Borussia Dortmund promoted U.S. teenager Giovanni Reyna to their first team on Wednesday.

Dortmund signed the 17-year-old attacking midfielder from New York City FC in July. Since then he's scored eight goals in 16 games for Dortmund's Under-19 team across all competitions.

Reyna is the son of former U.S. internationals Claudio Reyna and Danielle Egan Reyna.

The teenager was named to a Bundesliga matchday squad for the first time in December, when he was an unused substitute in a 5-0 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf.

Mexico and Monterrey defender Jesus Gallardo has been suspended for two games by Liga MX for using an anti-gay slur during celebrations of Monterrey's 2019 Apertura title last month in Estadio Azteca.

After Monterrey defeated Club America on penalties to lift the title, Gallardo danced around the pitch after the final whistle and was caught on camera singing an anti-Club America chant with explicit anti-gay overtones.

The league announced an investigation on Jan. 4 and then this week confirmed that Gallarado will be suspended for the club's first two games of the 2020 Clausura and will have to pay an unspecified economic penalty due to his "inappropriate celebrations."

Gallardo sent a tweet saying "Ni modo" -- loosely translated as "whatever" -- shortly after the punishment was announced, but he later deleted it.

The issue of anti-gay chanting has been ongoing in Mexican soccer, with Mexico's football federation and Liga MX cracking down on the controversial goalkeeper chant that FIFA has ruled anti-gay.

The league and federation implemented a three-step strategy similar to that of FIFA, with both fearful of not making Qatar 2022 if it occurs regularly during World Cup qualifying.

Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman dyed his hair rainbow colors for last Saturday's draw with Atletico San Luis and sent a message of equality on social media.

"Year 2020 on Planet Earth," wrote the Argentine. "Cases of homophobic discrimination are still present in our society and football isn't the exception. Understanding our enormous social diversity and advancing rights for inclusion is everybody's responsibility."

Liverpool face the prospect of going a month without Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane when the Africa Cup Of Nations returns in 2021.

The 2021 African Cup of Nations is moving back to a January-February slot in the congested global football calendar, a switch likely to be unpopular with European clubs.

Other players affected could include Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Naby Keita, Wilfred Ndidi, Riyad Mahrez, Serge Aurier and Wilfried Zaha.

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Cameroon's Football Association announced on Wednesday they will be hosting the competition in 2021, with proceedings beginning on Jan. 9 and wrapping up on Feb. 6 to avoid the country's rainy season.

The entirety of the tournament takes place during the Premier League season and will likely be unpopular with clubs, who have long objected to the mandatory release of their players in the middle of the domestic league seasons.

Liverpool would stand to lose star forwards Mane of Senegal and Salah of Egypt, the past two African players of the year.

Hosts Egypt exited in the round of 16, while Senegal finished runners-up to Algeria in the most recent tournament, but Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was spared the sort of selection headache that he will face next year, because the tournament took place during the summer break.

The influential European Club Association has been part of talks with FIFA to move toward coordinating all continental championships in the European offseason.

FIFA's revamped Club World Cup competition also kicks off in June 2021, with a 24-team lineup including Liverpool set to play in China.

Moving the 2021 African Cup of Nations clears a competing tournament from the calendar and avoids a clash for African players at top European clubs.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Christian Pulisic is still in the phase in his career when each year is the Biggest Of His Life, and 2020 is looking no different.

Having successfully navigated his initial foray into the Premier League, the U.S. international is now facing the challenge of achieving even more consistency with club side Chelsea, even as manager Frank Lampard begins bringing in reinforcements in January.

Stateside, there's no shortage of challenges, either. While the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League concludes in June, World Cup qualifying -- set to begin in September -- looms over everything. The failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup is still casting a shadow over the U.S. men's program and Pulisic knows, more than anyone else, that the U.S. has a score to settle within the region.

Pulisic is making the media rounds after being named a brand ambassador for Chipotle (his commute to the nearest franchise is now 30 minutes, considerably shorter than it was in Germany). But as ESPN found out while sitting down with the American, he remains focused on all manner of challenges for both club and country.

ESPN: What are your thoughts on what 2020 has in store for the U.S. men's national team?

CP: I'm really excited for it. You know, this Nations League is a cool, new thing now that we can go and have a nice competition that we can play in. We're going to go, and we're gonna try to win it. And with qualifying just around the corner, I'm really excited to get right into that, and I want to secure our spot and, you know, just do the best that we can.

How tough has Gregg Berhalter's system been to absorb?

[Berhalter] definitely has an idea in mind of how he wants us to play, and I think he hasn't been able to see what exactly that is. Obviously, there's been times where it doesn't come off perfectly. We have games where we struggled or couldn't get results. But I think it's a process, and I think you can also see moments where you say, "Wow, they played really well, and there were really good moments there." I think with time, it's really gonna pay off, and I think you guys are going to continue to see that this year.

Should the team play out of the back or be more pragmatic?

We've tried to play out of the back a lot. And I think it's a really good style. But I think definitely even the best teams in the world that play that style have moments when there are times to go long. So of course, you want to find a balance, but you know, we want to be a team that has the ball a lot because it really is tough on other teams.

How would you rate the team's progress?

CP: I'm happy with it. I mean, you know, moving on out of that group in the Nations League, I think we've done our job. I think we've had some good performances. The Gold Cup, there was a lot of positives that we took out of it. So I think I'm happy with it. Like I said, I'm really looking forward to these Nations League games. We want to go, and we want to win, and we want to go into qualifying very confident and take care of business.

How would you describe the first six months at Chelsea?

You know, everyone says I'm going to go into the Premier League, it's a big change, it's tough. It's a league where there's definitely a lot of games, a lot of stuff going on, and it wasn't easy for me at the beginning, of course. I think I'm really proud of how I pushed through things and then I got my opportunity, and I felt I was playing very well recently, and I'm proud. It's been great. I've been enjoying it so much. You know, the football culture here is amazing, and I'm really happy, and I'm so excited to finish off the season strong.

What, if any, surprises have there been?

I just think the wear it has on your body. I think the biggest thing I've learned is just making sure that you keep your body right, and you gotta really work on that because there's so many games. There's a lot of stuff involved. You've got to make sure that you're healthy and ready to go all the time.

I remember talking to Landon Donovan about the Premier League, and he said it was physical in a way that was impossible for someone on the outside to appreciate. Did that surprise you at all?

Physically, I don't think it's anything crazy. It definitely is a tough league. There's a lot of games, and it is physical at times, but I don't think it's impossible. But like I said, I'm doing my best, and I know I'm trying to get used to it and make sure that my body is ready for every game.

Is there anything specific that you tweaked in your regimen to try to make sure that happens?

Nothing super-specific. I think it's just going that extra mile for regeneration after games, doing the right things, eating right and just making sure that you're ready to go.

What has been the biggest difference between Dortmund and Chelsea?

I think just the soccer culture here is what I've noticed. It means so much to these people, just in the country in general, just how your team is doing, so I think that's probably the biggest thing I've noticed. Not to say that's the case in Dortmund because that was some of the most passionate fans I've ever seen, but just the culture of the whole country, what this game means even around the holidays. Everyone's always talking about football. That's definitely impressive.

You mentioned the holidays, and obviously the games come quickly during that time. Did the intensity and rapidity of games during that period surprise you at all?

Obviously, it's my first time kind of experiencing it, but it's to be expected. People have told me and people say, "Be ready." So I was expecting it. It was nothing that threw me off.

Do you feel more famous in London? Do you get recognized more than in Germany?

People will recognize me. I play for Chelsea. Like I said, so many people watch it over here. And now I definitely get recognized walking around the city at times, but I'm not one to go walking around all the time. So I don't know about feeling famous, but yeah, there's definitely a lot of people that recognize me.

What has the process of adapting to the Premier League been like, especially when you were struggling in September?

I've just been trying to learn every day, man. I mean, I'm still learning. It's my first season now, kind of halfway through, so I'm just kind of learning to take it day by day, game by game and just focusing on the next opponent and just getting ready and healthy for the next game because it's always right around the corner. It's just a lot of competition, I think, in every game, within your team, and for every game, it's just been great learning from some of my teammates. And yeah, just being here in London, I'm just kind of taking it all in.

Are there any teammates in particular who helped you navigate through things?

So many of them, guys like [Cesar] Azpilicueta, Jorginho. They're really good guys who have been here, and they've helped me out and talked me through things. It's nice to have some experienced players to help you.

You had a period when you were out of the lineup. You did at Dortmund, too, but how difficult was it to go through that at your new club and manage the expectations for this season?

I didn't expect to come here right away and have everything be perfect and come straight in and, you know, score 10 goals in my first game. I came in, and I wanted to do that right away -- of course, everyone does. But I came in, and it was realistic, and I wanted to continue to earn my position. The beginning, it wasn't always easy, and I wasn't always in the lineup, but I just kept working. I put my head down, and I just kept telling myself, "My time will come." When you do that, and you just keep working, it does [happen]. I was really happy with kind of how things went.

How gratifying was it to push through that period?

I mean, it was amazing. You can imagine that feeling of not relief, but all the hard work paying off, and everything that's led up to that moment. Like you said, not being [in] a lineup, coming in and getting an opportunity and then getting to score three goals in the Premier League, and it's just kind of a dream come true. So, yeah, I just want to have more moments like that.

You scored some goals with your head, which I don't think I'd seen you do before. Is that something you're working on, or is that something that just happened?

I think I've always had decent timing when it comes to heading, but it's not something I specifically worked on. It's not one of my strengths, but we always worked on finishing, and when it comes to your head, that's what you practice. I don't know if I'd say it's random, but it's something that I'm just going to continue to work on here and there, and it will be nice to score on some headers.

What has it been like playing under Frank Lampard at Chelsea, and what's the best piece of advice he's given you?

Him being a former player, I've watched him a lot and obviously respected him so much as a player. Now to have him as a manager has been good, and I've just been taking it all in and learning, kind of seeing what he has and what he offers to this team. It's been fun to work with a lot of these young players as well. So I think it's been a really good mix. He's told me to just keep enjoying it and be myself.

Lampard mentioned that you had a hip/groin injury. What's the prognosis on that, and how are you progressing?

It's been almost a week, and I'm just kind of taking it day by day. I'm just rehabbing every day. I'm doing my best to be back in the next week, the next couple weeks. I don't think it should be too long, so I'm just working every day, doing everything I can to be back on the pitch.

Lampard has made no secret that he plans to bring in reinforcements [in January] now that their transfer ban has lifted. What are your thoughts on that?

It's normal. That's what happens in teams. The transfer window, players might leave, players can come in. You just work with the team that you've got, and there's always going to be competition, so you're just ready.

AB de Villiers is set to play in at least one of South Africa's T20 series before the T20 World Cup, where he is expected to make an international comeback. De Villiers, who retired in May 2018, and long-time friend and current T20 captain Faf du Plessis have been in talks since before Mark Boucher took over as head coach about the possibility of de Villiers playing at the tournament. Now, they only need to sort out some of the finer details of de Villiers' reintroduction to the national side.

"We spoke about it, and I was very keen to have him back. That was even before the new coaching staff was on board," du Plessis said. "Then it was the process of what does the next year look like in terms of T20 cricket -- how many games; where, when, what? And then trying to unfold that in a way that we can get him back. He's keen to come do that I don't know when. I can't give you that answer yet because that decision hasn't been taken. But there would be a series we would like to get him back to play."

South Africa are due to play 11 T20Is before the World Cup (three each against England and Australia at home in February and five against West Indies in August) which leaves plenty of opportunities for de Villiers to play in-between his other commitments. He is currently playing for the Brisbane Heat at the Big Bash, which ends four days before the first T20 against England. De Villiers will also play at the IPL, which does not clash with any South African fixtures.

The advantage of having de Villiers in the team is obvious, but South Africa have turned him down before. When de Villiers made himself available to play in the 2019 fifty-over World Cup on the eve of the squad announcement, South Africa's selection panel decided it was too late to make room for him. News of de Villiers' offer broke after South Africa had already lost their first three matches.They went on to lose two matches to become the first team to be eliminated and recorded their worst-ever World Cup performance. They do not want to make the same mistake at the T20 World Cup, which is also likely to be du Plessis' swansong.

South Africa's squad is far from confirmed but du Plessis wants to start finding a blueprint as soon as possible and getting them used to each other's playing styles. "In an ideal world we would like to try and make sure that we can play our best 11, 12 or 13 players for a few games or series together leading up to the T20 World Cup," du Plessis said. "A learning curve for me with the 50-over World Cup last year was that we never had the combinations we were looking for. As a new coach, Ottis Gibson didn't know a lot of the players. There was a search for a lot of layers and finding combinations. If I could do that over again, I would try and settle into the combinations a little earlier so the guys can play as many games as possible together."

Not only was the fifty-over World Cup squad dogged by uncertainty, but it was also plagued by injury. Dale Steyn was included despite carrying a shoulder injury and did not play a game before being sent home, Lungi Ngidi missed crucial matches with a hamstring injury and Hashim Amla was concussed in the first match and missed the next two. Steyn has since staked a claim for inclusion in the T20 World Cup with strong performances in the Mzansi Super League and Big Bash and could bowl alongside Ngidi, who is currently recovering from another hamstring niggle. Amla has retired, leaving a gap at the top of the order which de Villiers could fill. If all that comes together, South Africa could have some big names as they look to break their major trophy drought.

Rajshahi Royals 165 for 8 (Russell 54*, Sukkur 45) beat Chattogram Challengers 164 for 9 (Gayle 60, Nawaz 2-13) by two wickets

Andre Russell blew away Chattogram Challengers at the final hurdle, dragging Rajshahi Royals to the BPL final after a thrilling two-wicket win in the second qualifier. The match ended when Russell slammed Asela Gunaratne's no-ball for a six over midwicket, the seventh of his 21-ball unbeaten half-century.

Russell, who said ahead of the tournament that he preferred the BPL to the Big Bash League, delivered right when it mattered, winning it with four balls and only two wickets to spare. That the margin was so close indicated how the match wasn't really shaping up to go Rajshahi's way until the West Indian's intervention.

Malik leaves too much for Russell

With his side in need of quick runs, Shoaib Malik's 14 off 22 balls was a strange little innings. He was first playing a supportive role to Irfan Sukkur, who was striking the ball fairly well during his stay, but even when he made 45 off 42 balls with the six fours, Malik had to take control of the situation. Instead, he continued to mistime the ball, and ended up caught top-edging a sweep off Ziaur Rahman, leaving Russell to make the bulk of the remaining 85 runs to win, off just 40 balls.

But no chase is too much for Russell

The match turned in the 17th over when Rayad Emrit, despite his two wickets in the over, went for 20 runs. Rubel Hossain pinned down Russell in the following over with four dot balls, but Russell still struck a six off the last ball.

Then came the big over when young Mehedi Hasan Rana, so impressive in the league phase and leading into this over, went for 23 runs. Russell slammed two sixes and a four, before tail-ender Abu Jayed edged one more four to leave eight off the last over. Crucially, Russell would be on strike.

Russell seals the deal

Gunaratne bowled wide of the crease from around the wicket to cramp Russell, but after two decent attempts, he bowled a wide ball, and then mistakenly got one in his slot. Russell slammed it out of the ground, and the umpire signaled a no-ball, as the Rajshahi players belatedly ran to the pitch to greet their captain for the magnanimous effort.

Mehedi twists, turns and hits

But the match wasn't going that badly for Mehedi, or Chattogram. After Afif Hossain holed out in the deep square-leg boundary, Liton Das became the marked man. But he didn't last long either, as Mehedi ran him out with an athletic swoop.

After Liton inside edged one on to his pads, he called for the run with the ball not too far from the pitch itself. Rana got quickly to the ball, turned and threw down the stumps at the non-striker's end with Liton well short of the crease. It is likely that Liton didn't expect Rana to do the tougher job of affecting the direct hit on the turn, but it was an excellent effort from the young pace bowler.

Gayle sets the pace

A single fifty in his last 17 innings may have worried T20 promoters around the world but Chris Gayle put some of it to rest with a blazing half-century. He struck five sixes and six fours in his 24-ball 60, giving Chattogram the perfect start. There was the usual Gayle flicks and hoicks, which brought the half-filled stadium alive, as well as the deft touches, and at times a quick single. All part of the Gayle package.

Chattogram dip mid innings

With Gayle at the crease, Chattogram flew into the nineties in the 10th over, but the moment Afif snuck one through his slog, Chattogram had to recalibrate their approach. That, however, couldn't happen with Mohammad Nawaz removing Mahmudullah and Nurul Hasan in the following over, before Liton took a brilliant catch at short midwicket to get rid of Chadwick Walton.

But this was a long time ago in the game. Russell's power made sure all these efforts from Chattogram fell well short when it really mattered.

Hamish Bennett, who last played for New Zealand in 2017, has been called up to the T20I squad for the five-match series against India that starts on January 24. Bennett has played one Test and 16 ODIs, with his last match for New Zealand being an ODI against Bangladesh in Dunedin in May 2017.

Bennett, the right-arm medium pacer, is part of a 14-man squad led by Kane Williamson, and is in line to make his T20I debut with regular pacemen Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson still recovering from injury.

Among those also injured, and therefore not considered for selection, were Matt Henry (left thumb), Tom Latham (right pinky), Seth Rance (achilles), Doug Bracewell (knee), Will Young (right shoulder), and Adam Milne (ankle).

Bennett will man the pace department alongside Tim Southee, Blair Tickner, and Scott Kuggeleijn. Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi are the two spinners.

Selector Gavin Larsen said the call-up was just reward for Bennett's form and perseverance.

"We're delighted to have Hamish back in the fold for what will be a huge series against India," Larsen said. "Over the past few seasons he's consistently been one of the top domestic white-ball bowlers and we've been impressed how he's been able to evolve his game.

"We all know he brings good pace and bounce but it's the clever variations he's added that make him such a well-rounded T20 bowler."

Bennett is currently joint-third highest wicket-taker in this season's T20 Super Smash, with 14 wickets at an average of 18.42 and an economy rate of 7.06.

Williamson, who missed the T20I series against England in November with a hip injury, is back as is Tom Bruce, who will be part of the squad for the last two games, swapping out with Colin de Grandhomme. Bruce will also lead the New Zealand A side in the one-day series against India A.

The other change from the squad that faced England is allrounder Jimmy Neesham, who missed the final two round-robin games of the Super Smash with an injured quad muscle. Neesham has not been included in this T20I squad, and will instead play for New Zealand A in three one-day matches against India A, starting next week. Daryl Mitchell, meanwhile, kept his place in the squad.

Larsen said the squad had been picked keeping in mind the heavy international schedule and the build-up towards the T20 World Cup that takes place later in the year in Australia.

"The next few weeks will be really intense for our elite male cricketers and we're fully aware of the challenges ahead," Larsen said. "We're clearly wanting to win the series in front of us while also considering our wider ICC T20 World Cup campaign plan.

"We see both Daryl and Jimmy as important allrounders in the T20 format. With a travelling squad of just 13 and the need to balance the options for the series, Daryl gets this opportunity against India as a reward for his consistent form for the Blackcaps."

The New Zealand A squad also has a number of players with international experience in Todd Astle, Glenn Phillips, Ajaz Patel, George Worker, and Tom Blundell, who will keep wickets, apart from Neesham.

New Zealand T20I squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Hamish Bennett, Tom Bruce (games 4-5), Colin de Grandhomme (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.

New Zealand A squad: Tom Bruce (capt), Todd Astle, Tom Blundell (wk), Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Ollie Newton, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, George Worker.

It's the expectations that are the problem. If most young cricketers claimed three five-wicket hauls in their first seven Tests, the reports would be glowing. Equally, if most young cricketers achieved a bowling average of 27.40 in that time and showed the skills and maturity to be trusted with the Super Over in the World Cup final a couple of months into their international career, you could think they were doing pretty well. But for one reason or another, more seems to be expected of Jofra Archer.

Look at Sam Curran. He's played 14 Tests and not taken any five-fors. And if that feel like an unfair comparison - Curran is an all-rounder, after all - then compare Archer's record to those of Stuart Broad and James Anderson over a similar period. After seven Tests, Broad had a Test bowling average of 45.33 (with a best of 3 for 54), while Anderson's was 31.57 (with two five-fors and a best of 5 for 73). Even compared to the best of modern England, Archer is flying.

One of the things that has become clear from watching England training in Port Elizabeth over the last few days - and not everyone with the strongest opinions has been doing so - is that Archer is not fully fit. It's not a case of him coasting or England demanding anything unreasonable. It has been a case of them asking him to prove his match fitness and him struggling to do so.

He was significantly slower than Mark Wood on Monday - not 5 or 6mph, but 10 or 20 - and spent much of Wednesday talking to the physio and doctor. After one of the 20 or so deliveries he bowled, Paul Collingwood - one of the assistant coaches - said "Well bowled, Colly" to him; a reference to the gentle pace he was generating. It was said, and taken, in good spirits but it wasn't as inaccurate as you may think. Archer simply did not look match-fit.

In such a scenario, it would not just be unwise but irresponsible to include him in the team for the Port Elizabeth Test. He has a precious skill and he requires careful and sympathetic handling. He is not the first fast bowler to miss a game or two through injury and he will not be the last. Such incidents do not usually precipitate questions about the management of the player or the player's desire for the task. There's not much evidence to suggest they should here, either.

The good thing, from an England perspective, is that they have Mark Wood to come into the side in his place. Wood is probably the one man in England who can bowl at least as quickly as Archer and he has worked hard to earn this opportunity. He has reported some soreness after his exertions on Sunday and Monday and hardly bowled on Wednesday but, as long as he suffers no adverse reaction on Thursday morning, he is likely to be selected ahead of Chris Woakes here. With a bit of luck, Archer and Wood may play together in Johannesburg.

But for all the Tests Wood has missed and all the injuries he's suffered, it's hard to recall an occasion when his desire has ever been questioned. For some reason - and it may simply be that Archer, like David Gower before him, makes the game look so absurdly easy that we set unreasonably high standards for them - Archer seems to face questions over his commitment and his desire. It's far from clear the motivation of all the critics is good.

It's surely relevant, though, that Archer moved to a nation crying out for a fast bowler. Yes, England has had glimpses of fast bowlers in recent times - Devon Malcolm, Andrew Flintoff (who took just four five-fors in his 183-match first-class career), Steve Harmison and Wood for example - but not for many years have they had a man with what appears to be the whole package: the repeatable action; the pace; the skill; the fitness. There were times during the World Cup when he made bowling over 90mph look ludicrously easy.

But it never is. And England's desire to play with their new toy has seen Archer used pretty unsparingly in the first eight months or so of his international career. He was the only man in the World Cup to bowl 100 overs and required a pain-killing injection ahead of the Super Over in the final. He bowled 42 overs in an innings - more than Broad has ever managed in a Test innings - in Mount Maunganui and then heard Joe Root, his captain, suggest "there are certain spells when he can unleash a little more".

To be fair to Root, it's understandable he would want to keep returning to a man of Archer's skill so often. Previous captains used to rely on James Anderson and Graeme Swann in a similar way. But we have, perhaps, been spoiled by Anderson's resilience. He really has been something of a freak. It's better, perhaps, to remember that Swann retired relatively early with an elbow injury.

Comparisons with Anderson probably don't help, either. "He'll never play 150 Tests," a sour-faced England supporter sneered as he watched nets on Wednesday. Well no, he probably won't. But only one fast bowler in history has. If all others are deemed half-hearted failures, we are setting the bar impossibly high.

Root also seems to be learning how to handle his key fast bowler. Ahead of this game, he spoke sensibly of the need to take the long-term view with fitness management and provided another reminder of Archer's relative inexperience. Temper those expectations, was the basic takeaway.

"Jofra is very much at the start of his career and I think managing workloads is important," Root said. "He's played a huge amount of cricket since he's come into the international arena and we've seen a little bit of pushback from his body with that elbow injury.

"He's come into international cricket off the back of some brilliant domestic Twenty20 cricket, in particular. His reputation was made in IPL cricket, Big Bash cricket and performing and excelling in that. He came into Test cricket already with a reputation on a standard of Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad. People were matching him with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc. These guys have played a lot of Test cricket, very experienced.

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"For him it's about managing where he is in his career and for us as a management group understanding that he's very young and every game he'll pick things up. He's a very fast learner - he showed that in white-ball cricket - and we have to give him that opportunity in Test cricket as well."

But even then, Root suggested Archer needed to be bowling not just well, but quickly, too.

"Of course, if he's fit and raring to go you want him in your side," Root said. "But you want to make sure he's 100 percent ready and he can deliver all his skills: not just seam and swing it around but bowl at 90mph too. We've got to look after him as a player as well as just trying to win the series."

The very best - the likes of Malcolm Marshall and Richard Hadlee - did not bowl flat out all the time. Far from it. They used their pace as one of the skills in their armoury and unleashed it when required.

Perhaps Archer is still learning when it is required. Perhaps there is something to be said for him warming up better and bowling quicker at the start of spells rather than easing into them. But his Test-best performance to date - 6 for 45 at Leeds - came when he concentrated on control and movement and rarely operated at anything approaching the pace seen for a while in the previous Test at Lord's. And his quickest spells - notably against Steve Smith at Lord's and Matt Wade at The Oval - didn't necessarily produce many wickets. The point being, Archer is about far more than pace. He's much better than that.

Perhaps he is having something of a tricky second album phase to his career. Perhaps he is struggling with the Kookaburra ball and a series of surfaces - in New Zealand, in particular - that might have been designed to thwart him. Perhaps, as Root says, his body is simply pushing back after being asked to do a bit much.

But he's doing very well, really. Extraordinarily well, by comparison to England's other seam-bowling newbies in recent times. Craig Overton (averaging 44.77), for example, Jake Ball (114.33) or Tom Curran (100.00).

Archer is missing this Test due to an elbow injury. It happens. He'll be back. And in him England have something quite special. He deserves appreciating and looking after.

Missouri State has hired Bobby Petrino as its new coach, the school announced Wednesday morning.

Petrino, 58, will be introduced Thursday morning at a news conference at JQH Arena in Springfield.

He last coached at Louisville in 2018 but was fired after a 2-8 start to the season.

Petrino went 77-35 in two stints as Louisville coach and has an overall record of 119-56 as a college coach at Louisville, Western Kentucky and Arkansas. He spent part of the 2007 season as the Atlanta Falcons' head coach but left for the Arkansas job after a 3-10 start.

He led Louisville to league titles in two conferences (Conference USA, Big East) during his first stint and coached Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson there in 2016.

Petrino coached Arkansas to consecutive AP top-12 finishes in 2010 and 2011 but was fired in April 2012 after misleading the school about a relationship with a female staff member, whom he was with during a motorcycle accident.

Petrino replaces Dave Steckel, who parted ways with the school last week after going 13-42 in five seasons at Missouri State. Steckel, who had been under contract through 2021, accepted a $340,000 buyout.

The Bears play in the Missouri Valley Conference and are part of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Drew Pearson could not hide his disappointment in not being selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Centennial Class on Wednesday, but the Dallas Cowboys great remains hopeful his time will come.

"It'll stick with me until later today and after all these texts and internet stuff stops coming through, and I'll move on," Pearson said. "This is the story of my life. Nothing has ever come easy. I came in here as undrafted free agent. I had a bone disease as a kid, went to Tulsa, had three losing seasons in four years, three head coaches in four years, on probation three years, not getting drafted, signing for $150, making the team, overcoming the odds with 100 rookies in camp. Then turning that opportunity after making it. I made All-Pro my second year, had over 1,000 yards my second year.

"It's like that Robert Frost poem. I've taken the road less traveled. My career was always about the road less traveled."

Drew Pearson is understandably emotional and frustrated.

The Super Bowl Champ & member of the 1970s All-Decade Team has once again been passed over for the Hall of Fame.#DallasCowboys | @wfaa | #PFHOF20 pic.twitter.com/DjQ9ng5ZM3

— Jonah Javad (@JonahJavad) January 15, 2020

Pearson was surrounded by friends and family as the class was announced Wednesday morning, including his wife, two daughters and six grandchildren.

He is now the only member of the 1970s All-Decade team who has not earned enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. One of the others was his former teammate, safety Cliff Harris, who was selected Wednesday after failing to make it as a finalist in 2004.

Pearson and Harris were texting each other during the morning, wishing each other well.

"I'm totally happy for Cliff," Pearson said. "People ask me what's the hardest I've ever been hit, and it was when Cliff Harris hit me in a Thursday practice when we were getting ready to play the Washington Redskins and I'm laid out on the field in pain."

Pearson finished his career with 489 catches for 7,822 yards and 48 touchdowns. He earned the nickname "Mr. Clutch" for his plays in big games, such as the Hail Mary in the 1975 playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings.

In his 11 seasons, the Cowboys never had a losing record, failed the make the playoffs just once, played in seven NFC Championship Games and three Super Bowls and won one Lombardi trophy.

Several other former Cowboys reacted on Twitter to Pearson missing out.

What they did to Drew Pearson is not Right... Original 88... you deserve to be in the hall of fame no if and buts about it.. I'm sorry how they are doing you man...

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) January 15, 2020

So disappointed that my man @88DrewPearson wasn't selected for @ProFootballHOF. He deserves to be there. Great player, great man and great friend. pic.twitter.com/MqR9psJBz7

— Tony Dorsett (@Tony_Dorsett) January 15, 2020

He did not want his displeasure to take away from those selected Wednesday. He felt like this might be his best and last chance to earn induction, but Rick Gosselin, who is a Hall of Fame voter, told him he might have another opportunity.

"If it happens, I'll be so appreciative," said Pearson, who turned 69 on Sunday. "I'll still be the same excited because I think I deserve it and hopefully one day it happens. If I doesn't, I can't just wait around for that. I can't sit and hope anymore.

"... If you can't get in on your merits as an All-Decade player of the '70s and watch others who did make it that weren't All-Decade players, I'm not discounting them. All I'm saying is if they are, then I am too. That's what's frustrating. I respect the process, but I was disappointed with the way this played out."