Category Sports News

Jofra Archer’s “pure talent” gives him the opportunity to create a legacy in Test cricket, says Rob Key, managing director of England men’s cricket.

Fast bowler Archer, 30, has been named in England’s squad for the second Test against India which starts at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

The playing XI is yet to be confirmed but if included, it would be Archer’s first appearance in the longest format since 2021 after multiple injury setbacks.

“He’s got high skill, accuracy, pace, all of those things,” said Key, when asked about the qualities Archer brings England’s attack.

“He’s a pure talent, one of the best bowlers certainly I’ve seen play for England.

“There’s some brilliant players of other formats, but Test cricket’s the one where you make your name, that’s where you have a legacy – and that’s what Jofra will have the chance to do now, hopefully for the next few years.”

Archer is the only addition to the squad from England’s thrilling first-Test win at Headingley, where Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes formed the pace attack.

England have meticulously planned Archer’s return after multiple failed attempts at a comeback, with Key saying it has been a slow and patient two-year process to reach this stage.

After a sparkling debut summer in 2019 which saw him bowl the super over to seal a World Cup final win and take 22 wickets in the Ashes that followed, Archer has endured a series of setbacks, including elbow and back injuries.

With this Test call-up coming off the back of just one first-class game for Sussex where he bowled 18 overs, former England captain Michael Vaughan warned against rushing Archer back to Tests, and Key acknowledged the risk that comes with his inclusion in the squad.

“It’s been a two-year run of taking it very, very slowly with Jofra,” Key explained.

“And he’s ticked every box so far. Now, whether it’s the best thing to do to play at Edgbaston, we’ll make that decision when we get nearer the time.

Lyon have been included in the Ligue 1 fixtures for next season despite being relegated to French football’s second tier because of the poor state of their finances.

In the schedule released on Friday, Lyon have been earmarked to play Lens in their opening game of the 2025-26 campaign – which starts on the weekend of 16-17 August.

Lyon were provisionally demoted in November by the DNGC, the body which oversees the accounts of French professional football clubs.

Last October Textor’s Eagle Football Group, which owns a 77% stake in Lyon, announced debts of £422m.

Lyon previously described the DNGC’s decision as “incomprehensible” and have taken steps to appeal.

Les Gones finished sixth in Ligue 1 last season and qualified for the Europa League.

Their relegation could prove significant to FA Cup winners Crystal Palace, whose hopes of playing in the Europa League next season are under threat because of Uefa rules which prevent multiple teams under one multi-club ownership structure competing in the same European competition.

Textor owns stakes in both clubs although he agreed a deal to sell his 43% share in Palace on Monday.

Teenager Alex Dunne says making his Formula 1 debut at the Austrian Grand Prix is “definitely the best day of my life”.

The 19-year-old impressed as he posted the fourth-fastest time in opening practice for the Austrian Grand Prix as he stood in for McLaren’s Lando Norris.

The Irish driver was handed the opportunity in one of McLaren’s four mandatory sessions across the season where a rookie driver will take part in first practice.

Dunne is a McLaren development driver and leads the Formula 2 standings after six rounds with two victories in Bahrain and Imola.

“I want to say a massive thank you, you made a little boy’s dream come true,” Dunne said on his team radio after the session.

“This is definitely the best day of my life.

In taking part in first practice, Dunne became the first Irish driver to participate in a Formula 1 weekend in 22 years.

He started the session off slowly, carrying an aero rake on his car as championship leaders McLaren tested updates on the MCL39.

After a stint on hard tyres, the former British F4 champion posted the fourth-fastest time after switching to the soft tyres late in the hour-long session.

His quickest time was just 0.069 seconds shy of championship leader Oscar Piastri, who was third behind George Russell and Max Verstappen.

“I’m super, super happy. It’s safe to say it went pretty well,” Dunne told McLaren’s social media.

“We knew going into the session that the goal wasn’t necessarily for performance, it was more to help out with the car, help Lando and kind of just help the team improve as much as they can for FP2 and FP3, and onwards into the weekend.

Andrew Benson, BBC Sport’s Formula 1 correspondent: “There was a point where McLaren were thinking of dropping Alex Dunne but [former racing driver] Warren Hughes said to them if you look into the data, you can see that he is really talented and that’s really coming out this year.

“He’s been super impressive in F2 and that lap time. It is only first practice but it’s a very rare a driver gets into a grand prix practice session and laps that close to the regular race driver.

“Alex Dunne might be giving McLaren a few headaches because they already have Piastri and Norris under contract in F1 for at least a couple of years.

Speaking on Sky Sports, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said Dunne was “diligent and impressive” in his approach to the session, which included testing the new upgrades on the McLaren.

“He also had the chance to show some speed, and it’s no surprise as he’s a fast driver,” Stella added.

“I think we need to be a bit careful looking at the lap times because his lap time came later on in the stint when the fuel was down.

“But it was encouraging and impressive, in terms of Alex himself and it was a good session for McLaren.”

Ex-Formula 1 driver Karun Chandock says Dunne’s performance in practice was “tremendously impressive”.

“If I was McLaren I’d be trying to do a deal with Cadillac or someone like that,” he said on Sky Sports.

“You want to find him a seat somewhere to build up some racing experience.

Heading into the Austrian Grand Prix, Dunne leads the Formula 2 standings by three points ahead of Dutch driver Richard Verschoor.

The Offaly driver has won in Bahrain and Imola, and claimed pole position in Monaco.

After his impressive F1 debut, Dunne returned to his Rodin Motorsport Formula 2 car for qualifying for the seventh round of the season.

He posted the seventh fastest time and will start from fourth in the reverse grid sprint race on Saturday (13:15 BST), and will line-up where he qualified for the feature race on Sunday (09:00 BST).

“It’s important not to focus too much on F1, it’s important to focus on F2 and trying to do as well as I can,” Dunne told BBC Sport before his F1 debut.

“If I get too wrapped up in it I can quickly forget about what I need to do this year.

Next season’s Premier League TV coverage will include touchline interviews with substitute players and camera access to dressing rooms.

Camera operators will also be able to film close-ups of goal celebrations for a brief period of time on the field of play.

The developments, which were first reported in the Telegraph, coincide with the start of a new four-year domestic TV deal.

The agreement, which will cost a record £6.6 billion, will allow Sky and TNT to broadcast 270 live games each season.

The substitute players will be given a cooling-down period before being interviewed on the touchline during the game, according to BBC Sport.

However, information on how frequently this will occur in matches and how many matches will it apply to has not yet been made.

During team discussions, access to the dressing room will be restricted and never permitted.

In the United States, such coverage is a common feature of sports, but it is uncommon in the UK.

The BBC will continue to air Premier League highlights on Match of the Day in accordance with the new TV deal.

Next season’s Premier League TV coverage will include touchline interviews with substitute players and camera access to dressing rooms.

Camera operators will also be able to film close-ups of goal celebrations for a brief period of time on the field of play.

The developments, which were first reported in the Telegraph, coincide with the start of a new four-year domestic TV deal.

The agreement, which will cost a record £6.6 billion, will allow Sky and TNT to broadcast 270 live games each season.

The substitute players will be given a cooling-down period before being interviewed on the touchline during the game, according to BBC Sport.

However, information on how frequently this will occur in matches and how many matches will it apply to has not yet been made.

During team discussions, access to the dressing room will be restricted and never permitted.

In the United States, such coverage is a common feature of sports, but it is uncommon in the UK.

The BBC will continue to air Premier League highlights on Match of the Day in accordance with the new TV deal.

Everton club captain Seamus Coleman has signed a one-year contract extension to take his stay at the club into a 17th season.

The 36-year-old right-back has made 428 appearances for Toffees across all competitions, and his 369 Premier League appearances is the club record.

“I love Everton so to continue playing for this special club means everything to me and my family,” said Republic of Ireland defender Coleman.

“Like every one of our passionate fans, I’ve lived and breathed what has been a difficult past few years for the club and have put my heart and soul into doing all I can to help us get through it.”

Coleman’s previous deal was due to expire last week.

Everton move to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium next season after leaving Goodison Park, their home for 133 years.

“Thanks to the hard work of many people, we’ve been able to get into our magnificent new stadium and pave the way for a brighter future under ambitious new owners, which I want to be part of,” said Coleman

“After a disappointing time with injuries last season, my focus will be on working hard, spending as much time on the pitch as possible, and helping Everton any way I can.”

Having been the man to sign Coleman for the club back in January 2009 for just £60,000, Everton manager David Moyes hailed the veteran defender’s influence on the dressing room during his two spells in charge.

“His leadership, his professionalism and his humanity are second to none. He’s helped carry the club through some difficult periods in the past few years and his influence in the dressing room has been key to that,” said Moyes.

“He’s had to deal with some really difficult injuries, too, but he has done that and still been able to help inspire inside the dressing room at the same time.