Australia’s Ashes squad features just one player under the age of 30.

Australia’s Ashes squad for the upcoming Test series against England has sparked debate due to its age profile — with only one player under 30, 26-year-old all-rounder Cameron Green. Chief selector George Bailey defended the selection, saying the team’s experienced players have earned their spots through consistent performance and deserve “respect.” He questioned critics, including former captain Steve Waugh, who claimed Bailey lacked the “appetite” for tough decisions to refresh the side.

Notably absent from the 15-man lineup for the opening Test in Perth on 21 November is 20-year-old opener Sam Konstas, dropped for the second time in a year. Marnus Labuschagne returns, while Jake Weatherald earns his first call-up. Pat Cummins remains sidelined with a back injury, leaving Steve Smith to captain the team once again. Veterans Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Scott Boland are expected to lead the pace attack, supported by Nathan Lyon, 37, as the lone specialist spinner.

Australia, the current Ashes holders, will face an England side that has managed just one series win down under since 2010-11. The five-Test contest begins in Perth and concludes on 8 January, with the Australians aiming to prove that experience still triumphs over youth.

Court told Massa’s 2008 title loss came from errors, not ‘Crashgate’.

Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa has claimed in court that he lost the 2008 Formula 1 world title because of a “conspiracy” linked to the infamous ‘Crashgate’ scandal. However, lawyers for Bernie Ecclestone, Formula 1, and the FIA argue that it was Massa’s and Ferrari’s own mistakes — not the deliberate crash — that cost him the championship. During the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, where Renault’s Nelson Piquet Jr intentionally hit the wall to bring out a safety car, Massa was leading until Ferrari’s pit stop error saw him drive off with a fuel hose still attached, dropping him from first place to outside the points.

Massa, now 44, attended the High Court in London as he seeks around £64 million plus interest in damages. His legal team argues that new evidence emerged in 2023 after Ecclestone told F1 Insider that he and then-FIA president Max Mosley knew at the time that Piquet’s crash was deliberate but chose not to act to “protect the sport.” Massa says he was “massively shocked” by this revelation and insists he only then had grounds to sue. In his witness statement, he added that even his former Ferrari boss Jean Todt suspected the crash was intentional back in 2008, but those concerns were dismissed.

Ecclestone’s lawyer David Quest countered that the case should be dismissed because Massa could have pursued legal action years ago. He emphasized that “Massa performed very poorly” in the race and that errors by Ferrari were decisive, not Piquet’s actions. Ecclestone, who recently turned 95, has also stated he does not recall giving the 2023 interview.

The Singapore race, later revealed as manipulated, became one of Formula 1’s biggest scandals. Piquet’s confession in 2009 led to bans for Renault officials Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, while Fernando Alonso, who won that race, was cleared of wrongdoing. Massa went on to win his home race in Brazil three rounds later, but Lewis Hamilton’s late overtake of Timo Glock on the final lap secured the championship by a single point — a title Massa believes was unfairly taken from him.

McKibbin books Masters debut after stunning Hong Kong Open victory.

Tom McKibbin delivered a stunning performance to win the 2025 Hong Kong Open, finishing at 27 under par to secure his first Masters qualification and a place at The Open. The 22-year-old from Holywood, Northern Ireland, led from start to finish, opening the week with a course record 60 at Fanling and closing with a superb 63 that included eight birdies.

McKibbin, who competes on the LIV Golf Tour and previously won on the European Tour in 2023, described his victory as “pretty special,” adding that it fulfilled a dream he’d had since childhood. “To win a tournament with so much history and set the scoring record means a lot,” he said.

Peter Uihlein finished second on 20 under, while MJ Maguire, Takumi Ikemura, and Louis Oosthuizen shared third on 19 under. The Hong Kong Open, now an elevated International Series event on the Asian Tour backed by LIV Golf, also served as a qualifier for both the 2025 Masters and The Open at Royal Birkdale — adding extra significance to McKibbin’s breakthrough victory.

Tarling and Charlton capture world track cycling golds for Great Britain.

Josh Tarling and Josh Charlton claimed gold medals for Great Britain at the Track World Championships in Chile.

Tarling, 21, delivered Britain’s first gold of the competition with a commanding win in the men’s points race, collecting 750 points over the 40km event to finish ahead of American Peter Moore. After a strong start that saw him score in the early sprints and gain a lap on the field, Tarling went on to secure Britain’s first world title in the event since Jonathan Dibben in 2016. “I didn’t know what to expect from my first Worlds, but it felt pretty good once I got those early points in,” he said.

Charlton, 22, then doubled Britain’s gold count by winning the individual pursuit — the nation’s first in that event since Bradley Wiggins in 2008 — finishing more than three seconds clear of Denmark’s Rasmus Pederson.

Elsewhere, Joe Truman earned bronze in the men’s 1km time trial, matching his result from last year, while Katie Archibald took silver in the women’s elimination race. Britain’s tally rose to seven medals overall after three days of competition, reflecting a strong showing across both men’s and women’s events.

Will the stars finally align for Wightman at Glasgow 2026?

World 1500m silver medallist Jake Wightman says “the stars are aligning” for a final push toward Commonwealth Games gold when the event returns to Glasgow in 2026.

The 31-year-old, who battled back from injury to claim silver in Tokyo two years after winning the 2022 world title, has been named among the first athletes in Team Scotland. Wightman and fellow Scot Neil Gourley are pre-selected for the reinstated mile race at Scotstoun Stadium, while Megan Keith will compete in the 10,000m.

After taking bronze in both the 2018 Gold Coast and 2022 Birmingham Games, Wightman is determined to “upgrade” his medal collection in what will likely be his final appearance for Scotland. “I definitely want to try to win it,” he told BBC Sport Scotland. “It feels like everything’s come together at the right time — not just for me but for a lot of Scottish athletes.”

The Glasgow Games hold extra significance for Wightman, who made his Commonwealth debut there in 2014 as a student. Now, he will likely face familiar rivals, including training partner Neil Gourley and double Olympic medallist Josh Kerr, in what he expects to be one of the standout races of the championships. “We’ve raced at Scotstoun since we were kids — the home crowd could give us that little extra edge,” he said.

And if Wightman does cross the line first, he may reprise his famous “See You, Jimmy” bunnet celebration. “It’s still my phone wallpaper,” he laughed. “For me, it’s about celebrating being Scottish — I learned to run here, and hearing ‘Flower of Scotland’ next summer would mean everything.”

Aston Martin avoid penalty for 'minor' rule breach

Aston Martin have been found in minor breach of Formula 1’s cost-cap regulations after submitting their 2024 financial documentation late — but were cleared of any overspending.

The delay occurred when an external company representative responsible for signing the final papers was unwell ahead of the 31 March 2025 deadline. The FIA confirmed that Aston Martin’s accounts were complete at the time and the team stayed within the $135m (£106m) spending limit.

While no penalty was issued, Aston Martin must cover the FIA’s costs related to preparing the “accepted breach agreement.” In a statement, the governing body described the infraction as “a very minor procedural breach” caused by “unpredictable circumstances outside the team’s control,” adding that the team “did not gain or seek to gain any advantage.”

All other teams and engine manufacturers were found to be fully compliant with the cost cap. Separately, Aston Martin announced that American driver Jak Crawford will become the team’s third driver in 2026, serving as reserve for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll at every grand prix.