Dan Lawrence is earmarked to play in England’s first Test of the post-Ben Stokes era with Jordan Cox batting at number three because Jacob Bethell is out of the whole Pakistan series.

Former vice-captain Ollie Pope returns as batting and wicketkeeping cover, while seamers Brydon Carse and Sam Cook have also been recalled in a 16-strong squad for the first two Tests at Headingley and Lord’s this month.

National selector Marcus North revealed Sam Curran was under strong consideration to succeed the recently-retired Stokes but an ongoing niggle means England have decided to reinforce their batting.

The last of Lawrence’s 14 Test appearances was in September 2024 as a makeshift opener, but he will be carded at six after impressing for Surrey this year with five Rothesay County Championship hundreds.

While premier spinner Shoaib Bashir has been retained, Lawrence’s part-time off-breaks mean new captain Joe Root is likely to field four frontline pacemen in the series opener at Leeds, starting on August 19.

“It would be very easy to get hung up on the fact we’ve lost Ben,” North said. “But it’s not just picking an all-rounder for an all-rounder’s sake. If we are going to pick a like-for-like player, they need to be at the level and skillset to be successful at Test level.

“Sam is certainly someone we identify as that player. We don’t feel physically he’s quite right there. He’s someone that we really value highly and we see playing a role in the future for us as an all-rounder.

“We’ve gone with Lawrence as we feel he gives us our strongest batting line-up. We feel he’s an advanced, better player than he was when he last played for England.”

Bethell injured his right knee during England’s one-day international series win over India, ruling him out of The Hundred, and no timescale was provided for his comeback.

That has opened the door for Cox, who made his long-awaited debut at number seven during England’s 2-1 series loss to New Zealand in June, but he bats at four for Essex and has experience of opening with former county Kent.

“We wouldn’t be putting this guy at three if we didn’t feel he was capable to fulfil that role,” North said. “He’s got plenty of character about him, he’s a huge competitor and quietly confident.”

Pope made way for Bethell last winter during another torturous Ashes series, where he averaged a fraction over 20 in three Tests, but his fine form for Surrey this year plus his experience in a squad lacking seniority has seen him brought back.

Carse also returns after a hand injury that has sidelined him since the end of the Ashes where he was England’s leading wicket-taker and he is one of seven seamers, alongside Cook, capped once against Zimbabwe last summer, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Ollie Robinson and Matthew Fisher.

North confirmed Robinson’s partner is due to give birth in the next “seven to 10 days” that could place doubts over his involvement in the first Test, which starts three days after the end of The Hundred.

“We might have some bowlers playing a final on Sunday and the Test starts on Wednesday,” North said. “But we’ve got all bases covered.”

New head coach Stephen Fleming has had some input into the squad even though he does not takes charge until this winter, with Marcus Trescothick overseeing the Pakistan series on an interim basis.

“We’ve got to make sure our selection and our philosophy is aligned with Stephen,” North said. “It would make no sense for us to move forward through this series and be contradictive to where Stephen sees us as a team moving forward.

“He was very much a part of all the meetings and discussions and contributed where need be.”

England squad for first two Tests against Pakistan: J Root (captain), J Archer, G Atkinson, S Bashir, H Brook, B Carse, S Cook, J Cox, B Duckett, M Fisher, E Gay, D Lawrence, O Pope, O Robinson, J Smith, J Tongue.

Surrey duo Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence have been recalled to the England squad for the first two Tests against Pakistan.

The pair have been named in a 16-man squad before the series opener at Headingley on Wednesday 19 August but Jacob Bethell will miss the entire series through injury, with Jordan Cox to be promoted to number three.

The three-match series marks England’s first Test outing since the retirement of captain Ben Stokes and sacking of head coach Brendon McCullum.

Joe Root will captain the side for the first time since being reappointed to the role in July, with Marcus Trescothick serving as interim head coach. McCullum’s replacement, Stephen Fleming, will begin his tenure against South Africa in December.

———————————————————

England’s 16-man squad for the first two Tests against Pakistan: Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.

———————————————————

Lawrence, who earned the last of his 14 Test caps in September 2024, is rewarded for his domestic form. The 29-year-old is the second-highest run-scorer in Division One of the County Championship, with 788 runs at 65.66, including five centuries, in 13 innings.

He is slated to bat at six, filling a middle-order vacancy created by Stokes’ retirement, but is far from a like-for-like replacement for the former captain.

Only Gus Atkinson (79 wickets) has taken more Test wickets for England than Stokes (78) since the start of June 2022. Lawrence, who bowls right-arm off-spin, has taken nine wickets from 178.2 overs in the County Championship this season.

There is no place in the squad for Sam Curran or Rehan Ahmed, who had both been tipped to replace Stokes.

“We have selected a squad for the first two Tests that balances rising talent with the experience needed against a quality Pakistan team,” said England’s men’s national selector, Marcus North.

“Sam Curran is a player of real value and interest in terms of that role. He’s had a heavy summer workload and he’s been playing at the highest level with a number of niggles and we don’t feel he’s quite right at the moment for this Test squad.

“Rehan has done nothing wrong – he’s someone we highly regard. At this stage we felt that going in with what we see as our best six batters with Smudge [Jamie Smith] at seven is key. That’s why Lawrence has got the nod at six.”

Former vice-captain Pope was replaced by Bethell at number three for the final two Ashes Tests in Australia following an extended period of poor form and was subsequently dropped from the squad against New Zealand.

Like Lawrence, he has performed well in the County Championship, scoring 510 runs at 56.66, including five 50+ knocks, for Surrey, but will not automatically slot back into the side in Bethell’s absence.

Bethell suffered a knee injury during the ODI series against India in July and is set to be replaced by Cox, who made his Test debut against New Zealand at The Oval.

Essex’s Sam Cook returns to the squad for the first time since last summer. The 29-year-old seamer made his international debut against Zimbabwe in May 2025 and was named in the squad for the five-match series against India but did not feature.

Brydon Carse returns after a broken wrist ruled him out of the Indian Premier League and the start of the Test summer while England are sticking with spinner Shoaib Bashir, who featured in the first and third Tests against New Zealand after being overlooked during the Ashes.

North also confirmed new head coach Fleming was involved in selecting the squad despite not taking over the role formally until after the Pakistan series.

“Stephen Fleming was involved in a lot of discussions,” said North. “I think that was really important.

“Certainly from my perspective, as soon as he got appointed, I reached out and we had long conversations. It was important that our selection reflects the strategy and thinking long term moving into the winter when Stephen takes over the team.”

North was also asked about the prospect of former captain Stokes reversing his international retirement.

“Ben made the decision to retire and it’s great to see him playing well and enjoying his cricket at Durham,” he said.

“But until he reverses that decision and does become available for selection my job is to look at the players that are, and make sure that we become a strong, competitive England cricket team and work our way up those Test world rankings.”

The Carabao Cup first round takes place across four days this week, with a number of Premier League clubs in action on Sky Sports and ITV

Sky Sports and ITV are poised to deliver comprehensive coverage to football supporters this weekend as the Carabao Cup first round commands attention – and there’s certainly no lack of intriguing narratives.

Running from Thursday right through to Sunday, the opening round includes sides from the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two, with the fixtures representing the first competitive club football of the new campaign.

In terms of other local sides, Stockport County host Doncaster Rovers on Saturday while Salford entertain Shrewsbury at the same time. Rochdale make the trip to Bradford City, Bolton travel to Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan head to Barnsley. While Oldham have one of the ties of the round as they head to Stoke City on Saturday.

The match expected to draw the widest viewership, though, is Friday evening’s encounter between Middlesbrough and Wrexham. The fixture – featuring a Championship club against the Hollywood-backed side – will be shown live on ITV1 alongside Sky Sports, providing it with the broadest audience of any game this weekend.

Apart from that headline tie, all other fixtures will be screened live on Sky Sports+, guaranteeing fans can track every single outcome as it unfolds throughout what looks set to be an action-packed and thrilling weekend of football.

Discounted 26/27 Sky Sports Premier League Bundle

£49

£35

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky’s Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season with more than 1,400 live games across the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.

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Every subscription now comes with 135 channels alongside free subscriptions to HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu.

How to watch the new season on Sky Sports

Football enthusiasts can catch all the opening fixtures and more throughout the new season with Sky TV’s Essential TV package, which includes Sky Sports from £35 per month with no upfront fees. The package provides access to Sky Stream, Netflix and Sky Sports, though it should be noted that a minimum 24-month contract applies and prices may be subject to change during this period.

With this package, supporters can enjoy at least 215 live Premier League matches and over 1,000 EFL games – including all the Carabao Cup fixtures – as well as a dedicated F1 channel and coverage of all the major golf tournaments.

Fans may also wish to add TNT Sports to their package for an additional £25 per month – fixed for 24 months – granting instant access to Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League action. European football kicks off almost immediately, with Aston Villa’s UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG on Wednesday, August 12.

TNT Sports will also broadcast selected Premier League matches on TV and its new streaming platform HBO Max, with the broadcaster typically holding rights to one game per gameweek. Hull vs Manchester United is the first fixture to be screened next season.

A separate TNT Sports subscription is required to watch its coverage, which is priced at £30.99 via HBO Max or Prime Video’s TNT Sports channel. Additional packages are also on offer, including the Ultimate TV bundle from only £24 per month, featuring HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, Hayu and 135 live channels.

Sky Sports can be included for a further £20 monthly, with identical 24-month contract terms applicable.

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Below is the complete fixture list showing how to watch every Carabao Cup first round tie:.

Thursday, August 6.

Bristol City vs Millwall – 7:30pm – Sky Sports+.

Friday, August 7.

Wolves vs Port Vale – 7:45pm – Sky Sports+.

Wycombe Wanderers vs Stevenage – 7:45pm – Sky Sports+.

Middlesbrough vs Wrexham – 8pm – ITV1 / Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football.

Saturday, August 8.

Cambridge United vs Barnet – 1pm – Sky Sports+.

QPR vs Millwall – 2pm – Sky Sports+.

AFC Wimbledon vs Newport County – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Barnsley vs Wigan Athletic – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Bradford City vs Rochdale – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Bristol Rovers vs Peterborough United – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Bromley vs Reading – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Burnley vs Notts County – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Burton Albion vs Blackburn Rovers – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Cardiff City vs Swindon Town – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Crewe Alexandra vs Accrington Stanley – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Derby County vs Lincoln City – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Fleetwood Town vs Chesterfield – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Gillingham vs Luton Town – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Grimsby Town vs Blackpool – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Leicester City vs Northampton Town – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Leyton Orient vs Oxford United – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Norwich City vs MK Dons – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Preston North End vs Huddersfield Town – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Salford City vs Shrewsbury Town – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Bolton Wanderers – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Stockport County vs Doncaster Rovers – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Stoke City vs Oldham Athletic – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Swansea City vs Birmingham City – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Watford vs Crawley Town – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

West Ham vs Portsmouth – 3pm – Sky Sports+.

Cheltenham Town vs Charlton Athletic – 5:30pm – Sky Sports+.

Colchester United vs Southampton – 5:30pm – Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football.

Rotherham United vs West Brom – 5:30pm – Sky Sports+.

Sunday, August 9.

Mansfield Town vs Sheffield United – 4pm – Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football.

Monday, August 10.

Plymouth Argyle v Exeter City – 8pm – Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football

Gilas Pilipinas Women coach BT Toews during training. –SBP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines– New Gilas Pilipinas Women coach BT Toews has big ambitions for the team, yet he knows that it won’t take overnight for that to become a reality.

“We have high goals and we want to win every game we play. And we’ll take it one game at a time,” Toews said when he met members of the media on a rainy Thursday afternoon.

It comes ahead of his Gilas debut, which would be the Fiba Women’s Pre-Olympic Qualifier in Guadalajara, Mexico from Aug. 17 and 23 followed by next month’s Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Toews is more than two months removed from taking the helm, with a goal of setting higher standards after a decade of success under coach Pat Aquino.

The 60-year-old Canadian accepted the role offered by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, hoping that he can bring the success he had in Japan.

He carries credentials of having steered the Fujitsu Red Wave to consecutive Women’s Japan Basketball League and Empress Cup doubles in 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.

“Of all the offers I had in Asia to coach national teams, I thought that the Philippines, the women’s, was a team that had a really high ceiling,” Toews said.

“[It’s] not just because of what happened in the last few years with Coach Pat and the success they had, but if things could be changed not just on the court, but off the court, I thought that the Philippines could really get to the top tier and be a perennial contender.”

Gilas is set to leave for Las Vegas this weekend for a camp before heading to Mexico for the competition where the Philippines will compete in Group B.

Toews and Gilas will take on Canada, Senegal and host Mexico, with the top two teams advancing to the semifinals.

Jack Animam, Kacey dela Rosa and Vanessa de Jesus headline Toews’ roster, which also has veterans Afril Bernardino and Janine Pontejos plus lefty guard Sophia Dignadice.

The rest of the team is composed of Tin Cayabyab, Monique del Carmen, Jhaz Joson, Camille Malagar, Louna Ozar, Kent Pastrana, Ann Pingol, Tiffany Reyes, Alyssa Rodriguez, Jay Salon and Angel Surada.

The Division Resurgence can keep you busy with lots of activities, but when you’re not shooting bad guys, you’re mostly looking out for loot. And the best way to get some is to unlock safes scattered across the map. These safes can provide you with crafting materials, consumables, gear, and mods.

Most of the safes have the same codes, but finding them can be a hassle. To make things easy, we’ve listed the locations and codes for all safes in The Division Resurgence. Unlock them to get a head start and complete related achievements.

Every safe location with codes in The Division Resurgence

Safe #1

From the Laundry room exit of Lazarus Rest safehouse, head left towards the main road. Find the building facing the main road with a yellow generator and stairs inside the entrance. Head upstairs and, on the first floor, you’ll see a small safe. To unlock it, use the code 0616.

Safe #2 and #3

For the next safe, take the exit beside the laundry room, head right and then left to reach the main street. Walk past the 4-way intersection and look for school buses to your right. Take the stairs up the building to find a blue safe. Open Code Clue 11 in your Cryptic Clues menu to find the code for this safe; it is different for each player.

Head right from Safe #2 to find a door leading into the building. Look for a cubicle surrounded by notice boards with a code and the safe near the wall. The code for this safe is 7723.

Safe #4

Head to the top side of the map and look for a skyscraper on the street that divides Clinton and Times Square. As you head inside, look for the safe on the left side of the counter near a small Christmas tree. Use code 0115 to unlock it and get its contents.

Safe #5

Head to the bar at the Autumn’s Hope safehouse and look for the safe on the right side. To open it, use code 1883. It’s the same year the bar opened, and it’s written under its name.

Safe #6

From the exit or Dante’s Run safehouse in Hell’s Kitchen, take a right to reach the main lobby. Find the safe behind the counter. The code to unlock it is 7716 and is written on a poster on the pillar nearby.

Safe #7

In the Hell’s Kitchen area, head to the flyovers that connect it to the Hudson Yard area. There, look for the safe near the end of a road down the slope. The code for this safe is 1845, spray-tagged on the wall.

Safe #8

Head to the southern entrance of Times Square and look for a small police station. The safe is near an investigation board with the code written on it. Use 1450 to unlock the safe or whatever numbers you see on the board.

Safe #9

From the Kerman Station, take the door beside the exit to enter another room. The safe is in front of the lockers beside chairs and tables. Find the code 7069 written on a sticky note on the board near the lockers.

Safe #10

On the map where the flyovers end, you’ll find a trainyard. Head down on the tracks and look for the safe in one of the abandoned train cars. To unlock it, use the code 1124.

Safe #11

Head to the Spring Blossom settlement in the Garment District. Take the grapple to the top, then head up the stairs to the office on the right. The safe is among the wooden cupboards, and its code, 3580, is written on the blackboard.

Safe #12

Reach the Cavern safehouse and find the safe near the only glowing light on the wall near the ladder. Use 9363 to unlock it. You can also find the code in Code Clue 08.

Safe #13

Outside the Cavern safehouse, travel to a 4-way intersection to find an open building. Head up the stairs to the second floor and enter the open apartment. Find the safe in a bedroom and unlock it with code 0115.

Safe #14

This safe is inside the NYC Base of Operations in the Pennsylvania Plaza. Head to the bunk beds area with various vendors and find code 1350 on a blackboard. The safe is near one of the beds beside a locker.

Safe #15

From outside the NYC Base of Operations, head inside the supermarket. The safe is under a board with a Wine advertisement. The code for it is 1987, the same year as the one written on the Wine advert.

Safe #16

In front of the supermarket, there’s a coffee shop. Head inside and find the safe under a poster near a sofa. The code for it is 1122, also written on the poster for the shop on the wall.

Safe #17

Travel southeast from the base of operations to find a tent near the neon board with “PARK” written on it. The area is swarming with enemies, so take them out first. Use code 1105 to unlock the safe inside the tent.

Safe #18

From the tent with Safe #17, find an alley on the right side that’ll take you to the other side of the street. Take another right and look for a laptop store on the left. The safe is near the counter, and its code is 1762.

Safe #19

On the far east of the NYC Base of Operations, past the Pennsylvania Plaza (in the Garment District), you can find a statue of a man holding a book. The safe is on the right side of the statue, just past the NPCs. The code for it is written on the cover of the book MMX, which translates to 2010.

Safe #20

Head back to the street where the statue is facing and take a right. Enter the first building past Fitness and Gym, and find an open locker. Inside, you’ll find the code 0078 that’ll unlock the safe near the garbage dumpster.

Safe #21

The final safe is on the far east side of Tenderloin. This one is inside a restaurant near an intersection near the Furniture Store. Find it just outside the kitchen and use the code 0123 to unlock it.

Check out other guides for The Division Resurgence: