odi: South Africa’s decision to prioritise their T20 league over ODI series against Australia is a sign of things to come

It surprised many when South Africa chose to prioritize their domestic T20 leagues, away from the scheduled ODI series against Australia in January 2023.

The move has, in the first place, prompted a serious rethink about the future of bilateral competitions going ahead with the financial insecurities of many cricket boards.

Barring India, and to a lesser extent Australia and England, almost every cricket board struggles financially. And the Covid-19 pandemic made the situation worse. And the response of most has been to catch the T20 cash cow. Viable or not, this is the way forward. In most cases sponsors are lined up to support these leagues. With international stars looking to become free agents (some already have), it is expected that these leagues will be a serious challenge to bilateral international competitions.

Take for example the ongoing India vs England ODI series. With the 50-over World Cup still more than a year away, it is a series completely devoid of context. So, while we celebrate Jasprit Bumrah and his excellence, the truth is that these three games are going to be number one for just two boards. Considering the World Cup is just a few months away in terms of T20Is.

While money is not an issue in the case of India and England, it is for boards like South Africa to choose between these irrelevant bilateral series and their own T20 leagues. And the answer is a no-brainer.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has tried to bring in the context of bilateral ODI series by introducing the World Cup Super League and qualifying points, but monetary considerations seem to have overtaken everything else in importance and importance.

With the BCCI demanding a 75-day window for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and most likely it will also be met, the future of the 50-over format remains unclear. While the World Cup and Champions Trophies may survive, bilateral series will soon take the field for domestic T20 leagues.

Consider this: If the BCCI is given the option of extending the IPL for another 15 days against a bilateral series of six ODIs in the same window, what would it choose to do? The answer is a possible knock out.

Although Cricket Australia may express concerns over South Africa’s exit, it is a viable option driven by tough financial considerations. Now the time has come that the cricket world should also accept this challenge and prepare itself for it.

With the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launching its league in January 2023, the already chaotic cricket calendar will become more congested in the coming months. And with most of these leagues offering players top dollar, most would prefer them over relatively insignificant national fixtures.

We have already seen West Indies stars doing this for a while and South Africa did the same in this year’s IPL. It was inevitable that the Board would wake up to this reality. Instead of losing players in domestic leagues, they will now try to prioritize their league over international competitions.

Its biggest loss is expected to be the 50-over bilateral format. While T20 has economic relevance and Test cricket is still a priority for purists, the 50-over format is neither here nor there. New-age fans prefer T20 domestic leagues over international 50-over engagements on any given day.

This is where it gets interesting for the ICC and the national cricket board. Will they continue the meaningless bilateral series in the long term or reconsider the fixtures given the rapidly evolving scenario?

Going forward, some would be tempted to use the success of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India to justify the popularity of the format. To do so would have to miss the trees for the forest. Firstly, the cricket market in this part of the world is alive forever. Second, it is a multi-nation tournament that has serious relevance for the cricket fan. But it will not prove that players will remain in the 50-over format. So it is quite safe to predict that the coming years will see a lot of turmoil in world cricket. Unless some serious rethinking is done, 50-over bilateral series may soon be a thing of the past.

Originally published at Pen 18

olympiad: Hosting the Chess Olympiad is good; but winning it is more important

I was about 17 when I participated in my first Chess Olympiad in 2004. It was held in Spain. I remember not being very excited because by then I was already a grandmaster, playing in all the big events and one of the top players in the world. Although I didn’t feel anything special, I was definitely a little nervous because it was a team event, and I had no experience playing in a team.

In individual tournaments, the results depend only on your own performance. At the same time, everyone’s performance matters in the team event. At the 2004 incident, I remember seeing the results of other team members and felt the need to strike a balance or put in more effort to move forward. I was very conscious and there were sports in which I took too much risk. This really affected my performance.

That experience helped me understand that even though it’s a team event, it’s important to finish my own game before worrying about other boards. Staying focused and calm is very important. I think everyone should follow it, no matter what round we are playing in.

For those who are not well versed in the world of chess, Olympiad is our Olympics. Chess is not an Olympic sport (yet), so we have a separate Chess Olympiad. For us, its stature is similar to that of the Olympics. More than 150 countries participate in it. The ground is usually littered with current and former world champions. In such a situation, winning a medal in this event is a matter of pride for any country.

The only disappointment is that it is not recognized by the International Olympic Committee as an Olympic sport (

) Plus it has everything. We put in the same amount of hard work, we go through extensive training and we have even more competition from so many countries. It is not like some other sports where only 10-15 countries participate.

Recognition makes a big difference. This brings in a lot of money from the government to the game. People believe and think only in Olympic and Commonwealth Games medals. So, when we have that kind of stamping for this port, it will be more attractive.

I think All India Chess Federation (AICF) has also taken Chess Olympiad as a challenge and it is giving its best to help the players to perform well. There have been pretournament training camps in the past but they usually get the help of a local Indian Grandmaster for a few days. This is the first time they have brought in high level players like Boris Gelfand (six-time World Championship nominee) and Viswanathan Anand (five-time world champion) as coaches and mentors.

We have already had a 10-day training camp with Gelfand and Anand and another one is underway. I am not participating in the second because I am playing in an online speed chess tournament and my quarterfinal lineup is on Tuesday (July 19).

But I attended the first one and thoroughly enjoyed it. We did a session with Anand where he talked about various psychological aspects. He talked about how we think when we are in a bad situation and how and when to turn the situation around. Sessions with Gelfand focused entirely on chess. He helped us with middle and end sportsmanship.

The last two editions of the Chess Olympiad were played online and India finished on the podium both times – joint winners in 2020 and third in 2021. So, this time the expectations will be high, especially because we are playing at home.

While it is not fair to compare the last two events with this year’s event as they are played in different formats – rapid vs classical – using different platforms – online vs physical – India have a good run this time too. is likely to. Both our men’s and women’s teams have, in general, the best players ever – both teams have an average rating of one of the best.

Furthermore, the two best teams that fight for the gold medal most of the time – Russia and China – are not playing in the event this time around.

Then there are the added advantages of being hosts that allow us to enter two teams each in the Open and Women’s categories, which increases the chances of a medal.

You also get a lot of support from the fans in the house, you get to eat the food of your choice, you get used to the climate and your body clock doesn’t need adjustment. All these issues have an impact on the performance of the player.

But there is also the pressure of expectations.

So, in a way, it’s a double-edged sword. Playing at home is an advantage only if you know how to use it. When I play in a tournament, I try to focus on my game and be in good form. As a player it is more important than the outside conditions.

India is hosting the Chess Olympiad for the first time. I believe it can act as a catalyst in making chess more popular in the country. But just hosting itself won’t be enough to make a long-term impact. Sure, it might bring some eyes to the game but you need a champion to turn that attention into participation. Like Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic gold medal in Tokyo did for athletics.

We need to win to inspire the next generation to take up chess as a profession.

Koneru Humpy is the Grandmaster and winner of the 2019 Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship. He spoke to Amit Chowdhary

Originally published at Pen 18

odi: Third ODI: India need to change batting approach in series decider

Bumped by a crushing defeat in their last match, the Indian team will look to change their batting format from cautious to more fearless in the series-decisive third ODI against England here on Sunday.

The Rohit Sharma-led side put up an ultra-aggressive batting performance during the recently concluded T20 International series with considerable success, but the way they chased down the target of 247 in the second ODI, they did a lot. Something is left. be desired.

Rohit raised his hand and admitted that he and the other experienced Shikhar Dhawan, Reece Topley and David Willey were on the defensive in view of some good swing and seam bowling.

Kohli’s endless saga of failures has added to the problems, which is also a big factor, but the senior openers did not show a positive mindset by playing two maiden overs in the beginning.

So a change of approach is needed and this requires a change of mindset for difficult run-chases unlike in the first game at The Oval where the game was won by Jasprit Bumrah single-handedly by six wickets.

“I want these guys to step up the game and see if they can discover something different about their game rather than just looking at the role of the team. If they get the team out of that position, imagine that confidence. Do what they’re going to get,” Rohit had said after the second game.

The approach to go from the word “go” to the leather worked wonders in T20 internationals and there is no reason why it cannot work in the 50-over format, which many teams see as an extension of two T20 innings. Watching.

In fact, even England’s star-studded batting line-up has looked completely different in the two matches and suddenly it looked like the caliber of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes and Liam. K is the host team with Power Hitters. Livingstone is playing an old one day game.

Dhawan, Kohli and worries in ODIs

But India won’t mind as long as these formidable guys are being held in tight ties, but the audience will have to change their playbook. And it will be a challenge in an early morning ODI at Old Trafford where the ball moves admirably and India’s 2019 World Cup semi-final loss at this venue.

Rohit’s approach is not a problem in most games, but the Indian team management under head coach Rahul Dravid will have its own set of issues if the 37-year-old Dhawan is their choice to go into the 2023 ODI World Cup next year.

The left-hander has been the most prolific scorer apart from Rohit and Kohli, partly because he opened the batting, but also because the two supremely talented players over the past decade have given him the opportunity to play his natural game.

But the volume of bilateral ODIs has come down significantly (most teams play three-match series) and with Dhawan playing only one format, he always gets these forced breaks, which is definitely affecting his rhythm.

While the ODI World Cup is still 15 months away, it needs to be seriously considered whether Rohit, Dhawan and Kohli will be India’s No. 1, 2 and 3 going forward.

Coming to Kohli, he will probably be looking forward to a break of more than a month after this game as he is expected to find a solution to his problem of front-foot press in the nets and the drawing board. Responding and poking at off-length deliveries.

The weakness is well documented but now needs a solution as far as the game of white ball is concerned.

In the red ball, a particular shot can be avoided and runs can still be scored, but in a format where timing is important, a solution is needed as runs can be scored on particular balls such as this It was at its peak.

Jadeja’s ever-changing role

As far as India’s bowling attack is concerned, it has performed as expected in at least four of the five white-ball matches so far.

Bumrah hits the straps and Mohammed Shami more often, not producing those unstoppable wicket-taking balls. Yuzvendra Chahal has changed his technique as he is bowling at a slower pace and deceiving the ball by hanging it in the air.

With his ability to pick up bounce even from the famous Krishna length, it will only get better and Hardik Pandya’s bowling rhythm has certainly brought back a smile to the Indian camp.

The only worrying aspect would be Ravindra Jadeja’s sharp decline as a powerful left-arm spinner, who might have gone unnoticed and stunned by the impressive performances of others.

Jadeja has transformed into a batting all-rounder and only time will tell if it will work for India in sub-continental conditions where at least two spinners will be required to bowl 20 overs and the Saurashtra man is one of those two. Hoping to be one.

teams

England: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Brydon Karrs, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Craig Overton, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey.

India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Pranand Krishna, Mo. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.

The match starts at 3:30 PM IST.

Originally published at Pen 18

Lizzo Spotlights Yitty Bralette, Biker Shorts at ‘Today’ Performance – WWD – Pen 18

Lizzo made a splash for her appearance on the “Today” show.

On Friday, the Grammy-winning singer performed at the popular talk show’s Citi Concert Series at Rockefeller Center in New York City. She wore a metallic blue outfit with chain, cone bra detailing on the bustier and metal studs.

During the show, she later switched from her shapewear line, Yeti, to a two-piece royal blue set. She wore a cropped V-neck bralette top and matching biker shorts. Lizzo wore her hair in curls and kept her makeup simple with exaggerated blue eyeliner to match her outfit.

She is usually styled by Jason Rembert, who plays Mary J. Blige also works with the likes of Issa Rae and Queen Latifah.

For the segment, Lizzo, born Melissa Jefferson, sang past hits like “Truth Hurts” and “Good as Hell,” as well as songs from her new album, “Special,” like the now-viral “About Damn Time.” and “special.”

During her so far press tour in New York City, the singer has been seen playing pieces from Yeti.

Lizzo revealed she was releasing a shapewear line in March, posting several Instagram photos promoting the launch. According to the singer, the project took five years to create.

Yitty, created in partnership with its parent company Fabletics, offers sizes from 6X to XS and a wide range of bold and bright colors like yellow, pink, red and purple and neutrals.

Lizzo performs on NBC’s “Today” at Rockefeller Plaza.

wireimage

“This is a love letter to my big grrrls, and a welcome letter to every body. This is *not* an invitation to change who you are…this is *not* an invitation to change who you are,” wrote Lizzo in the caption of one of her Instagram posts. There’s an opportunity to be who you are.” “I don’t know about you all—but I’m sick of people telling me how I should look and feel about my body. I’m tired of restlessness being synonymous with sexy. If it is uncomfortable remove it. And if it makes you feel good, put it on. @YITTY It’s not just shapewear, it’s your chance to reclaim your body and redefine your beauty standard. I love you all.”

“Special” is Lizzo’s fourth studio album. His last project, “Cuz I Love You,” was released in 2019 and earned several accolades, including a Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album.

The singer was recently nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards for her reality competition series “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Girls”, including one for Outstanding Competition Program.

Originally published at Pen 18

Lafayette 148 Opens Shop in Naples, Fla. – WWD – Pen 18

Lafayette 148 has opened a 3,020-square-foot freestanding shop in open-air luxury shopping destination The Waterside Shops in Naples, Florida.

The store space highlights the brand’s commitment to crafts and handicraft in its collection, along with an art gallery, Lafayette 148’s SoHo original. Hanging shelving displays host Lafayette 148’s made in Italy accessories collection of bags and footwear.

Shoes on display at Lafayette 148’s new Naples location.

courtesy shot.

The space features custom planters from Brooklyn, New York–based artist Julian Ah, with handcrafted wood and ceramic stools by Kieran Kinsella. Two works by photographer Sophie Elgort will be on permanent display.

Boutique Lafayette will feature 148’s full-to-wear, footwear, handbags, jewelry and accessories collections.

The shop features an oiled patina bronze wall glass. Drawing inspiration from the brand’s global flagship at 59 Green Street in New York, elements include French white oak hardwood flooring, bespoke seating, and Ice Onyx jewelry vitrines.

Lafayette 148’s new Naples, Florida location.

courtesy shot.

Lafayette 148 joins other retailers like Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s, Gucci, Tory Burch, Max Mara, Lululemon and Vince, among others.

This is Lafayette 148’s 27th store in the US and China. The brand is sold in specialty stores and luxury department stores around the world as well as at lafayette148ny.com.

Originally published at Pen 18

Twenty20 World Cup: Zimbabwe, Netherlands qualify for Twenty20 World Cup

Hosts Zimbabwe and the Netherlands filled the last two places for the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia after winning the semi-finals of their qualifying tournament in Bulawayo on Friday.

Zimbabwe beat Papua New Guinea by 27 runs after posting 199-5 in 20 overs, then restricted their opponents to 172-8.

Netherlands beat America by seven wickets. Responding to America’s total of 138 in 19.4 overs, the Dutch scored 139-3 with six balls to spare.

Originally published at Pen 18

Afropunk x Shopify Fashion Show Brings Black Talent to the Runway – WWD – Pen 18

As the sun went down in New York City on Wednesday, a melting pot of people poured into the Shopify store in the SoHo neighborhood, decked out in black-owned designer apparel — Telfer duffel bags and Hanifa dresses — from Afropunk x Shopify’s Black Fashion At the Accelerator Fashion Show. ,

The fashion show is the culmination of the first year of the Black Fashion Accelerator program, a partnership between Afropunk and Shopify designed to offer professional development to a group of nine emerging fashion designers to help them build more profitable and sustainable brands Can you

“Black-owned businesses are underrepresented in the US, and Shopify is committed to making entrepreneurship accessible to anyone, anywhere,” said Amena Agbaje, Marketing Program Lead for Black Entrepreneurship at Shopify. “Nothing is more inspiring to me than offering Black entrepreneurs the tools and support to get their businesses up and running.”

Over the course of six months, the inaugural class of designers were offered access to experts and resources in the fashion industry, including exclusive advice from Chris Bevans, 2017 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist and creative director of performance wear brand Dion.

Included in the 2022 BFA class of designers P. Founder of Bronte LaurentBronte Laurent; Archie Clay 3 and Taj Crutch, Founder wear brims; Jelissa Smith, Founder Fleek’s house; Melissa A. Mitchell, Founder Abil Creations; Valerie Blaise, Founder of Avvaune, Paco Esandoh, Founder Mizzy; Sophia Danner-Okoti, Founder basidoA., and Sylvester Nadhlovu, founders of ruvaafricawear,

The Shopify store had large open windows, giving way to a multilevel platform, where models emerged through a divided crowd to showcase the designers’ collections. DJ Mixshow and host Gitoo entertained the crowd with Afrobeats tunes and conversational jargon that transformed the show into a warm, familiar atmosphere.

Okoti’s collection for her brand Besida, titled “Masego”, which the designer said means “blessing” in Tswana, the language spoken in Botswana, Cotton Ankara Reversible Wrap Maxi Skirt, Ankara Kaftan with an asymmetric hemline , And a Ankara top/skirt combo that can be worn in four ways. Besida takes a sustainable approach to its designs, paying homage to the designer’s Nigerian roots and how the people there, Okoti said, naturally embrace sustainable and non-waste practices.

Sofia Danner-Ocotti’s label Besida at the 2022 BFA Fashion Show.

Courtesy of Afropunk

“We really try to make sure that we source our clothes exclusively in Nigeria, and our team of artisans are in Nigeria. I always say that Africans know how to pick one thing And how to make the most of that,” Okoti said. “We are actually very sustainable by nature, so that’s what influences our sustainable designs. I have people who have been wearing my clothes since 2015 because we make sure the clothes are made so well you never feel the need to throw it away. ,

As well as designing sustainable fashion, Besida also pays West African female artisans who work a living wage for the brand, a factor Okoti said to financially equip many workers to enroll in higher education. helped to do.

“This year two of my tailors quit, and I was hurt until they told me they were going to college. They can depend on this constant salary to spend money to fund school, all from a year’s work,” the designer said. “Now, he’s going to study mass law and communications, so I’m really proud of him.”

Inspired by the Zambian space program of the 1960s, Mizzi’s new collection, called Afronaut, takes a futuristic twist on the idea of ​​black people wearing custom Mizzi on space travel. Models wearing Efros and holographic sunglasses wore oversized jumpsuits that matched fake space suits, formfitting jersey shirts and smaller sets printed with the brand’s logo on the sleeves and the word “Afronaut” in the center, and baggy lightweight drawstrings for streetwear. Jacket worn- look chic in the galaxies.

Paakow Essandoh’s brand Mizzi at the 2022 BFA Fashion Show.

Courtesy of Afropunk

Essando created Mizzy in 2013 while attending the University of South Florida, and said the idea for the brand was a passion project that would allow her to connect with other cultures. The Ghanaian-American designer said it is important to represent other cultures, particularly in the African diaspora, through her streetwear designs.

“The African diaspora, to me, means community. We may not necessarily be the same or have the same exact cultures, but there is an inherent ease in the diaspora when connecting with others,” he said. where you can feel confident, and still celebrate your culture at the same time.”

Fashion influencer Claire Sulmers, founder of the fashion blog Fashion Bomb Daily, was among those in attendance, as was Monique Rodriguez, founder of Miley Organics, a hair care brand owned by Black, who styled all of the models’ hair for the show.

What the fashion industry should prioritize is moving forward to support black entrepreneurs in the fashion industry, Isandoh says, adding that the Black Fashion Accelerator is a good example to repeat.

“It needs to do what the accelerator program is doing,” said the Mizzi founder. “Connecting youth across the fashion industry with people who are experienced in diverse fields and who look like us and invest in fashion education.”

Originally published at Pen 18