"Six months back I could have told you about Afghanistan. Now I am with West Indies." - Phil Simmons.

Whatever insights West Indies' coach had about the team he had coached from December 2017 till the end of the 2019 World Cup was clearly not meant for publication. If you had asked him about the insights he had into the opposition in December 2017, he could have given the same answer with the team names inter-changed.

Simmons' record as coach has been excellent, but in spite of that, his first stint with West Indies had not ended well. Not due to the lack of results - they won the T20 World Cup under him - but due to what the WICB termed 'differences in culture and strategic approach', and what the rest of the world called a colossal management blunder.

With a new management in place at the board, Simmons' expertise was sought again, and he gladly accepted the role. While he stopped short of saying he had 'unfinished business' with West Indies, he does want to stop the wheel turning the way it has. The occasional peaks notwithstanding, the story that was written most often in the last two decades on Caribbean cricket was of West Indies' decline.

On Wednesday, there is the opportunity to take another step towards that when West Indies face Afghanistan in a one-off Test at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

Technically, this is an 'away' game for West Indies and 'home' for Afghanistan. But it's not as simple as that. Afghanistan have moved to this ground just a month ago from Dehradun, their erstwhile home ground, and are as (un)familiar with it as West Indies are. The only time Lucknow has hosted a Test before this one was 25 years back, when the Ekana Stadium wasn't even a concept, and Afghanistan had as much chance of playing Test cricket as Belgium.

"I was very happy when they moved from Dehradun to here for this series," Simmons said. "Because they would have known everything about Dehradun. And now, it's (like a) neutral venue, so it makes it even for us."

Afghanistan have in their corner the knowledge that they turned around the last series played at this venue, albeit in a vastly different format. Down 1-0 in the T20Is after having lost 3-0 in the ODIs, they stormed back to win 2-1. Simmons acknowledged that Afghanistan were a "difficult" opponent, but felt that at three-Tests old only, inexperience would be a factor.

"Their format is T20, they've done well over the last two-three years in T20 cricket, so they were always going to fight back in that one," Simmons said. "They've had three Tests, and did well to win in Bangladesh, but it's still a learning phase for them and hopefully we can capitalise on that."

For Afghanistan coach Lance Klusener, the Test was all about focussing on his team's strengths and not worrying too much about what West Indies would throw at them.

"There's no hiding the fact that our strength is spin. We've got three of the best spin bowlers in the world," Klusener said, adding that the pitches were "receptive to spin".

"We'll just have small goals and plans as to how we want to go about things. It's a learning process as well. But in saying that, we want to be as positive as we can," Klusener said. "Batting is about scoring runs - whether it's Test cricket, one-day cricket or T20 cricket. It's just how you go about. That's the challenge for us, finding the balance between attacking an defending.

"We can take a lot of confidence out of the way we played in the practice game. And they're coming off a Test win in Bangladesh. So there's a lot of good things to look forward to. I guess our challenge is runs. If we can put enough runs on the board over the course of the Test match, we're going to be difficult to beat."

There appears to a widening gap between those at the top of the Test tree and those below it, according to Klusener, but as he pointed out, both teams in this contest fell on the same side of that divide.

"We just saw that there's quite a big rift between the lower teams that are not getting enough Test cricket to your Indias, Australias and Englands," Klusener said. "There's quite a big gap but it's a learning curve for us. We're going to have to toughen up a little bit, get stuck in and front up. We're certainly looking forward to this Test match, there's a lot of history playing against the West Indies as well."

There was a hint of a challenge in the way Klusener spoke of 'history' between the two teams. They've played seven T20Is, with West Indies winning four to Afghanistan's three. West Indies are ahead 5-3 in ODIs, but before the one-dayers on this tour, they were behind 2-3.

Test cricket though, is a a sporting animal unlike any other and Afghanistan's inexperience will be a factor. It could have been offset to some extent with home advantage. But the surface aside - which could still play a decisive role - there's not much 'home' advantage in playing at a new venue, facing a team whose coach knows you inside out.

Chris Gayle is not contemplating his future. He is planning it instead. Part of that plan is taking a "break" from cricket for the rest of 2019. Gayle will miss the ODIs against India in December after the selectors checked on his availability for the three-match series. Gayle will instead utilise the time to "recharge" and "reflect" on what he really wants in 2020.

On Sunday, on his way out of the MSL where he was playing for defending champions Jozi Stars. Gayle opened up on the "burden" he feels when he does not perform. Gayle's comments came in the wake of poor returns in this MSL: 101 runs from 6 innings including 54 on Sunday against Tswhane Spartans.

Gayle made it evident that he was hurt by the constant scrutiny not just from the media but also from franchise, owners, team managements, coaches and players. But he is not giving up, Gayle made it clear that he wanted to sort things out and return in 2020 with a clear mind.

That is what he told the West Indies selection panel which is headed by former allrounder Roger Harper. It is understood the squads for the India series comprising three T20s and three ODIs, have been finalised and will likely be announced this week by Cricket West Indies (CWI).

It is also understood that when the selectors checked with Gayle on his availability for the ODI series in India, he shared with them his thoughts about the break. "West Indies called me to play ODIs, but I am not going to play," Gayle said on Sunday during the media briefing after the Stars' defeat. "They (selectors) want me to play with the youngsters but for this year I am going to take a break."

Gayle said he would not be playing the Big Bash, too, this season and was surprised that his name had been listed in one of the teams in the Bangladesh Premier League. "I am not going to the Big Bash. I'm not sure what cricket will come up, I don't even know how my name reached the BPL, but I have been drafted in a team and I don't even know how that happened."

It could not be confirmed whether Gayle is part of the T20 World Cup plans where West Indies are the defending champions. But both Harper's panel and the team management comprising head coach Phil Simmons and Kieron Pollard, the ODI and T20 captain have stressed that the door is open to all players including the seniors like Gayle.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo recently at the T10 tournament, Pollard said he was excited to have Gayle around him because of the "wealth of knowledge" the Jamaican has accrued from over more than two decades of playing across formats. "You have Chris Gayle who is still playing T20 cricket around the world," Pollard said. "He has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the T20 arena, 50-over, in Test cricket, so he can share a lot of that."

Gayle, who turned 40 in September, last played for West Indies in the home ODI series against India in August. Everything about that match had a farewell feel to it.

Gayle had blasted 72 off 41 balls, helping West Indies record the highest 10-over score ever for a team batting first. The innings ended abruptly, but he walked off to a standing ovation from not just the sparsely filled Queen's Park Oval in Port-of-Spain but also Virat Kohli's India. Gayle, who had surpassed Brian Lara during the series to become the top ODI run-maker for West Indies, acknowledged the adulation by carrying his helmet atop his bat handle. He would lead the West Indies players out to the park later in the day to what everyone thought was one last time.

Minutes later he was asked by the CWI media manager if he had retired from ODI cricket. "I didn't announce any retirement," Gayle said with a chuckle and when asked to elaborate, added "until you hear further notice."

With Gayle surprises never cease to end. In March, having waltzed to the fastest half-century by a West Indies batsman, he declared it would be his last ODI series in the Caribbean. In February he had already pointed out the ODI World Cup would be his final tournament. Except, on the eve of West Indies' last match in that tournament, Gayle said he would like to play against India at home.

He had another opportunity to play India, this time away, but he has it turned down because he feels he needs the time away from the game as he seeks clarity about his future.

"I'm going to recharge my batteries and think ahead in life and try and plan it better and keep the people who are more real around you," Gayle said on Sunday. "There's a lot of things I am going to analyse. You never stop learning. Doesnt matter how long I have been playing. There's a lot of things for me to give back. 2020 is just around the corner. I will use now and next month to reflect on what I really want for 2020."

West Indies' next limited-overs assignment is the home series against Ireland in January comprising three ODis and three T20Is.

Additional reporting by Firdose Moonda and Barny Read

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo took ownership for the third-ranked Spartans' five-point upset loss in the Maui Invitational.

"I publicly want to apologize to maybe the greatest fan group that was here," Izzo said after Monday's loss in Hawai'i. "I feel like I let them down, and it's been an interesting couple of weeks and we just weren't as sharp today."

Michigan State lost 71-66 to unranked Virginia Tech to fall to 3-2 on the season.

"Well, I've said this for 20 years. Upsets happen," Izzo said. "And that's no insult to them, but it is an upset. Upsets happen."

Consensus preseason All-America selection Cassius Winston was in early foul trouble and held to seven points on 2-of-8 shooting.

Izzo was protective of Winston after the game. The senior's younger brother died earlier this month.

"I would like all the people in Hawai'i and everybody else to see, [Winston] was a shell of himself today," Izzo said. "I think it's been a lot on him. I told you that. No excuses for me. I did the poor job. But I couldn't do what that kid has done, no way. And he just looked tired the whole time. I think [it's] the mental stress that he's going through."

Michigan State next plays Tuesday against Georgia (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

JAN TEXTS ANDY. It is Saturday. Andy is in Baton Rouge, broadcasting the radio pregame show before Auburn plays LSU. Jan is at home in Auburn. She has a question: Josh, who is 16, has asked for more than the usual allowance of $75 that Jan and Andy give him every two weeks. Jan texts her husband: "What should I say?"

Andy's eyes go wide. He isn't used to texts like this. Jan's Saturday texts are usually things like "Good first quarter" or "How did we not score there?" During a commercial, he calls her.

They discuss the issue, as parents do. Jan thinks they shouldn't give in; learning how to budget is a part of getting older. Andy agrees. They hang up. Even though they're on the same page, Andy still feels unsteady. He sees Kirk Sampson, the longtime communications head for Auburn sports, walking by.

"Kirky!" he says, and Sampson stops. The pregame show goes on behind them as Andy tells Sampson, who has teenage sons, about the situation. "Will you check me on this?" Andy asks. He stares at Sampson intently. Sampson chuckles and says their thinking sounds right to him. Andy goes back on the radio.

At home, Josh pleads his case. He points out the progress he has made on keeping a budget lately. He has a job at a gift shop, but he also has a car now, and things are expensive. "I'm really working hard on this," he says, and Jan sympathizes. She does want to help him. She and Andy want him to be happy. "We know you're working hard," she says, and Josh brightens. Maybe there is a sliver of light here. But then Jan touches his arm and shakes her head. "We're very proud of you for that," she says. "Keep it up."

Josh realizes he has no chance. He goes to his room. Jan exhales and texts Andy. Andy exhales and gets ready to broadcast a football game. On this day, they've done what mothers and fathers do all the time: A child presented them with a choice. They talked about it. They made a decision. They followed through. It was, by almost any measure, a fairly ordinary act of parenting. Except for this: Josh is not their son.

THIS IS A story about a terrible accident and the unfairness of life and the ineffable compassion of friends and that spindly, ever-spreading spider web of emotion that we all bring to our own interpretations of family. But first, let's back up.

Andy Burcham meets Jan Gunnels through a Christian dating website in 2003. Both are in their 40s. Jan knows who Andy is because she has heard him on the radio. She likes Andy's kind eyes and thoughtfulness and the fact that he giggles at her jokes. Jan has a doctorate in education from Auburn, and Andy is smitten with her wit and smarts. He teases that he might walk out on their dinner after she reveals she likes mayonnaise on her hamburgers. They laugh a lot. One date becomes two becomes 10.

Andy proposes on Oct. 2, 2003, a Thursday. That night, he hosts "Tiger Talk," the weekly football radio show. The regular host, Rod Bramblett, is off. Rod and his wife, Paula, are at the hospital. Paula has just given birth to their second child. The baby boy is beautiful. Rod and Paula name him Josh.

Andy and Rod are best friends. Rod is the lead radio voice of Auburn sports. He does play-by-play for football and men's basketball. His most famous calls, like the "Kick Six" or his frantic "A miracle in Jordan-Hare! A miracle in Jordan-Hare!" play on loops in grocery stores and at gas stations all over town. Fans holler "Touchdown, Auburn!" when they see him in restaurants or in his car.

Andy is a sideline reporter during football season and calls women's basketball. He and Rod do play-by-play of Auburn baseball together, riding in vans to games all over the Southeastern Conference. They like listening to satellite radio. Over two decades, no matter the genre, Rod is virtually undefeated when it comes to playing "Name That Tune." When the broadcast crew eats out, Rod will sometimes secretly tell the waiter to ask Andy if he wants mayonnaise on his burger. He cackles when Andy is appalled.

Paula and Jan become close too. They cook for each other when Rod and Andy are on road trips. They joke about how Rod and Andy spend more time in hotel rooms with each other than with their wives. Several times a month, the two couples get together for dinner, especially on Friday nights before football home games. Rod and Paula talk about how Josh is doing in school or how their daughter, Shelby, is doing in basketball. Andy and Jan, who do not have kids, talk about their dogs and their travels and what it's like to be the fun aunt and uncle. Everyone talks about football.

One Friday in the fall of 2018, the four are eating at Venditori's, an Italian restaurant in Auburn. This is one of their regular spots. Rod loves the fried cheese, and Andy likes the sausage Parmesan. All four adore the bread balls soaked in melted butter and garlic. After the entrees are cleared, Rod looks across the table. "We have an important question," he says. "We would like for you to be the guardians of our children if something should happen to us."

Andy and Jan glance at each other. "Can we have a few days to think about this?" Andy says after a long moment, even though he and Jan already know the answer. Dessert is served. The next week in the office, Andy tells Rod that he and Jan would be honored to accept the responsibility. Then they go back to talking about Auburn's next game.

Months go by. In May 2019, just before the SEC baseball tournament, Rod asks Andy for his and Jan's official names; he and Paula are finally getting around to the paperwork. Over dinner that same week, Rod and Paula mention to Josh and Shelby that they asked the Burchams to be guardians. It is a heavy subject, but Rod and Paula present it lightly. They joke that by doing it this way, Shelby will never have to spend any of her own money on her brother. Josh nods. Shelby eats her french fries. Everyone chuckles. The conversation moves on.

A FEW DAYS later, on May 25, 2019, Andy and Jan are at their niece's high school graduation party in Huntsville, more than three hours from Auburn. The party is at a bowling alley. Andy is the kind of bowler who is ecstatic to break 100, but he is having fun. The mood is bright.

His phone rings. It's a friend who is a police officer in Auburn. "Andy, I need to tell you something. There's been a wreck, an accident. It's very serious, and it involves Rod and Paula."

Andy shivers. His throat catches. He croaks, "How serious?" and hears his friend hesitate. "It's very serious."

Jan and Andy leave the bowling alley. They rush to Jan's mother's place, where they've been staying, so they can get their bags. Before they even get back to the car, the phone rings again: Paula is dead. Rod is in critical condition and being airlifted to a hospital in Birmingham.

Andy reels. Jan sits on a bench and calls Shelby. She is 20 now, in North Carolina with friends. When Shelby gets on the phone, Jan says, as gently as she can, "Your mother didn't make it." She tells Shelby that the accident was severe and that the doctors think Paula wasn't conscious after impact. They believe she didn't suffer. Jan's words are swallowed up by Shelby's sobbing.

Andy and Jan begin driving. The highway churns by in a haze of streetlights and brake lights. One hundred miles later, they pull off in Birmingham. They park on the street and speed-walk to the entrance of the hospital. Chris Davis, head of Auburn's radio network, is there. So is Chad Prewett, an assistant basketball coach who happened to be in Birmingham for a wedding and ran over once he heard the news.

They all go into one of the hospital's consultation rooms, small and sterile. They wait. Eventually, the trauma surgeon comes in. He is direct: Rod is dead. Andy bursts into tears.

Jan calls Shelby again. "Where are you? Are you driving?" she asks, worried that Shelby might be behind the wheel. Shelby says her friend is driving, and Jan chokes up. How do you do this once, let alone twice? She tells Shelby that her father did not make it either. She doesn't know what else to say, so she sits on the phone with Shelby and listens to her weep.

In the room at the hospital, Chris and Chad and Andy look at one another. They talk in half sentences and unformed thoughts. The disbelief comes out in sputters. Should we call ...? What about ...? How do we ...?

At one point, Andy raises his head. His eyes are wet. His face is drooped. He opens his mouth and finally speaks out loud what has been pounding in his head ever since the policeman called him at the bowling alley. "You know," he says, "they asked us to be the guardians."

THE FAUCET IS open, and the days rush by. Josh and Shelby stay at Rod's mother's home. There are lawyers to see. Arrangements to make. Conversations to have. Friends send food that piles up on tables and counters. One day, Josh asks if Andy and Jan are planning to move their stuff into his family's house. Andy and Jan stammer. Then they explain that Josh will be moving into their house.

There is a memorial service on campus. Andy gives a eulogy. He talks about the joy Rod and Paula found in each other. He talks about how Rod said he never thought it was possible to love someone as much as he loved Shelby until Josh was born. He tells a funny story about the one time Rod ever got mad at Paula. She bought expensive Bon Jovi tickets on the sly and then, to top it off, didn't even invite Rod to the concert. Paula adored Bon Jovi.

Andy says the road trips he took with Rod rivaled the games themselves. He names their old haunts littered all over the South: Herman's and the Old Hickory Steakhouse and Blue Marlin and the Hullabaloo Diner and Ballyhoo. He dabs his face with a tissue. Then he confesses that his one regret is that he never told Rod he loved him. "I never uttered those words," he says, just above a whisper. He begs those in the crowd not to make the same mistake.

Chris Davis helps Josh and Shelby clean out Rod's office. They find a Lego Batmobile that Rod and Josh built together. They find a piece of paper that says: "To Shelby: War Eagle! Cam Newton." They find a page of basic Italian words and phrases that Rod scratched out; he and Paula had planned a summertime European vacation.

An internet GoFundMe campaign designed to collect donations for Josh's and Shelby's futures raises more than $300,000. Everywhere they go, Andy and Jan and Josh and Shelby see people looking at them. Pursing their lips. Offering a kind word under their breath. Some people call them heroes or saints, and they are that, all four of them. Their strength is mind-boggling. But it also isn't easy. There is no manual for how to put shattered worlds back together, and as Jan, an associate dean for education at Columbus State, says to friends, "This isn't a Lifetime movie." She doesn't mean it coldly, not even a little. She just knows the truth: In real life, we don't live out only the epic parts of our good deeds. We live the get-by of it all. The little stuff. The marrow.

It's things like groceries. Andy can eat Grape-Nuts all day long, but Josh likes Frosted Flakes with marshmallows. He has a favorite soap. And snacks. And sweets. And fruit. Suddenly, everything is a quiz. Laundry piles up in ways never seen before in the Burcham house. Jan answers the phone, and it's the school. Driver's education is starting tomorrow, a voice says, and there will be crash videos shown to the students. Will Josh be OK? Jan has no idea.

Life has become like searching for the light switch in a dark room. Progress is relative. A few weeks after Josh moves in, he is sitting on the couch while Jan cooks dinner. From the stove, Jan asks Josh how his day has gone, how he is feeling. She hears him say, "I feel ... safe here," and her hands tighten on the spoon. Her pulse races.

Another day, Josh calls to tell Jan that he has a project he needs to do that night. "Do we have a glue gun in our house?" he asks, and Jan freezes again. Our house. She glows. Things are going well. Then Josh and Jan have a few tense words at a restaurant while Andy is doing the "Tiger Talk" broadcast, and several friends come up to ask Jan if Josh is "doing OK." She feels confused and self-conscious. Emotions rise and fall and rise again.

Then there is Shelby. She is over 18 and, officially, an adult. She is a junior at Auburn and lives in an apartment with friends. But Andy and Jan want to include her. They want her to feel as if she is a part of everything, if she wants to be. When Andy is named as Rod's replacement in July, becoming the new voice of Auburn sports, Shelby comes to the news conference. She wants to be supportive too.

Yet she is also racked by guilt. Jan takes her to lunch one afternoon. Shelby tells Jan how she knows that, given a choice, Josh would want Shelby to be his guardian, not the Burchams. If Shelby had said that to the lawyers, she says, it might have happened.

She has tried to make peace with it, but it is hard. "How could I be his mother and his sister?" she says. She knows it is impossible. Jan squeezes her hand. Shelby tells Jan that she has thought about it a lot, and she feels certain in her heart that they made the right choice. Josh's parents are already gone, she says. His sister can't be.

That night before bed, Jan tells Andy about her conversation with Shelby because these are the things they talk about now. They used to riff on where they might go on their next vacation or a TV show or an upcoming game that is months down the line. Now they shrink their focus. It is the only way they can sleep.

"You know, Shelby is going to get married someday, right?" Andy says from his side of the bed one evening before Halloween. He looks worried. His mind is racing. Jan cuts him off. "Put it away," she says. "We don't have to deal with it now."

Andy nods. "What about Christmas? What are we going to do for Christmas?" he asks, but even that is too far away. Jan is firm. "Put it away," she says. "We don't have to deal with it right now."

ANDY IS ANXIOUS about being the voice of Auburn. It is the kind of job he wanted his whole life, but its arrival is coated in pain. Everything feels new. For years, Andy drove home after games with Rod, and they would listen to Rod's calls being played on the postgame show. Now he hears himself and drives alone. For the first few weeks, Paul Ellen, who does scoreboard updates during the games, had to catch himself from saying, "That's your update, Rod!" as he threw it back to Andy. When Andy screams "Touchdown, Auburn!" his call is charged and boundless, but it is also higher-pitched than Rod's and a bit more staccato.

There are new responsibilities for Andy as well: dinners with sponsors and hosting events and recording commercials or interviews. He is recognized more. He is asked to do more. It is a whirlwind, but in some ways it feels simple compared with the bigger changes at home.

Josh likes writing. He likes vintage sweaters. He likes music and antiques. He likes Polaroid cameras and Converse sneakers and the sleek metal typewriter he has in his room, which used to be a guest room. Josh calls New York "the city" and the area around western Paris "the 92," because that is what the friends he met on Instagram who live there call it. He wants to live in France someday.

Sports are not a big part of his life. And this is different for Andy and Jan, who know they have to adapt. They are past the caretaker stage now, past simply giving Josh a bed and a roof to sleep under and food to eat. They want to go beyond just providing him a space. It is what they promised after the dinner at Venditori's.

Some of it is simply filling a void. Josh loved going to breakfast with Rod, so Andy offers once or twice a week. He and Josh go to Waffle House or Chick-fil-A for biscuits before school and sit in the parking lot. There isn't much conversation, and that's fine; Andy just wants the time. The presence. The comfort.

Josh is thoughtful and introspective. He is cautious. He is also a teenager with a wicked sense of humor. One day, he tells Jan that he wants to get a Jesus doll for the dashboard of his car. Jan smiles and says, "OK, but if you get a dashboard Jesus, you also have to come to church with us." Josh deliberates. Then he says, with sweetness, "Maybe I'll get some fuzzy dice instead."

The breakthroughs come when Andy and Jan least expect it. On a drive home from Cracker Barrel a few weeks ago, Josh suddenly asks if Andy and Jan would like to hear some of his writing. They can't say yes fast enough.

Jan is driving. Andy is in the passenger seat. Josh is in the back. He reads a poem he has saved on his phone. It is about his mother. His voice is tender.

the black canary's song was never so sweet

as your eyes and your embrace.

your voice was like chocolate melting slowly in

the pot,

as the music plays the curtain draws,

i wonder who decided your fate.

was it me? Or was it just the hymn of the canary,

just singing away.

There is a beat of silence when Josh finishes. Andy and Jan marvel at what they have heard. Then Andy says, "Josh, what was your inspiration when you wrote that?" and Josh thinks for a second.

Finally, he says, "It's just how I was feeling that day."

SHELBY TURNS 21 on Nov. 5. It should be a joyous day, but Nov. 5 was also Rod's birthday, so the emotions are complicated. During the day, orange and blue flowers are placed at Rod's grave. At night, Shelby and Josh and Andy and Jan and Rod's mother go to dinner at a Japanese steakhouse. They watch the fire show and the flashing knives and the flipping shrimp. Everyone sings to Shelby, and she smiles.

Normal is elusive. There are fits and starts. Some things make sense, others don't. A vacation for the four of them to New York is terrific. Discussions about whether Josh should put a location-tracking app on his phone for Andy and Jan are less idyllic. The Brambletts' Shih Tzu poodle, Cooper, gets along just fine with the Burchams' rescue beagle, Taylor. Shelby still calls Jan "Miss Jan" and Andy "Mr. Andy" because that is what she always called them before. It would be strange for her to change.

As a foursome, they are walking right next to one another but still figuring out just the right way to hold hands. Jan will sometimes say to people who ask her about the situation that "we're not a family yet," and she says it that way because she doesn't want to be presumptuous. She doesn't want to assume that's what Josh or Shelby needs or wants. She doesn't want to assume that Josh will want Andy and her in his life after he turns 18. She and Andy don't want to act as if they are simply understudies who were called in to lead.

They can only do what comes naturally to them, big or small. At restaurants, Rod used to order for the table. Now, when the server comes, Andy and Jan say, "Josh, tell him what you'd like." When Josh leaves in the morning, Andy says, "Have a good day, Josh. I love you." He says it more than he ever has, and it doesn't matter whether Josh says it back. Andy says it because he knows it is good for Josh to hear it.

No one talks much about the accident. The police arrested a local teenager, and he has been charged with two counts of manslaughter. Going nearly 90 mph, he plowed into the back of the Brambletts' car while it was stopped at a red light. The youth says he fell asleep at the wheel. Toxicology reports found marijuana in his system. Josh and Shelby don't care much about what happens with the case, although Shelby doesn't like when she hears news reporters talk about how "three lives were ruined that day." She laughs at the idea that it was only three.

All she wants is what Josh and Andy and Jan want as well: to look forward together, even if everything around them has a hint of the past. So the steps come slowly.

One recent afternoon, Jan gets a call from the district attorney. The teenager who crashed into the Brambletts has been charged as an adult. His lawyers are petitioning for him to be sentenced as a minor. The difference is massive, the attorney explains to Jan. As a minor, he might get three years in prison; as an adult, he would be facing more than 20. The attorney wants to know what Josh and Shelby think.

Jan brings it up to Josh. She is nervous about what he will feel, what he will say. But Josh doesn't lash out. He doesn't run from it. He doesn't brood.

He says, very simply, that he believes there should be real consequences for the teen's actions. And then he says, "Someday, I'm going to have children, and my kids will never know their grandparents. They'll never know them."

Josh pauses. "But they'll have y'all," he says to Jan. "They'll know you."

Andy Murray has told BBC Radio 5 Live about his long-term injury, rehabilitation and return to tennis.

The three-time Grand Slam champion won his first singles title since career-saving hip surgery by beating Stan Wawrinka at the European Open in October.

Speaking to 5 Live Breakfast, Murray said: “You’re always putting up a front and a brave face, because you’re not supposed to show emotion in sport.”

A documentary following his surgery and recovery will be shown on Amazon Prime from Friday.

Allen Clarke has left his role as Ospreys head coach after a dire start to their 2019-20 season.

They have won only once in six Pro14 games and lost heavily to Munster and Saracens the Heineken Champions Cup.

Clarke signed a three-year deal with Ospreys to be head coach in April 2018.

The former Ireland hooker joined the region as forwards coach in summer 2017, and became interim boss in January 2018 following the departure of previous boss Steve Tandy.

Losing at Liberty Stadium to South African team Southern Kings on 9 November was arguably the lowest point in recent Ospreys history.

It prompted Clarke to admit the team was going through a "dark period" along with the belief they would "come out the right side of it".

Clarke's exit as head coach comes soon after Ospreys announced backs coach Matt Sherratt is leaving at the end of the current campaign.

Ospreys host another South African team, Cheetahs, in the Pro14 on Saturday hoping for a boost to their morale.

In addition to having a host of players unavailable at the start of the season because of the World Cup in Japan, Ospreys suffered a glut of injuries to available players, making Clarke's task even tougher.

However, he leaves the head coach role having steered them into Europe's top flight this season via a 21-10 qualification play-off win over Scarlets in May.

HURON, S.D. — The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is returning to Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D., on Saturday, Aug. 22 in an event presented by Dakotaland Federal Credit Union.

The event will mark the Outlaws third visit to the three-eighths-mile located at the South Dakota State Fairgrounds. Donny Schatz, the 10-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion, is undefeated with the series at the track, scoring a win in the series most recent trip to Huron in 2017 as well as winning the inaugural event at the venue in 2015.

Leading the way will be Brad Sweet, who claimed his first World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series championship this year. The California native won a series-best 16 races en route to claiming the title by four points over Schatz, who won 11 races.

Also on the tour again in 2020 for most of the races will be David Gravel in the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41, along with 2013 series champion Daryn Pittman, Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, who claimed the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award in 2019, Sheldon Haudenschild, Kraig Kinser, Jacob Allen and Jason Sides.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR and IMSA have announced a number of leadership promotions across the sales, business, partnership marketing and operations.

At NASCAR, Frank Kelleher has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer. Additionally, Michelle Byron and Jeff Wohlschlaeger have both been promoted to Vice President, Partnership Marketing.

Kelleher will oversee a team responsible for business strategy and revenue generation across the sanctioning body and its 14 motorsports entertainment facilities. In his new role, he will lead a sales force comprised of two critical business areas, partnership and media sales.

Kelleher, a 16-year veteran with International Speedway Corporation, will assume the role of NASCAR Chief Sales Officer, which was previously held by Jon Tuck, who has left the company to pursue other opportunities. Kelleher will continue to report into Daryl Wolfe, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations and Sales Officer and will be based in Daytona Beach, Fla.

“As collaboration becomes increasingly important across our sport, Kelleher’s industry knowledge and strength in creating lasting relationships has proven to be a valuable asset throughout his career,” said Wolfe. “Frank has taken a leading role in delivering strategic sponsorships across our entire ecosystem and we are excited to have him lead our sales operation during this important time for our sport.”

Byron and Wohlschlaeger will oversee a team that is responsible for managing and delivering value to the wide-ranging number of brands invested across the sanctioning body and its track facilities.

Byron has been with NASCAR for nearly 20 years and has been accountable for managing a team focused on driving value for Official Partners such as Axalta, Chevrolet and Mobil 1. She has been instrumental in developing key partner initiatives including retail programs, live fan events and national promotions.

Wohlschlaeger has more than 25 years of sports industry experience spanning across the Chicago Bulls and NASCAR. Most recently, Wohlschlaeger was responsible for delivering value for entitlement partners Monster Energy, Xfinity and Gander Outdoors, implementing strategies that helped strengthen and differentiate each series.

Both will report into Jill Gregory, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.  Byron will be based in Charlotte, N.C., and Wohlschlaeger will be based in Daytona Beach, Fla.

“Sponsorship is the lifeblood of our sport and delivering value to our partners will always be a primary area of focus for our organization,” said Gregory, “Michelle and Jeff bring a wealth of experience and established industry relationships that will help our partners navigate our ecosystem and maximize their return on investment.”

Meanwhile, IMSA announced that David Pettit has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Marketing and Business Operations, and Brandon Huddleston has been promoted to Vice President, Partnership Marketing and Business Development.

Pettit will continue to lead the sanctioning body’s marketing efforts, and his role will be expanded to include IMSA Properties led by Rick Humphrey. Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Sebring Int’l Raceway and Seven Sebring Raceway Hotel comprise IMSA Properties.

He joined the organization in 2009 and has played an integral role in IMSA’s historical growth with oversight for marketing and partnership development, later adding IMSA Communications to his role, along with oversight of IMSA’s TV and digital platform growth. He most recently added responsibility for IMSA’s technology operations.

Huddleston, in his nearly 15-year tenure with the company, has had roles in almost every facet of the marketing department. He currently leads the partnership marketing team as well as automotive business development. Past roles have included developing the current sponsorship structure, implementing a robust licensing and merchandising program (including the 50th anniversary program) and event promotions.

Under his new role, he will continue to lead the corporate partnership team and also oversee non-endemic business development along with event and promoter relations. He will continue to report to David Pettit.

“I want to congratulate David and Brandon on these well-deserved promotions,” IMSA CEO Ed Bennett said. “I have known them both for many years and have always been impressed by their passion and commitment to making IMSA better in everything they do for our stakeholders. I look forward to them being a part of IMSA’s senior management team in 2020 along with our Vice President, Competition Simon Hodgson and new President, John Doonan.”

WILMETTE, Ill. — The world’s two most successful race operators have recently gone private with their business transactions after being traded publicly for decades.

How does this change the motorsports landscape?

October 2019 will be recognized as a landmark period in the business of motorsports.  Both International Speedway Corp. and Speedway Motorsports, Inc. are no longer publiclytraded entities.

International Speedway Corp. and NASCAR announced their intention to merge late last year.  The France family offered to acquire the outstanding shares they did not own and take the company private.

The initial offer of $42 per share was raised to $45 after a set of negotiations, litigation and review by financial advisers. A set of independent directors (non-France family members) recommended approval.

A proxy vote was sent to outside shareholders and approved by a majority. As a result, shares under the ticker symbol ISCA are no longer being traded on NASDAQ.

The deal that made International Speedway Corp. a privately held company was valued at $2 billion.

ISC shares were traded publicly for more than 20 years, after the initial IPO in 1996.

Subsequent to the delisting, ISC was purchased by NASCAR and became a wholly owned subsidiary.

Speedway Motorsports’ timeline was shorter. Company officials announced a desire to go private in April.

Bruton Smith and his family offered to buy all outstanding shares it did not own, starting with an offer at $18 per share and ending up at $19.75 per share. The deal to take SMI private is valued at $800 million.

The majority of NASCAR Cup Series tracks are now under the private ownership of the France and Smith families. NAS­CAR/ISC owns 12 venues and SMI holds eight.

Why did these companies go private?

The primary reason is to face the headwinds of a competitive economic landscape.

Being able to make decisions without the scrutiny of the public markets is attractive.  Meeting quarterly analyst estimates and expenses for regulatory compliance is no longer necessary.

Decreasing attendance, declining television ratings, a challenging sponsorship environment and the uncertainty of broadcast contract renegotiation are the industry’s biggest concerns. The expiration of the tax break for motorsports facilities is also a factor.

Significant changes are being discussed about the future of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, with a reduction in the number of races and a shorter season among the possibilities.

The broadcast contracts have been the most consistent — and largest — source of revenue for track operators. The current contract expires in 2024 and is valued at $4 billion. It pays about $800 million annually for a bundle of media rights covering NASCAR-related properties.

Uncertainty over the renegotiation of these contracts is significant due to the rapidly changing media landscape. A guaranteed increase is not a given and plateaued levels of revenue are possible.

In addition, the sponsorship model is being redesigned to offer tiered levels. Series entitlement and category exclusivity will no longer be the focus. Flexibility and bundling of rights with multiple properties will be the norm.

The key to the future is strategic flexibility. The France and Smith families are making significant commitments to the future of the sport and they have the backing of the financial institutions. They must be willing to innovate and make changes and the racing community will ultimately benefit from well-thought out decisions.