As his team gets ready to play their first Test since James Anderson's retirement, captain Ben Stokes thinks it's a "great time to be a fast bowler in England."

It will be the first time since 2012 that England has played a home game without at least Anderson or Stuart Broad when they take on the West Indies in the second Test on Thursday at Trent Bridge.

Stokes told BBC Sport, "There was always going to be a time when that was going to hit English cricket, without sounding too over the top."

"Throughout the remainder of the summer and over the next 18 months to two years, there will be opportunities for guys."

In his 50th Test match, Chris Woakes will "lead the attack," according to Stokes, and he and Gus Atkinson will share the new ball.

Atkinson of Surrey grabbed 12 wickets in his debut in the decisive first Test at Lord's.

In place of Anderson, Mark Wood is called up again, and he and Atkinson together make up perhaps the most placid England duo since Wood and Olly Stone's 2021 match against New Zealand.

Though they retired over a year apart, England's two all-time top wicket-takers, Anderson and Broad, have done so in back-to-back home Test matches. In Anderson's case, England let go of the 41-year-old as part of a number of adjustments made with the 2025–2026 Ashes tour of Australia in mind.

The two fast bowlers not used by England at Trent Bridge are the uncapped Dillon Pennington and the six-time Test cap Matthew Potts. Sam Cook of Essex has also been suggested by managing director Rob Key as a potential player for this summer.

All-rounder Stokes stated, "It's a really exciting time to be a fast bowler in England." "Seeing Gus Atkinson bowl at one end and Mark Wood at the other is a very exciting prospect."

"It's true that Dillon will have opportunities come summertime, but right now Woody is our best starting lineup."

Additionally, Stokes stated that in the event that Ben Duckett's partner Paige goes into labor and the pair gives birth to their first child, there is a "plan in place."

Duckett, the opener for Nottinghamshire, is scheduled to play his maiden Test on his home field on Thursday morning. If the birth occurs before the game begins, he is unlikely to play. Dan Lawrence is waiting to enter.

If Duckett is selected to start the game, he could be forced to depart for a portion of it, as was the case with Joe Denly in the last Ashes Test at The Oval in 2019.

England would have an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and their first series win since the tour of Pakistan in 2022 if they prevailed at Trent Bridge.


West Indies have selected an unchanged team after being comprehensively defeated at Lord's by an innings and 114 runs. Shamar Joseph, a fast bowler, has been cleared to play after experiencing pain in his left leg during Lord's.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite stated, "The guys are very eager and ready to go." "We need to find a solution, and we need to bat better. Runs must be added on the board. It's easy.

"We have complete faith in the guys who participated in the first Test." Shamar has been operating normally for the past few days.
 

Enzo Fernandez, a midfield player for Chelsea, has been subject to disciplinary action by the French Football Federation following the release of a video on social media that he said featured a "racist and discriminatory" chant.

The FFF announced on Tuesday that it would lodge a protest with FIFA, the world regulatory body, regarding the video that featured a song performed by several of the Argentina team regarding the black players in France.

Wesley Fofana, Fernandez's teammate at Chelsea and a French cap winner, shared a picture of the video on Instagram with the caption "uninhibited racism".

As Argentina celebrated winning the Copa America, Fernandez—a £107 million British record signing in February 2023—posted a video on social media apologizing for what he had done.

Fifa is also looking into the video, which has a number of Argentina players singing along to a song that was originally performed by Argentina supporters and questions the ancestry of the black and mixed-race players in France.

Ten members of Chelsea's first team roster, including Fofana, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Christopher Nkunku, Malo Gusto, and Malang Sarr, are black or of mixed race.

"The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words," Fernandez stated.

"I apologize for getting sucked into the excitement of our Copa America celebrations and I stand against discrimination in all its manifestations.

"That video, that moments, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character."

"We acknowledge and appreciate our player's public apology and will use this as an opportunity to educate," a Chelsea statement said.

"The club has instigated an internal disciplinary procedure."

Regarding the live video Fernandez shared on social media following Argentina's 1-0 victory against Colombia in the Copa America final on Sunday, the FFF will get in touch with the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

President Philippe Diallo "condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable and discriminatory remarks that were made against the players of the French team," according to an external statement from the FFF.

It continued: "Faced with the seriousness of these shocking remarks, contrary to the values of sport and human rights, the president of the FFF decided to directly appeal to his Argentine counterpart and Fifa and to file a legal complaint for racially offensive and discriminatory remarks."

For comment, we have contacted the Argentine Football Association.

Argentina defeated France in the 2022 World Cup final and France defeated Argentina in the 2018 World Cup round of 16.

A representative for Fifa stated that "the incident is being looked into" and that they were "aware of a video circulating on social media".

They further stated that "Fifa strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone including players, fans and officials."

"All forms of discriminatory behavior completely unacceptable," according to Chelsea.

They continued: "We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome."

"These acts have no place in football,"

David Datro Fofana, Fernandez's teammate at Chelsea, said, calling on the football community as a whole to take action in the "fight" against racism.

"My interest in football is multi-ethnic," the Ivorian attacker wrote on Instagram.

"We should strongly denounce racism in all of its manifestations. These behaviors have no place in football or any other sport, really.

"This fight really needs to be taken seriously be everyone in this sport."

Following his season-long loan to Burnley, Fofana is back in training with Chelsea. Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson, another striker for the Blues, has posted on Instagram to show support for Fernandez.

In Jackson's post, the Argentina midfielder was seen having fun with a little African American child while on the team's US preseason tour last year.

Kick It Out, an anti-discrimination NGO, declared the film to be "unacceptable" in the meanwhile.

"We stand with and show our full support to Wesley Fofana after he responded publicly and brought it to wider attention," said the statement.

"As multiple players are heard singing the song, the effect on opposing teams' teammates and supporters will likely be greater.

"We urge the Argentina federation, Fifa, and all involved clubs to handle this troubling situation with compassion, understanding, and empathy.

"Apologies cannot be the beginning and finish of a response to these tragedies. What matters more is what is done subsequently to make sure players are held responsible and educated, both in England and internationally."

Similarly, the anti-discrimination group Show Racism the Red Card stated that "words are not enough" in response to those remarks.

"The racism by the Argentina players is abhorrent, disgraceful and, to record it on social media, it's unbelievable to think it was amusing or even they would get away with it," said Ged Grebby, the company's chief executive.

"It's great that they haven't, but we want to see more than just players apologizing. That is insufficient.

"The harm is already done. Not just to black Premier League players, but also to black individuals in our community.

"We urge Chelsea to get in touch with Show Racism the Red Card and arrange for this player to visit our schools in order to collaborate with us, as words alone will not suffice when it comes to anti-racism education.

It would have a profound effect. Instead of prohibiting this player from participating in any number of games, let's engage him in Show Racism the Red Card, a constructive anti-racism campaign."
 

The Paris 2024 Olympics concluded with a spectacular closing ceremony as the Olympic flame was passed to Los Angeles, the host city for the 2028 Games. The United States and China both finished with 40 gold medals, but the U.S. claimed the top spot on the medal table due to having more silver medals.

Hollywood star Tom Cruise wowed the audience at the Stade de France by abseiling from the stadium's roof, grabbing the Olympic flag, and riding off on a motorbike. The 62-year-old actor, known for his "Mission Impossible" roles, was then featured in a video where he skydives into Los Angeles and places the Olympic rings on the Hollywood sign. The video was a preview of what's to come in 2028.

Los Angeles celebrated the handover with performances by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre, who performed on an LA beach with the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop. The ceremony also featured American gymnastics legend Simone Biles and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as they formally received the Olympic flag.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Thomas Bach, praised the Paris Games, calling them "sensational" and emphasizing the importance of fostering a "culture of peace" in today's world.

During the closing ceremony, around 9,000 athletes enjoyed a celebration that highlighted the power of sports to unite people. French swimmer Leon Marchand, who won four gold medals, had the honor of extinguishing the Olympic flame in the Tuileries Gardens.

The 17-day event featured incredible sporting achievements set against famous Parisian landmarks, from the Eiffel Tower to the Chateau de Versailles. The U.S. secured its final gold medal in women’s basketball, narrowly defeating France, which helped them top the medal table. China and Japan also had strong performances, with China earning 91 medals, making this their best showing at an overseas Olympics, and Japan coming in third with 20 gold medals.

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