England coach Chris Silverwood believes star all-rounder Ben Stokes will make for a great leader when he replaces Joe Root as captain for the first Test against the West Indies starting on 8 July.
England's World Cup hero Ben Stokes was on Tuesday named captain for the opening Test against West Indies in place of Root, who has taken leave to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.
Having never led a side in first-class cricket, star all-rounder Stokes will be captaining the national team for the first time in his career when England and West Indies lock horns in the opening Test of the three-match series at the Ageas Bowl.
"I think he will do a great job. He is a talisman, isn't he? He leads from the front anyway. He is conscious of the people around him as well so I think he will do a great job in Joe Root's absence," Silverwood was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
"We know he has got an aggressive nature but equally there is a good cricket brain in there as well. I think he will be quite vocal about what moves he is making out there.
"I'm looking forward to working with him from a coaching point of view. I will extend him the same courtesies I do Rooty. He will have a lot of say in what is going on and he will play a big part in giving his opinions across selection as well," he said.
Silverwood also revealed that Jos Buttler will be Stokes deputy in the opening Test.
The English coach is not reading much into Stokes' lack of leadership experience.
"He's been Rooty's right-hand man for a while now. I know Rooty does turn to him a lot. He's been involved in a lot of talks we have behind the scenes," Silverwood added.
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Discarded Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal on Tuesday defended the erratic behaviour of his younger brother, Umar Akmal, saying the country's cricket establishment has failed to handle the talented batsman.
Umar is presently serving a three-year ban for not reporting spot-fixing approaches but has appealed against the decision with an independent tribunal of the Pakistan Cricket Board. The date of the hearing is yet to be finalised.
"Off the field activities are nothing new in Pakistan cricket. Team management and captain should know how to deal with such players. Look at the way Inzi bhai (Inzamam-ul-Haq) handled Shoaib (Akhtar), (Mohammad) Asif and Shahid (Afridi). If the same was done with Umar Akmal, things would have turned out differently," he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan website.
Kamran also voiced his unhappiness at being kept out of the national team despite good performances in domestic cricket.
"I have been performing in domestic cricket and PSL (Pakistan Super League) during the last five years but despite that I have not been given a chance to play for Pakistan," he said.
"In the recent past, a couple of coaches did not like me which is why I remained on the sidelines.
"It's unfair to keep me out of the Test and T20I side, especially, because I can play solely as a batsman. If Matthew Wade can make a comeback with an average of 18-20, why not me who averages nearly 60," he added.
Kamran last played for Pakistan in 2017 in the West Indies despite having a successful career in the national team during a career spanning 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20s.
Kamran also advised the national selectors to pick players on the basis of performances in domestic cricket rather than just the PSL, while also drawing parallels with Indian Premier League (IPL).
"Players are selected on performance in PSL, while those who have been doing well in domestic cricket are ignored. That's not how you make good teams," he said.
"If India started doing this, they would have the entire team selected from IPL.
"Tournaments like IPL and PSL are good for exposure and confidence but the performances that count come from four-day cricket," he concluded.
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Middle-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner, on his first Test tour with the West Indies, feels playing the ball late will be the key to success in the three-Test series in England starting next week.
The middle-order batsman from Jamaica was speaking on Monday after the opening day of the four-day warm-up match was abandoned due to wet weather.
Bonner, 31, believes the preparations have been going very well since the squad arrived in Manchester three weeks ago.
After the end of the warm-up fixture they will travel to Southampton for the first Test at the Ageas Bowl, starting 8 July.
"I played two T20s back in 2011 and 2012, so I have a little bit of a feel for what it's like at the international level. My first T20 was here in England at the Oval, back when Daren Sammy was captain, so that's a while ago, bit I know the English conditions and I know to be successful here you have to adapt quickly," he told westindiescricket.com.
"One of the keys to batting is that you have to play the ball late, it different to what you get back home in the Caribbean."
Bonner acknowledged that the team's batting will be under scrutiny when the West Indies defend the Wisden Trophy in the three Tests, but is confident they will be able to put up good scores, as they did when they won on home turf last year.
"There is great camaraderie in the camp. There is great unity and we know the goal ahead of us is to win back the Wisden Trophy.
"Well, over the past year the batting has been struggling, the bowling has been holding up its end of it, I think with the batting if we can score the runs and put it on the board that would give us the best chance of coming out successful on this tour," he added.
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After months of waiting, Formula 1 is expected to resume racing in Austria this weekend. Despite the first eight races of the revised calendar being confirmed, one can’t be blamed for being cautious given that normalcy is still affected by the on-going pandemic. In fact, Formula 1 is trying to find a new normal like everyone else! Formula 1 and the FIA have expressed that the race would go on even if a particular team / driver is unable to compete. But what if the infection spreads across multiple teams? Let’s hope that Formula 1’s ‘biosphere’ plans work to deliver safe races off track.
Apart from the new safety protocols, Formula 1 teams will face certain technical challenges due to the shorter and fluid nature of the season. This will be further compounded by travel restrictions between races, the newly introduced token system, development freeze, homologation of parts and the standard allocation of tyre compounds. In this post, we discuss the key technical and strategic insights that will influence form factor over the season as well as the first round in Austria.
Formula 1 teams are big on simulation data and the most common term over the recent years has been ‘simulator to track correlation’. In 2020, teams will rely even more heavily on simulator data as well as data from pre-season tests (conducted in February this year) to prepare for the race weekend and to predict car performance. All teams run satellite operations at the factory during a Grand Prix weekend also dubbed as ‘mission control’. Given the restrictions on the number of traveling members, the emphasis on a satellite operation will be more this season.
The cramped season and the unconfirmed length of the calendar (Formula 1 expects to host 15-18 races in 2020) will add a further twist to teams using simulator tools to bring upgrades to their cars. Typically, teams may want to plan upgrades and split circuits into favourable and unfavourable categories based on their current car characteristics for the season. However, there may not be much of a choice to make in 2020 in the wake of an evolving calendar. For example, in a ‘normal’ season, power unit suppliers plan upgrades around specific circuits such as Spa or Monza as these circuits have higher power sensitivity to lap time than say a circuit like the Hungaroring.
Driver feedback
Furthermore, the freeze on development and the first-time-in-use token system will force teams to make wiser choices when it comes to bringing upgrades to their cars. They will be hard pressed to choose the ‘biggest bang for buck’ upgrades to fix performance differentiator(s) to their rivals. Here too, simulator data will be handy as will engineering instinct and most importantly driver experience and feedback. In the area of driver feedback, two other factors will come into play - first, the team’s trust in driver feedback and second, both drivers offering similar feedback to issues dogging their package. This is also why Renault and Mclaren are choosing to be as open as possible with Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz Jr. despite their expected departures at the end of 2020.
The typical simulator feedback loop is expected to change in 2020. Usually, teams would run their simulator driver (in the simulator, of course) in parallel to the free practice sessions at the Grand Prix venue. This would help in pre-race setup and gather data to aid race strategy for the weekend. Post-race, the team’s race driver would be back in the simulator at the factory running the same race setup to try and correlate the real vs. simulator data. However, the new ‘biosphere’ rules might limit travel to the factory between triple/double headers for the drivers.
Finally, drivers have long complained about the ‘rust’ factor when the season resumes after the forced long break. While some drivers resorted to karting, a few tested F3 cars and the luckier ones could get themselves into a Formula 1 car to shake-off the rust. However, there’s one more factor where drivers could get rusty - the procedures involved in racing a Formula 1 car. As fans are aware, there are several system settings to be undertaken in-car during a qualifying lap and the race. Here too, simulators would have come handy to teams and drivers alike.
To help Pirelli cater to the evolving nature of the season, Formula 1 has offered a standard allocation of tyres to all competitors for the first 8 races. This means that every team-driver will have the same number of tyres available of each compound. We expect this to be a big factor in a team’s tyre strategy from the start of free practice itself.
In qualifying, the tightly contested mid-field battle will see teams required to choose between start position and race strategy. For example, running softer (and hence faster) compounds to progress through to Q2 and Q3 could give a team a higher start position but rob them of strategy options in the race. In fact, the standard allocation of tyre compounds might force teams to take less strategic gambles and hence the first race in Austria could see less variation in race strategy between teams.
As for the top teams, a mistake from the team/driver in early stages of qualifying could end up being costly as the driver would be forced to run a softer compound to progress through to Q3. This unplanned use of a softer compound will impact race strategy. For Austria, a shorter lap usually leads to traffic issues in Q1 - adding another variable in the mix.
The first two races are on the same circuit in Austria and after over 800kms of data from the first weekend, expect teams and drivers to find big improvement in performance for the second race at the same circuit if the weather remains similar. Given that standard allocation of tyres could make things predictable, especially for the second race at the same venue, Formula 1 is consciously trying to change the tyre compounds available between the two weekends. While Austria will see a repeat of compounds, the second race at Silverstone will see a change of compounds.
Austria has unique characteristics for a circuit - three DRS-enabled straights. Drivers could spend a significant amount of time with their DRS wing open while engaged in wheel-to-wheel combat with their rivals. However, teams have little data from this year about overtaking threshold - how good is your car following another car closely? How much faster does one need to be lap-time or top-speed wise to overtake the car in front? Can overtaking be achieved by a tyre advantage and so on. There’s very limited data on overtaking threshold collected during the pre-season tests since the key objective is learning about one’s own car and correlating it to simulation models. Understandably, the teams would want to learn more about the overtaking threshold.
As the season progresses and one expects more races to get confirmed - Imola and Mugello being two prospective venues. The new venues will offer teams a new challenge in terms of simulation, race strategy and overtaking. The last Grand Prix in Imola was back in 2006 while Mugello has hosted a handful of tests but is yet to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix. This is where Ferrari’s recent private test at Mugello might be an advantage when Formula 1 races there later in the season.
New protocols
The most-widely reported stories have been around the new protocols that Formula 1 teams will need to operate under. This includes honouring social distancing and wearing PPE masks while working on the cars in the garage. In our media interaction with Racing Point’s Andrew Green, he already indicated that certain changes on the car might take up to twice the time. This will put pressure on teams to ensure robustness in build and on drivers to keep driving errors to a minimum.
However, Formula 1 racing is a harsh environment and cars require regular service. Teams will continuously look to evolve their operating procedures to get more efficient while working on their cars and still adhering to the safety guidelines.
Sarvesh Yechury is a motorsport engineer with more than 15 years of experience in the industry. He has worked with teams in Formula 1, Formula 3 and the A1 GP.
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A few fresh suggestions made to make women's cricket more popular and help it grow has started a new debate. New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, during an ICC webinar, had suggested that the size of the ball should be reduced to "help the game flourish". India's batting star Jemimah Rodrigues suggested shortening the length of the pitch to promote the game.
Devine had said, "I am a probably bigger fan of smaller ball but keeping the pitch as same size. Bowlers are going to bowl quicker, spinners will be able to turn the ball more and hopefully the ball should fly further."
India pacer Shikha Pandey, in a series of tweets, showed her disagreement with the new suggestions, calling most of the them as 'superfluous'. While Pandey agreed with reducing the size of the ball, she said it should be done keeping in mind the weight remains the same. She, however, completely rubbished the idea of decreasing the length of the pitch.
As per ICC rules, in women's cricket "the ball, when new, shall weigh not less than 4.94 ounces/140 g, nor more than 5.31 ounces/151 g, and shall measure not less than 8.25 in/21.0 cm, nor more than 8.88 in/22.5 cm in circumference". Whereas in men's cricket, the weight of the ball is between 155.9 to 163 g and measurement is 22.4-22.9 cm. The pitch size is 22 yards/20.12 m in length and 10 ft/3.05 m in width, in both men's and women's games.
Pandey wrote, "Growth can also be achieved by marketing the sport well. We don't have to tinker with rules or the very fabric of the game to attract an audience."
India's leading wicket-taker Jhulan Goswami has backed Shikha's opinion, saying that there is no need to bring such changes when women's cricket is already seeing a rise in popularity as well as improvement in players' skills.
Speaking to Firstpost about the suggestions made by Devine and Rodrigues, Goswami said, "Shikha Pandey has already tweeted and I appreciate her thought. I truly agree with her. Let pitches (sizes) remain the same. (As far as) ball size in women's cricket (is concerned), we already use smaller ball than what is used in men's cricket."
Goswami added that women's cricket's popularity is already on the rise and it is reflected in the head counts at mega events such as the World Cup.
"You don't require so much changes to glamourise women's cricket. In 2017 World Cup final, you saw a full house. Highest viewership in television. In 2020, last T20 World Cup, more than 80,000 spectators came to watch the match. What is the need of changing anything?"
She also said that, with time women's cricket has become a better sport to watch. The cricketers have improved by leaps and bounds and one sees a good throw from the boundary lines, a flying six every now and then a gutsy effort in the field to catch the ball.
"The girls are improving in every skill, be it fielding or power hitting. They are hitting sixes and boundaries more often, throwing from the boundary line has improved and so has running between the wickets. I don't think so you need to change a lot of things."
However, Goswami does feel that it is good to see so much talk around women's cricket, which was missing a few years back. She said that it reflects on how things are changing, which is a good sign.
"I am glad that people are thinking of women's cricket. Earlier, these talks were not around us. Now, people are at least talking about it. Good sign that people are putting an effort, putting out an thought around women's cricket. I am happy people are taking care of women's cricket in that way," said Goswami, who is the leading wicket-taker in ODIs.
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An agreement has been reached to settle for nearly $19 million two sexual misconduct lawsuits on behalf of multiple women against imprisoned former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, attorneys said on Tuesday.
But lawyers representing six of the women who have made accusations against Weinstein called the proposed deal a “complete sellout” that did not require the 68-year-old former film producer to accept responsibility or payout of his own pocket.
The settlement, which still must be approved by a federal judge and a bankruptcy court, would resolve a lawsuit filed against Weinstein, his production company, and his brother in 2018 by the New York Attorney General’s office.
It would also bring an end to a separate class-action lawsuit brought in 2017 on behalf of nine women who accused Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault, New York Attorney General Letitia James said.
The deal, if approved by judges in federal courts, would permit accusers to claim from $7,500 to $750,000 from the $18.8 million settlement.
“After all the harassment, threats, and discrimination, these survivors are finally receiving some semblance of justice,” James said on Twitter.
She said the deal would release the women from non-disclosure agreements that prevented them from speaking publicly about Weinstein, once one of Hollywood’s most powerful men.
A lawyer who represented the class of women who brought the 2017 lawsuit, Whitney Siehl, called her clients heroes who had “ignited a movement” by going public with their accusations.
But attorneys Douglas Wigdor and Kevin Mintzer said the settlement was “deeply unfair” to their clients and other women who would have no right to pursue claims against Weinstein and others in court.
“We are completely astounded that the attorney general is taking a victory lap for this unfair and inequitable proposal, and on behalf of our clients, we will be vigorously objecting in court,” Wigdor and Mintzer said in a written statement.
Weinstein was found guilty in Manhattan criminal court in February of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping former aspiring actress Jessica Mann, convictions hailed as a victory for the #MeToo movement. He was sentenced the next month to 23 years in prison.
Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 100 women stretching back decades, still faces trial on rape and sexual assault charges in Los Angeles.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Netflix on Tuesday, 30 June, appointed Bozoma Saint John as the streaming giant’s chief marketing officer, starting in August, adding a high-profile Black executive to senior management.
Saint John, who has been vocal about inequality in corporate America, joins from entertainment and talent agency Endeavor where she was the head of marketing since 2018. She also previously worked at Apple and Uber Technologies.
The appointment comes at a time as US companies are looking to diversify their workplace.
The death of an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, at the hands of police has triggered protests in the United States against racism and police brutality, while also reigniting the debate of diversity in America’s corporate boardrooms.
Netflix, earlier in the day, said it will allocate 2%, or about $100 million, of its cash holdings to financial institutions and organizations that directly support African-American communities in the United States.
The company said in a blog post it will start with $35 million, of which $25 million will be moved to a new fund, "Black Economic Development Initiative", and $10 million will go to Hope Credit Union for creating opportunity in underserved communities.
“This capital will fuel social mobility and prosperity in the low- and moderate-income communities these groups serve,” Netflix said on Tuesday.
Netflix has also announced a six-episode limited series on American sportsperson Colin Kaepernick. Colin in Black & White will examine Kaepernick’s high school years to illuminate the experiences that shaped his advocacy.
Earlier this month, the streaming giant announced they had curated a new collection of entertainment programs consisting of over 45 titles about racial injustice faced by African-Americans.
Some of the entertainment programs included in the 'Black Lives Matter' collection are Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods, Ava DuVernay's 13th, and When They See Us, hit series Orange Is The New Black, and oscar-winning Moonlight and many others.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Johnny Mandel, the Oscar — and Grammy — winning composer, arranger, and musician who worked on albums by Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, and many others and whose songwriting credits included 'The Shadow of Your Smile' and the theme from the film and TV show M*A*S*H,” has died. He was 94.
Mandel died Monday of a cardiac ailment at his home in Ojai, California, according to Lauren Iossa, executive vice president, and chief marketing officer of ASCAP. Mandel served on the ASCAP board of directors from 1989-2011.
“Giant. Genius. Gentleman. There are many ways to describe the legendary composer Johnny Mandel. His incredible music spanned decades, mediums, oceans and firmly established him in the American Songbook canon,” ASCAP Chairman and President Paul Williams said in tribute.
Mandel was among the last of the great songwriters to emerge in the pre-rock ‘n’ roll era, his career dating back to the 1940s, and he enjoyed a long and diverse career. He played trombone and trumpet with such big band and jazz artists as Jimmy Dorsey and Count Basie and spent two years in the 1950s arranging music for Sid Caesar’s landmark TV sketch program Your Show of Shows. He collaborated on songs with Johnny Mercer, Paul Williams, and the husband and wife team Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Artists recording his material ranged from Marvin Gaye to Stan Getz to Barbra Streisand.
He even worked on the soundtrack for Caddyshack.
“I don’t have a method or a style, and I never wanted one,” Mandel said during a 2010 interview with The National Endowment for the Arts, which the following year gave him a Jazz Masters award for lifetime achievement. “Some guys really try to have a style. I just work with what’s there and try to do the best with what’s there.”
As an arranger, Mandel worked with some of the greatest singers of his time. When Sinatra launched his own label, Reprise Records, in 1960 he chose Mandel to arrange his first album there, the exuberant Ring-a-Ding-Ding! In the early 1990s, Cole called upon him for her Grammy-winning smash Unforgettable, which featured duets with tapes of her late father (and Sinatra’s friend), Nat King Cole.
In recent years he contributed arrangements for Streisand’s Love Is the Answer and Tony Bennett’s The Art of Romance. Decades earlier, Bennett sang a memorable cover of The Shadow of Your Smile, the theme from the Richard Burton-Elizabeth Taylor movie The Sandpiper. The Mandel-Paul Francis Webster ballad won a Grammy in 1966 for song of the year, topping the Beatles’ Yesterday among others, and received an Oscar for best original song.
Mandel also helped write soundtracks for Being There, I Want to Live! and The Americanization of Emily, and songs originating from his film work included the Oscar-nominated A Time for Love and the Golden Globe-nominated Molly and Lawless John.
His most widely heard composition was likely 'Suicide is Painless,' the droll theme from Robert Altman’s Korean War satire M*A*S*H, and later for the hit TV show that starred Alan Alda. In a 2008 interview with the blog JazzWax, Mandel explained that Altman had asked him to come up with a song and made two requests: Call it 'Suicide is Painless' and make it as stupid as possible.
“I said to myself, ‘Well I can do stupid,’” Mandel recalled, adding that Altman brought in extra help for the lyrics.
“Bob was going to take a shot at the lyrics. But he came back two days later and said, ‘I’m sorry but there’s just too much stuff in this 45-year-old brain. I can’t write anything nearly as stupid as what we need.’ Bob said, ‘All is not lost. I’ve got a 15-year-old kid who’s a total idiot.’ So Michael Altman, at age 15, wrote the lyrics, and then I wrote the music to them.”
Mandel was born in New York City in 1925, and credited some of his passion for music to his mother, Hannah, an opera singer. Aware from an early age he had perfect pitch, he studied at the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School. By the 1940s, he was writing arrangements and performing with such stars as drummer Buddy Rich and such unlikely musicians as saxophonist Alan Greenspan, the future chairman of the Federal Reserve.
Mandel was primarily a melodist and would seek out lyricists for his songs. For 'The Shadow of Your Smile,' he went first to Mercer, with whom he had written 'Emily' from 'The Americanization of Emily.' But Mercer turned him down, worrying that the song sounded too much like 'New Orleans,' by Mercer’s friend Hoagy Carmichael. 'Shadow of Your Smile' became a standard, and Mercer would long regret his decision.
“Years later, he and Hoagy were drinking at a party or something, and Hoagy said, “There’s something I meant to ask you for a long time. Why didn’t you write the lyrics to ‘The Shadow of Your Smile?’” Mandel told the NEA. “He (Mercer) told him, ‘I didn’t want to do this to you,’ and Hoagy said, ‘I never noticed.’”
Mandel was predeceased by his wife, Martha, and survived by his daughter, Marissa Mandel, and her wife, Lauren Johnson.
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Chicago Red Stars teammates Julie Ertz and Casey Short say hard conversations over the past several weeks led to their vulnerability in the moment they shared an emotional embrace while they knelt during the national anthem as the NWSL opened its season.
Short sobbed as she was held by Ertz before Chicago's match against the Washington Spirit on Saturday night, the second game of the National Women's Soccer League tournament in Utah.
"Currently, every time the national anthem is played, our country continues to become more and more divided on what the visual symbol of unity looks like," Short and Ertz said in a joint statement they released Tuesday. "Through our continuous conversations we wanted to make sure that whatever we decided to do, it would not be an empty gesture. It would be a gesture that portrayed that we have heard those who needed to be heard, validated and loved.
"That moment during the anthem was difficult, very difficult. We are still searching but we are humbled by the outpouring of support."
Short was not made available for comment after the match, so the context of the moment wasn't known. Teammate Rachel Hill, who stood during the anthem and put a hand on Short's shoulder, also was not made available for comment following the game.
"The two of us have always set out to be our honest and true selves, but have struggled to find the "right" thing to do in order to show our truth. We understand people are entitled to their opinions. Often these opinions are presented through the individual's lens and do not accurately portray how the two of us truly feel," Short and Ertz said.
Hill posted a statement to Instagram on Tuesday night, saying the decision did not come easily.
"Before the game, I was completely torn on what to do. I spoke with friends, family and teammates — of all races, religions and backgrounds — with the hope of guidance," Hill wrote. "I chose to stand because of what the flag inherently means to my military family members and me, but I 100 percent support my peers. Symbolically, I tried to show this with the placement of my hand on Casey's shoulder and bowing my head. I struggled, but felt that these actions showed my truth, and in the end I wanted to remain true to myself."
Players for the Portland Thorns and the North Carolina Courage collectively knelt during the national anthem Saturday as they opened the Challenge Cup tournament. A few players, including Hill, chose to stand as the anthem was played before the late game between the Red Stars and Spirit.
While it is customary that only starters are on the field during the anthem, the entire squads for the four teams that played Tuesday took the field before their games. Most, but not all, knelt.
Players and coaches have also worn Black Lives Matter T-shirts in warmups before games, and players have also knelt during a moment of silence before kickoffs.
The NWSL players association released a statement in support of all players, no matter their decision.
"The Players Association supports both making a clear statement that Black Lives Matter and each player making a personal decision around whether to stand or kneel during the national anthem," the union said. "We ask that our supporters and media respect each player's right to handle these moments in the way that they choose and know that our players are united against racism and in support of one another."
After some players were criticised, the league announced Monday that it would allow players to remain in the locker room during the anthem.
"The NWSL stands behind every player, official and staff member. Kneel on the field. Stand with your hand over your heart. Honor your feelings in the privacy of the locker room or at midfield," NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird said in a statement announcing the policy change. "The NWSL is a league that was built on diversity and courage and those principles will continue to drive us forward."
The NWSL is the first professional team sports league in the United States to return amid the coronavirus pandemic. The teams had gathered for training camps in March when the league was shut down.
The tournament opener between the Thorns and the Courage was broadcast nationally on CBS and the network announced Tuesday that the game averaged 572,000 viewers, a record for the NWSL.
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Denver: The Denver Nuggets say they’ve closed their facilities after two members of the team’s traveling party tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend. A third tested positive this week.
All three are asymptomatic, the Nuggets said Tuesday in confirming a report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 35-member traveling party includes players, coaches and staff.
Also Tuesday, Pelicans general manager David Griffin said three New Orleans players have tested positive for COVID-19 and will be in self-isolation until testing shows they can return to team activities without infecting others.
It’s unclear if the Nuggets will reopen their practice facilities before the team flies to Orlando on 7 July to resume the season that was halted in mid-March because of the virus, which has has killed more than 128,000 people in the United States.
The 22 teams that will restart the season 30 July returned to their practice facilities last week and players, coaches and staff have been subject to ongoing testing as they prepare to resume the season.
A week ago, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic, one of only four players averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds, tested positive for the virus in Serbia,
Nuggets coach Michael Malone revealed recently that he tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies and said he believes he had the virus in March.
When the season resumes 30 July at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, the Nuggets will start with a 43-22 record, placing them 1 1/2 games behind the second-place Los Angeles Clippers and 1 1/2 games ahead of fourth-place Utah in the Western Conference playoff race.
In New Orleans, Griffin declined to identify the players who tested positive for the virus, citing medical privacy laws.
The positive tests occurred 23 June, the first day all members of the Pelicans were tested as part of the NBA’s plan to restart the season. Griffin said no Pelicans players have tested positive since.
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Cynthia Erivo, John David Washington, Eva Longoria, Zendaya, and Awkwafina are among the 819 people who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The organization that puts on the Oscars announced the new invitees Tuesday. If they accept, which most do, those in the new class will have voting privileges at this year’s Oscars.
The massive 2020 list includes a diverse swath of people from all sectors of the industry, from acting to publicity to costume design. Invited actors include Ana De Armas (Knives Out), Brian Tyree Henry (If Beale Street Could Talk), Florence Pugh (Little Women), Lakeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You), Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart) and Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians). Directors like Lulu Wang (The Farewell), Ari Aster (Midsommar), Terence Davies (The House of Mirth) and Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) are also on the list.
A handful of actors from this year’s best picture winner Parasite, including Jang Hye-Jin, Jo Yeo-Jeong, Park So-Dam, and Lee Jung-Eun, were also invited to join. The Academy said that 49 percent of the new invitees are international and represent some 68 countries.
Other notable invitees include TV mogul Ryan Murphy, who produced the documentary A Secret Love, country singer Tim McGraw, who was in The Blind Side and lyricist Bernie Taupin who contributed to the Elton John biopic Rocketman.
Academy president David Rubin said that the organization is “delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travelers in the motion picture arts and sciences.”
Diversifying its ranks continues to be a main focus for the film academy, which film in 2016 committed to doubling its female and minority membership by 2020. It has since surpassed those goals and continues to infuse membership classes with both women and people from underrepresented communities. Women make up 45 percent of the 2020 class and people of colour comprise 36 percent of the total of invitees this year. The academy has also announced a new five-year plan that includes implementing inclusion standards for nominees.
“We look forward to continuing to foster an Academy that reflects the world around us in our membership, our programs, our new Museum, and in our awards,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson in a written statement.
This will also be the first year that talent agent members will be able to vote on the awards.
The 93rd Academy Awards are set to take place on 25 April, 2021, two months later than originally planned due to COVID-19’s effects on the industry.
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Carl Reiner, a driving force in American comedy as a writer for television pioneer Sid Caesar, partner of Mel Brooks and creator and co-star of the classic sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show has died at age 98 of natural causes, his assistant said on Tuesday, 30 June.
His career spanned seven decades and every medium from theatre and recordings to television and movies, including directing Oh, God!, three collaborations with Steve Martin, and a role as an elderly con man in the revived Ocean’s Eleven series.
Reiner passed away on Monday night at his home in Beverly Hills, his assistant Judy Nagy told Reuters on Tuesday.
He was still taking voice roles in his 90s and had a key role in If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast, a documentary about people who keep busy into their 90s.
Reiner was born in 1922, in New York City’s Bronx borough, one of two sons of Jewish immigrants. He grew up in a working-class neighborhood, where he learned to mimic voices and tell jokes. After high school, Reiner attended drama school, then joined a small theater group.
During World War II, Reiner joined the Army and toured in GI variety shows for a year and a half. Back out of uniform, he landed several stage roles, breaking through on Broadway in Call Me Mister.
He married his wife, Estelle, in 1943. Besides son Rob, the couple had another son, Lucas, a film director, and a daughter, Sylvia, a psychoanalyst and author. Estelle Reiner, who died in 2008, had a small role in Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally...— as the woman who overhears Meg Ryan’s ersatz ecstasy in a restaurant and says, “I’ll have what she’s having.”
Rob Reiner on Twitter mourned his father’s passing, saying, “As I write this my heart is hurting... He was my guiding light.”
Here is the tweet
Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light.
His father was also active on Twitter. His final tweet on Monday was in praise of British playwright and composer Noel Coward, whom he lauded as “the single most prolific writer of musical comedies, plays, songs and films.”
Read Carl Reiner's tweets below
Did you ever hear the British icon Noel Coward exhort a parent of a marginally talented child, “Please, Mrs. Worthington, don’t put your daughter on the stage?” No??? Well, I did! — carl reiner (@carlreiner) June 29, 2020
Noel Coward was the single most prolific writer of musical comedies, plays, songs and films. He also found time to critique performances with barbs such as, “They were like two paper bags belaboring each other.”
Tributes to Reiner poured in from across the show business spectrum, with Van Dyke calling Reiner “kind, gentle, compassionate, empathetic and wise,” and George Clooney saying he made “every room he walked into funnier, smarter, kinder.” Jerry Seinfeld wrote Reiner's "comedy energy was one of pure joyfulness."
Comedian Sarah Silverman noted the comedy legend’s accomplishments as well as his generosity.
So sad to hear about @carlreiner Not only did he make my favorite TV& movies (see:Where’s Poppa) but his humanity was beyond compare. His heart was so full of love. Never left his house empty handed- book, space pen, Swiss Army knife. RIP to a man that embodies the word mensch pic.twitter.com/mazBmwznkX — Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) June 30, 2020
Late-night comedy host Stephen Colbert simply tweeted “The Greatest” in a post accompanying a picture of Reiner as a young man.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also hailed the enduring comedy of the Empire State native.
Carl Reiner, Bronx born and bred, made TV comedy that endures to this day. He made America laugh — a true gift. New York extends our condolences to his family and many friends. https://t.co/Xmou8kabLI — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 30, 2020
Reiner expressed his approach to his work in his book My Anecdotal Life, when he said, “Inviting people to laugh at you while you are laughing at yourself is a good thing to do. You may be the fool but you are the fool in charge.”
Reiner, the Bronx-born son of a watchmaker, started in entertainment as a teenager in a touring theater troupe that performed Shakespearean plays. His career took a decisive turn after he joined the Army Signal Corps during World War Two. Recruited into a special unit that put on shows for the troops, Reiner began writing and performing his own comedy material.
Returning to New York City after the war, Reiner appeared in several Broadway musicals, including a lead in “Call Me Mister,” before he was hired to join Caesar’s popular TV sketch comedy series “Your Show of Shows” in 1950. Reiner was part of Caesar’s ensemble of performers as well as a celebrated writing team that included then-unknown talents such as Brooks, Neil Simon and Larry Gelbart. Reiner and Brooks remained close into their late 90s with Reiner telling USA Today in 2019 that they got together regularly to watch game shows and movies. Brooks called him “a giant, unmatched in his contributions to entertainment,” in a tweet on Tuesday.
Brooks joined Reiner in creating the 2,000-Year-Old Man routine in which Reiner interviewed the world’s oldest living man, played by Brooks, who deadpans satiric, first-person anecdotes of history in a thick Jewish accent. Asked why the cross became a symbol for Christianity, for example, Brooks replied, “It was easier to put together than the Star of David.” Originally ad-libbed by Reiner and Brooks at a party, the sketch evolved into a perennial TV favorite and basis for five comedy albums, the latest of which earned a 1998 Grammy Award.
When Your Show of Shows ended its 4-1/2-year run in 1954, Reiner followed Caesar to his next series, Caesar’s Hour, and earned his first two Emmys. Encouraged by his wife to develop a TV show as his own, Reiner began work on a sitcom pilot loosely based on his experiences with the Caesar shows, titled Head of the Family, casting himself as a TV writer with a wife and two kids. Network executives initially passed on the project, unhappy with Reiner as the lead character, Rob Petrie. But CBS ultimately picked up the series in 1961, recast and retitled for its new star, The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Reiner, who earned several Emmys writing and producing the hit series, played the recurring role of Petrie’s boss, the temperamental variety show host Alan Brady. A reprisal of his Alan Brady role three decades later, for a guest spot on the 1990s sitcom Mad About You, earned Reiner yet another Emmy.
Besides helping transform its creator and star into household names, The Dick Van Dyke Show launched the career of Mary Tyler Moore, who played Rob Petrie’s wife. The series, considered a TV sitcom classic, ended its run in 1966. The following year, Reiner made his feature film directing and producing debut with Enter Laughing, which he adapted from a Joseph Stein play that was based on Reiner’s semiautobiographical 1958 book of the same name.
He later directed George Burns in the title role of the 1977 comedy film Oh God! before collaborating with Steve Martin for a string of movies, including The Jerk, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid and The Man with Two Brains.
Read Steve Martin's tweet below
Goodbye to my greatest mentor in movies and in life. Thank you, dear Carl. https://t.co/H7A4ZwIqfc
Carl Reiner taught me many things about life, but he also taught me how to turn one slice of toast into two. pic.twitter.com/0ddg7ddakb — Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo) June 30, 2020
Adam Sandler, Mia Farrow, Ben Stiller, Jude Apatow, Josh Gad also tweeted their condolences
Carl Reiner
RIP
One of our comedy heroes
Thank you for everything you did for all of us
Love to the Reiner family pic.twitter.com/tBsiIelbdI
We lost a person who gave us great times-countless laughs. He was brilliant. And kind. I met him only once but will never forget his gentle thoughtfulness. He was with us through good times and hard times. Thank you Carl Reiner. His memory will be a blessing. . https://t.co/hbfPrO0eRe — Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) June 30, 2020
Carl Reiner was a comedic giant, one of the smartest comedy minds ever. He used his voice to the very end, speaking truth to power and the insanity we are all living in. So much respect for him. Sending love to his family. #RIP
Starting in 2001, he made a big-screen comeback playing elder con artist Saul Bloom, who comes out of retirement to join George Clooney, Brad Pitt and others in the blockbuster remake of the 1960s heist film Ocean’s Eleven. Reiner returned to that role in two Ocean’s sequels.
But Reiner never strayed far from television, continuing to make guest appearances on various shows such as Two and a Half Men and Hot in Cleveland well into his 90s, as well as keeping up a busy Twitter account.
Reiner wrote four volumes of memoirs, including I Just Remembered in 2014, as well as children’s books.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Manchester City have agreed to sell winger Leroy Sane to Bayern Munich in a deal worth up to 60 million euros ($67 million), a person familiar with the deal said.
Bayern is set to make an initial payment of 49 million euros and City could receive a further 11 million euros based on Sane's achievements with the German champions, the person told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity, confirming British media reports, because details of the deal have not been made public.
The 24-year-old Germany international, who joined City from Schalke in 2016, only had one year remaining on his contract in Manchester.
Sane only made his return to action last week after recovering from knee ligament damage sustained in the Community Shield in August.
City manager Pep Guardiola has been prepared for Sane's exit, saying last week there was no urgency to sign a left-sided replacement.
"We have enough good players up front," Guardiola said. "Gabriel (Jesus) can play on the left, (Phil) Foden can play on the left. We have Raheem (Sterling). Most of them are in good condition. ... I think we have other priorities, maybe. I don't know if after the coronavirus, whether the financial situation for the club will change. We will see at the end of this season."
While the Bundesliga campaign ended last weekend with Bayern defending the title, the Premier League runs until the end of July after being suspended for three months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Both City and Bayern remain in the Champions League, which is due to resume with last-16 second legs in August. Sane wouldn't be able to play for Bayern in the European competition even if the deal was completed by then.
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Rome: Cristiano Ronaldo scored with a long-range rocket on a night when each Juventus goal was more spectacular than the other in a 3-1 win at relegation-threatened Genoa.
Chasing a record-extending ninth straight Serie A title, the victory restored Juventus' four-point lead over Lazio, which won 2-1 at Torino earlier Tuesday.
Since losing the Italian Cup final to Napoli in a penalty shootout, Juventus have won all three of its league matches in the restart.
"We produced a ton of chances and we scored three beautiful goals," Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri said. "That shows that our physical condition is improving."
Paulo Dybala opened the scoring shortly after the break by evading three defenders before firing in a low shot that Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin, who is on loan from Juventus, could only get a weak hand on.
Seven minutes later it was Ronaldo's turn. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner gathered a pass near midfield, charged toward the goal and unleashed a blistering effort from 22 yards (meters) into the top corner past the outstretched Perin.
It was Ronaldo's first goal in open play of the restart after converting penalties in his previous two matches, and it raised his total to 24 in 25 Serie A matches this season.
Not to be outdone, substitute Douglas Costa made it 3-0 by curling in a shot from beyond the area inside the far post as Genoa's defense looked on helplessly.
Andrea Pinamonti then pulled one back for Genoa from a tight angle.
Dybala and Ronaldo had scored while playing together only once before the break for the coronavirus pandemic. Since the restart, they've scored together in three out of three games.
"They're looking for each other more and they've realized that by helping each other they can both become much more productive," Sarri said.
LAZIO COMEBACK
Three days after coming back to beat Fiorentina 2-1, Lazio did it again to beat Torino by the same score.
Ciro Immobile and Marco Parolo scored second-half goals to cancel out an early penalty from Andrea Belotti.
A handball from Immobile led to Bellotti's penalty and means the striker will miss Saturday's game against AC Milan with a suspension.
But Immobile made up for his error with an expert finish shortly after the break to raise his total to 29 goals in 29 games - on pace to break Gonzalo Higuain's Serie A record of 36 goals in 2015-16.
Immobile also matched his personal best for a Serie A season set two years ago.
Parolo scored the winner with a deflected shot from just beyond the area.
Torino is 14th, six points above the drop zone.
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Madrid: Lionel Messi scored his 700th career goal for club and country before Atletico Madrid came back to draw 2-2 in the Spanish league on Tuesday and deal Barcelona’s title hopes a major blow.
Barcelona’s third draw in four rounds left it in second place, one point behind leader Real Madrid. Madrid hosts Getafe on Thursday with a chance to open up a four-point lead with five more matches remaining.
Barcelona was two points ahead of Madrid when the league was halted in March because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Saúl ÑÃguez stepped up instead of Costa on the second attempt and converted to level the score in the 19th.
Messi restored the host’s lead in 56th by coolly scoring a penalty in the “Panenka” style, chipping it softly past goalie Jan Oblak. The goal was Messi’s 630th club goal to go with 70 for his Argentina. It was also his league-leading 22nd goal of the season.
Llorente led the attack early on, but Carrasco with his speed on the left flank proved to be the visitors’ biggest weapon. Twice the Belgian forward burst into the box on a counterattack and was taken down by late tackles from Arturo Vidal and Semedo.
“Carrasco came back from the stoppage in better shape, and is now back to playing at his best level,” Simeone said about his forward, who is in his second stint with the club.
Barcelona is not blowing out rivals like it used to, but its main problem is its failure to protect leads. It also went ahead twice at Celta Vigo on Saturday only to concede twice to draw 2-2.
“All the games that are left are super important and all points we drop hurt our chances,” the 20-year-old Puig said after his second straight start. “The other day the same thing happened, they were able to fight back in games we were winning thanks to our silly mistake or lapses in concentration.”
Messi helped put Barcelona ahead when he struck a corner low and hard at the near post, where Costa tried to clear it but instead let it hit the inside of his leg. The ball bounced off the turf and left Oblak no chance.
Before his penalty, Messi almost curled in a shot from the right side that came inches from bending into the far corner of the goal.
Barcelona’s best chance to get the winner came from Vidal, who fired a shot just by the post with 20 minutes to go.
Mallorca’s 5-1 rout of Celta Vigo rekindled its hopes of avoiding relegation.
Mallorca’s biggest victory of the season moved it into 18th place, five points behind Celta, which is clinging to safety in 17th.
Spanish league games are being played without fans due to the health regulations regarding COVID-19 and teams are playing every three nights to finish the competition by 19 July .
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Prakash Jha’s gritty films with leading heroes brought complex social- politics realities of the Hindi heartland to mainstream cinema. His upcoming film, Pareeksha, doesn’t feature big names. Starring Adil Hussain, Priyanka Bose and the young Shubham Jha, it adapts real life experiences of a reputed IAS officer and explores the challenges of quality school education. With credible actors that have become popular on OTT and a universally resonant story, Pareeksha has made up for the lack of a theatrical release by opting for a platform that offers steady visibility and more time for discovery.
Even as star driven films like Gulabo Sitaabo, Shakuntala Devi and Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl have chosen splashy digital releases, relatively smaller independent films continue to hold audiences on OTT platforms. People watch these stories rooted in Indian experiences and the absence of glamour or noise around a film doesn’t seem to matter.
Anvita Dutt, who has written and directed the applauded Bulbbul on Netflix, says, “If the content is good people will watch it. And therefore it will trend. And that can happen with or without stars. For Clean Slate Filmz and me in particular stories take the lead. Always. But it is also true that historically, regardless of the platform, stories have always been the hero.”
Dutt’s visually arresting film with enigmatic characters set in late nineteenth century Bengal plays out like a fable. Given its production quality, it appeals to audiences across age groups and languages.
Similarly, Nicholas Kharkongor, who has made a slice of life comedy about North East Indians living in Delhi has found a huge audience on Netflix. Axone, named after a Manipuri dish, trended amongst top 10 films on the platform for nearly two weeks. Initially looking to release theatrically in April, the lockdown set the balls in motion for a deal with Netflix for producers Yoodlee Films. “It’s not something that I necessarily desired, but the Netflix releases has turned out for the best. I have friends all over the world. So I had a lot of people calling out the blue that they just saw my film because I don’t actually talk about my work. It was discovered accidentally. In the UK it was a banner film on the Netflix home page. It also trended in the Middle East and was also widely watched in the USA. It had global exposure, which is overwhelming,” says Kharkongor.
Axone features North Eastern actors in lead roles along side Sayani Gupta, a popular face on streaming. As the region remains underrepresented in cinema in India, the film has resonated because of its true to life feel. “ While writing it, I felt was just a small story about North Eastern Indians, but it’s also a universal story as it’s primarily about food and food smells. What smells divine to me might smell terrible to someone else,” explains Kharkongor.
As leading GECs launch OTT platforms, films have become big draws to introduce audiences to their content slate.
On Sony Liv, Kadakh, a comedy by Rajat Kapoor has won praise. This week, Bhonsle, featuring Manoj Bajpayee in the lead and directed by Devashish Makhija, has become a top choice for critics. Made exclusively for OTT, or acquired at cost-effective deals, these films don’t break the bank but sustain audience interest with engaging stories and positive word of mouth publicity.For filmmakers, they bring room to actually release a film that would otherwise not survive the competitive theatrical exhibition business. A good example is the sweet dramedy, Chintu Ka Birthday, featuring Vinay Pathak, Tilottoma Shome, and Seema Pahwa, has won strong word of mouth praise on Zee5. While it got a very limited release in theatres across some cities in India, many more have watched it online during the lockdown.
Freedom from pressures of box office release and mainstream limitations has drawn smart filmmaking and writing talent to generate content for OTT first. Anvita adds, “In my personal experience with Netflix I had complete freedom to tell my story the way I wanted to. Everything I needed to do justice to the film was given. I guess you become braver in your choices when box office is not at play. But you still can’t be foolhardy if you are making content for OTT. I am sure when you have a theatrical release the economics of it might influence how you approach the making of the film. But even in a theatrical release the story has to resonate. “
Original web series from India is still an evolving format for a country where TV has sustained on mediocre and melodramatic stories for decades. As web series build gradually on writing binge-worthy, gripping stories, quality films on OTT platforms might become an alternate draw in the long run. Nothing can quite replace a theatrical experience. But stories from India’s countless lived experience can definitely add a valuable dimension for the movie buff.
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In the climactic sequence of Shrek 2 (2004), Prince Charming is trying to seduce Princess Fiona as Fairy Godmother sings Bonnie Tylor's popular track 'Holding Out For A Hero.' "Where have all the good men gone?," she sings in the background. When Charming attempts to kiss, and Fairy Godmother finishes the song with "I need a hero," Fiona's husband Shrek barges in to rescue the princess.
This chain of events entails all the subversions the makers of Shrek 2 incorporated into the narrative of the animated film. One of its directors, Kelly Asbury, passed away on Monday at the age of 60 after a battle with cancer. He was a Disney veteran, who worked as a story artist and visual development artist in animated fairy tale films like The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991) among others. But when he got down to Shrek, the idea was to flirt with the expectations of Disney fairy tale fans and turn the tropes from those stories on their heads.
Below, we discuss the three primary tropes Asbury overturned in Shrek 2, that were perpetuated by Disney fairy tales.
Prince Charming
Shrek 2 starts where the first film ended: Princess Fiona from the kingdom of Far Far Away, locked into a tower guarded by a dragon on the order of her parents, is rescued by an ogre Shrek. As per an agreement, Prince Charming (yes, that is his name) was supposed to rescue and marry Fiona in order to become the heir to the throne of Far Far Away.
However, as Shrek 2 opens, Charming, heroically narrates, "I endure the blistering winds and scorching deserts" and "climb the highest room of the tallest tower" only to find the Big Bad Wolf in granny clothes (from The Little Red Riding Hood) in the bed. He informs Charming that Fiona is already married to Shrek.
While the first part already set the tone of subverting the Disney template by having an ogre rescue and marry a princess (who is cursed to be an ogress till she is kissed by Prince Charming), the second part brought in several more motifs from the fairy tales who went to extents beyond their goodwill to force the narrative adhere to the storybooks.
Charming in Shrek 2 is a hair-swaying, manicure-admiring prince who spends first half of the film whining about being stripped off a chance at the throne. In the second half, he is tasked to lure Fiona into a kiss so that he can realise the effect of the 'love potion' and make her fall for him. But more than loving Fiona, he is busy basking in the glory of his newfound kingdom on the red carpet of their wedding ball. Even when he tries to bait her into a kiss, he mouths lines like, "That's Cherry (the lip shine he is wearing). Want a bite?" And we cringe along with Fiona. Not charming at all, Charming.
Fairy Godmother
Shrek 2 paints the presumably reliable Prince Charming as a momma's boy. And who is his momma here? The Fairy Godmother.
Fairy Godmother promises to Fiona, "With a flick of my magic wand, your troubles will soon be gone." But little does Fiona know Fairy Godmother has a vested interest in her love life, and has already struck a deal with her father, King Harold, to get her married to her son Charming.
This politicisation of Far Far Away makes Fairy Godmother one of the most interesting characters in the franchise because of the grey shades attached to her character, which do not gel well with her traditional role at all. Here, she is mean, calculating, and manipulative. She is a false idol who guards her public image as ferociously as the selfish interests of her son.
But the protectiveness and facade take a toll on her as well, as she is often seen indulging in some good ol' emotional eating. "My diet has ruined," she tells Harold when their plan falls flat; or when Shrek steals the Happily Ever After potion from her factory, she cannot help but scream, "Someone get me something deep-fried and smothered in chocolate!" Clearly, for Fairy Godmother, happiness is just a teardrop Churro away.
Happily Ever After
When Shrek seeks out Fairy Godmother's advice for mending his marriage with Fiona, she tells him that she does not have a solution for him since none of the fairy tales have ogres in there, so there is no 'Happily Ever After' to his story. "Stop living a fairy tale," she tells him later.
Even after he turns into a handsome hunk by drinking the 'Happily Ever After' portion, Fairy Godmother reminds him he is still an ogre at heart, and Fiona still a princess. "And no potion can change that. Ogres don't have a Happily Ever After.'"
But once Shrek realises the ulterior motive behind her actions, he seeks help from his gang (Donkey, Puss in Boots, Gingerbread Man, Pinochhio et al) to make Fiona look through the devious scheme. When he proposes they kiss before midnight ("Why is it always midnight!" he asks rhetorically) to make the effects of the potion permanent, she backs out. "I want to live Happily Ever After... with the ogre I married."
Now, had it been a reckless disruptor in the director's chair, they may have gone to the extent of NOT having a happy ending or a Happily Ever After. Asbury's filmography proves he was a believer in Disney, and thus ticked all the right boxes.
But he also made sure we remember him well. Once upon a time, there was a man who never let his love for all things Disney stop him from writing his own fairy tale.
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Nitin Menon, the youngest member in the ICC elite panel of umpires, considers the Ashes series as the ultimate challenge but he says the biggest challenge in prevailing circumstances is to ensure that the players, knowingly or unknowingly, don't apply saliva on the ball.
Menon, 36, quit his playing career when he was 22 and shifted to his family profession of umpiring.
The "practical" move culminated in Menon making his international debut three years ago and his entry into the 12-member panel on Monday is the icing on the cake.
Having become part of the elite club in unprecedented times of COVID-19, Menon doesn't know what his next assignment will be but is fully aware that enforcing ICC's latest guidelines will be a big challenge.
"The main challenge will be of ball management, more so in Tests. Initially, we will give friendly warning to the players before applying the law, like we do it when someone is running dangerously on the pitch.
"The players are most likely to apply saliva by mistake than deliberately. So, we will act accordingly. More details on playing conditions will come after the series in England (starting next month), then we will know more on how to go about recent changes made in the game," said the Indore-based umpire.
When things are back to normal, Menon hopes to be part of the iconic Ashes between England and Australia.
"My dream series will be Ashes without a doubt. That is the only series I watch on TV. The atmosphere, the way the series is fought is something I want be involve in. Whether in England or Australia I would love to be part of it. And, umpiring in the World Cup, be it T20 or ODI."
The ICC recently also decided that only local umpires will be used due to the travel restrictions imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
The way the visiting team, West Indies, quarantined itself in England for two weeks before getting down to training, umpires will be required to do the same. Menon thinks that could take a mental toll on the umpires.
"Mentally, it will be challenging, because we will have to quarantine ourselves. I am told the umpires for the England-West Indies are in their hotel for the last 10 days.
"So, staying indoors for that long will be a challenge because normally we get to go out and relax after a long day in the field. We will be away from family also," he said.
Besides ensuring that players don't use saliva, umpires will have to monitor that they adhere to social distancing and that their hands are sanitised regularly after they come in contact with the ball.
Umpires, who too will need to follow the guidelines on social distancing, no longer have to take care of players' personal items on the field.
"Wearing gloves could be an individual choice for umpires but we have decided that we will keep santisers in our pockets. After the fall of a wicket and drinks break, we have to hold the ball, so just to be safe.
"And by chance if a players put saliva on the ball, we will have to immediately sanitise it. That will be the job of the fourth umpire. He will come to the middle with wipes and sanitise the ball. But we need to follow that protocol only if we see the saliva being applied only then."
The drastic changes made in the game could also impact over-rate but Menon said it is too early to judge that.
"We are waiting for the feedback of the umpires who will officiate in the England's home series against West Indies and Pakistan. Whatever protocols the ICC sets, we will follow that."
Menon has already officiated in 43 international matches including three Tests. Though, he will be doing the games in India in the short-term, Menon said he will feel less pressure.
"If you are a home umpire, there is additional pressure to get the decisions right. Now I am in the elite panel, that pressure will not be there. Obviously, being in the elite panel has its own challenges and you have to keep performing to remain there after the annual review."
India have not been able to produce world-class umpires regularly but Menon sees the situation getting better.
"There is a culture shift happening in Indian umpiring. The umpires that are coming up in domestic cricket are in their early 40s. It is a flourishing profession and great platform for someone like me who wanted to play for the country but can can still represent it as an umpire.
"If we can develop our mentality that it is not just about umpiring in the elite panel, it is about match management, communication skills and body language, you will see more of us there. We are almost there.
"And players will test us for sure but if you feel the decision that you have taken is right, then you have to stand up to the the players. They will respect that even if you are a Virat Kohli or Steve Smith," concluded Menon.
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Mumbai: The weight of expectations in a cricket-mad country like India is huge but Virat Kohli has done an exceptional job leading the side, says Australia's limited overs skipper Aaron Finch.
Finch said all players are expected to endure some bad time but players like Kohli, Steve Smith, Ricky Ponting and batting great Sachin Tendulkar are exceptions.
"Every player, regardless of who it is, has a bad series. But very very rarely do you see Kohli, (Steve) Smith, even going back (Ricky) Ponting, Sachin (Tendulkar), these guys they don't have two bad series in a row," Finch said on the Sony Ten Pit Stop show.
"The pressure of playing for India is one but also leading India is another and the way he (Kohli) has done it, so consistently for a long time.
"And taking over from (MS) Dhoni , the leadership, that is huge. The expectations were high and he kept delivering and I think that that is the most impressive thing," he added.
Finch was impressed with Kohli's consistency as a batsman too.
"What has been so impressive for so long is just his consistency across three formats. To be the best player of all-time in ODI cricket is one thing but then to also be in Test cricket and T20 cricket as a rounded player that is remarkable,"he said.
The ICC has banned use of saliva to shine the ball and Finch said the players will have to get used to it.
"I haven't spoken to anyone in England or the West Indies camp on how that's (saliva ban) going to go. But that is something that the players have to adapt to over the next couple of months (or) however long that it lasts. Finding different ways to shine the ball, because I think naturally, just out of instinct or habit, you lick the fingers and you rub the ball.
"So I am sure there will be some inadvertent mistakes. Everyone has to be really flexible and accommodating and understand that things are going to be different to what they were four months ago," added the 33-year-old batsman.
After the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic, Test cricket will resume on July 8 when England take on the West Indies in a three match series.
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Athlete Geeta Kumari was forced to sell vegetables in the streets of Jharkhand's Ramgarh district to make ends meet.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren's intervention helped Kumari to get Rs 50,000 from the Ramgarh district administration and also a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000 to pursue her athletics career.
Soren received information on his twitter handle that Kumari has turned into a roadside vegetable seller due to financial problems. The chief minister directed the Ramgarh deputy commissioner to assist Kumari financially so that she could pursue her athletics career.
The Ramgarh Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sandeep Singh gave a cheque of Rs 50,000 to Kumari on Monday and also announced Rs 3,000 monthly stipend to the athlete and arranged for her training at a sports centre, an official release said.
Wishing the athlete all success in the world of sports, the deputy commissioner said, "There are several sportspersons in Ramgarh who are capable of winning laurels for the country, and the administration will ensure they get support."
Kumaris cousin Dhanjay Prajapati said, "She sells vegetables and also is a final year BA student in Ananda College, Hazaribag, in the neighbouring district. Her family is financially weak and my sister wants to pursue her pet event. Now that the administration has given assistance she is very happy."
Kumari had won eight gold medals at state-level walking competitions and won a silver medal and a bronze medal in competitions held in Kolkata, the release said.
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