old former Wales forward, who won 67 caps, will coach North Wales academy players alongside new RGC head coach Matt Silva and under academy manager Josh Leach.

It is another first for Taylor, who in 2018 became Colwyn Bay men's first female head coach.

Taylor will also help develop female players in North Wales.

Dave Roberts takes over from Taylor as WRU rugby coordinator for North West Wales, with Wales wing Jessica Kavanagh replacing him as Women and Girls' Game Changer for North Wales.

WRU community director Geraint John said: "We are thrilled to appoint Rachel Taylor as North Wales academy skills coach.

"She is hugely experienced as an international player and rugby development professional and it's exciting to see her use that expertise to develop both male and female players in North Wales.

Taylor's expanding CV has also seen her take on coaching roles with the Crawshay's and the Barbarians women's sides.

MIAMI -- Gerard Pique says Neymar must speak out if he wants to push through his "complicated" return to Barcelona from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

Sources have told ESPN FC that Barca have looked into a deal for Neymar, while PSG sporting director Leonardo has confirmed the club would sell the Brazilian forward for the right price.

Neymar, 27, left Barca for PSG in a world record €222 million transfer two years ago and the way he forced through his exit angered some people at the Catalan club.

However, Pique says he would be delighted to welcome him back to Camp Nou but added the caveat that it will not be easy to come up with a formula to satisfy the French champions.

"I think Neymar's a great player that knows the dressing room, the city and the club," the defender said in a news conference ahead of Wednesday's game against Napoli at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

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"There are people that weren't happy with how he left, but there are a lot of people who were very happy with his performances. It's a complicated operation. He's a PSG player and the squad that we have is good enough to win every trophy.

"If the opportunity comes up, you know the relationship I have with him. I would be delighted if he came back, but he's a PSG player. A personal opinion doesn't change anything.

"It has to be Neymar who speaks out. Of course we speak with him, but it's not right to reveal private conversations. If he wants to speak out or give his opinion, he has to come out and say it. He's a crack on and off the pitch and we're waiting to see what happens. I can't say anything else."

Barca had to take out a loan to finance the €120m signing of Antoine Griezmann in July so are unlikely to be able to meet PSG's asking price. Therefore, they would either have to offer players in exchange or sell before they buy. A loan with an obligatory option to buy later, and therefore defer the payment, has also been mooted.

Philippe Coutinho could be key. Barca are keen to sell their club-record signing and sources have told ESPN FC they're looking to move him to a Premier League club before the transfer window shuts in England on Thursday. Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as an option.

"I don't know what will happen with Coutinho," Pique added. "Obviously I want him to stay but at the end of the day it's what he wants and I want him to be happy. Let's see.

"Until the last day of the transfer market, we will not know if he stays or not. But it's not my decision, it's the club's and Philippe's."

If Neymar did come back to the club, he would become the fifth signing of a busy summer following a disappointing end to last season. Barca were heavily criticised for their Champions League loss to Liverpool and the Copa del Rey final defeat to Valencia.

However, they did still win the league for the second year in a row, this time by a margin of 11 points, and Pique echoed comments made by Lionel Messi earlier in the week calling for more value to be given to their domination of La Liga.

"To [win eight of 11 leagues] in Spain, which has one of the strongest leagues, deserves a lot of credit," he said. "It's not valued because we win it by 15 or 20 points. Instead of adding value because we've been superior to the rest, it's taken away.

"We could throw the league and the Copa del Rey and focus on the Champions League, but we don't like playing Russian Roulette. Sometimes, everything comes off, other times it doesn't."

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is set to return to Club America from Standard Liege, the Liga MX side announced on Tuesday evening.

Ochoa was thought to be intent on staying in Europe, but offloading Agustin Marchesin to Porto last week left America in need of a starting goalkeeper and the 34-year-old has chosen to return to the Mexico City club he made his professional debut for in 2004.

"'Memo' Ochoa is without doubt one of our fans most beloved players and one of the references of Club America in recent years," read an club statement, which didn't give details of the length of contract or transfer fee.

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"Home sweet home," tweeted the player.

The Guadalajara native played 281 times for Club America before moving to French side Ajaccio in 2011. Ochoa became the first Mexican goalkeeper to play top flight football in Europe, but he never managed to play in the Champions League, leaving Ajaccio for Malaga, then Granada and finally on to Belgium's Standard Liege.

Ochoa is regarded as one of the Mexican national team's most popular figures and the keeper starred at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, earning plaudits for El Tri while his club career failed to spark.

America is Liga MX's most successful club on 13 titles and bringing in Ochoa is a significant coup for an institution that has had a turbulent last few weeks, with Marchesin and Colombia international Mateus Uribe sold to Porto, Edson Alvarez leaving for Ajax and Chile striker Nico Castillo fracturing his fibula last Saturday.

Ochoa could travel to Mexico as early as Friday and could potentially make his first appearance back against Atlanta United in the United States in the Campeones Cup on Aug. 14.

America made headlines earlier this summer, when it signed Ochoa's international teammate Giovani dos Santos, who scored and assisted on his Estadio Azteca debut in the team's 3-1 win over Club Tijuana last Saturday.