yes. yes, i do. yeah. i mean, when i'm painting i was think i'm 30. did you ever feel under pressure during your career to have a different style, to not do figurative work? well, i neverfelt pressure, no. i always did what i wanted to do. that's what i've done every day of those 64 years. i've done what i wanted to do every day. can you pick a work out which you are less pleased with? one in the exhibition where you go, "that was maybe not my finest hour"? not my finest hour? in your opinion. em... i don't think there's any in the show that i would say are absolutely terrible. i mean, i'm not saying i'm that good. but i'm not that terrible either.

what makes a good picture? we don't know, because if we knew there'd be a lot more memorable pictures, wouldn't there? and there aren't that many. and i've done a few memorable pictures. i know this now. when you were painting the biggest splash or any of those very famous images, you didn't know at the time that these were going to have the potency that they... no, no. i didn't know. in fact, you're always a little bit baffled why. all artists, especially if they're painters, have to take on art history. it's a challenge. do you feel you have successfully done that and earned a place among the greats? well i think i've... i think i have done that. i think i've achieved something here.

i think so. that was david hockney talking to our arts editor, will gompertz. that's it. newsnight is on bbc two. we're live in paris tonight where the leading candidates for the presidential election are already slugging it out. it looks like a battle between a freshfaced liberal and anti—immigrant, antiestablishment populism. the ultimate showdown. join me on bbc two. on bbc one it's time for the news where you are. hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm hugh woozencroft. your main headlines this evening... captain cook no longer... after two ashes victories and a record 59 matches in the role, alastair cook steps down as england's test skipper. russia will not be allowed to compete at this year's world championship in london. athletics governing body the iaaf

suspended them from competition due to recent "state sponsored doping". and the loss of a legend — the former south africa captain there's plenty to come, including news on uk sport funding. but first... but first, alastair cook had become "drained" as england's test captain — that's according to england's director of cricket andrew strauss. cook stepped down today after leading his country in a record 59 matches. a warning — there's some flash photography coming up injoe wilson's report. 2012 and england's new cricket captain alastair cook posed for cameras like a visit to the dentist —

he would rather not, but he knew he had to, so smile. alastair cook captained his way, old —fashioned, reasonable, and yes, even inspirational. on foreign soil or at home, he withstood more test matches than any other england captain. but it takes its toll. the demands get to every skipper eventually. wi but i know it's the correct decision for me, and the right time for the team." alastair cook's record makes him one of britain's outstanding sportsman in an era where live cricket was only available on pay tv in the uk. england won just over 40% of the test matches he captained, not the best record, but better than most of his predecessors. as a batsman, no—one in britain has played more test matches oi’ made as many runs. cook recently overtook his mentor, graham gooch.

he has worked feverishly hard on his technique over the years to improve that technique. we have seen a fantastic test cricketer. the rock of the england batting for the last decade. cook is only 32 and wants to carry on as a batsman, but who replaces him as captain? no decision officially as yet, but the heir apparent has always beenjoe root. the highly talented batsman, but unknown as captain, as he recently reflected in a bbc interview. it's one of those things you have to learn on the job. the timing of this is quite relevant, but being a dad you don't really know what to do until you have to go with it and see how it goes. i imagine it would be similar. cook once told me he felt his england era had been tarnished by claims made by kevin pietersen in his book. alistair cook won two

ashes series during his five years leading the team, and took over the captaincy from andrew strauss. my my conversations with him injanuary became pretty clear, that he felt that there was a huge amount of energy and drive and determination needed to take the test team forward in the next 12 months forward, heading to the ashes. deep down, he was getting drained by i suppose the rele ntlessness was getting drained by i suppose the relentlessness of being captain. you are the only person who knows how much gas you have in the tank and how much all the many demands are of being captain and what it is taking out of you. alastair was honest about that, and he feels it is time for some new blood and fresh thinking. he has had some difficulties to overcome, personally

and collectively in the five years. he has dealt with it unbelievably well and, at times, a lesser man would have not been able to deal with those. athletics governing body the iaaf has said that russia will not be able to compete at the 2017 athletics world championships in london. speaking alongside president seb coe, rune andersen said russia still had work to do. there will be no reinstatement, until everything functions. there was a milestone in may, where they will start conducting testing, and presumably, if everything goes in accordance with the plan, there will bea accordance with the plan, there will be a full reinstatement by november

2017. that means that russia, as a nation, is not recommended by us to be reinstated until that time. the participation from russian athletes isa participation from russian athletes is a different issue. because, since june of last year, there's been a possibility for athletes to apply for eligibility, to participate in international competitions. that still stands, and russian athletes will be able to apply for such participation. roona andersen was speaking alongside the seb coe there. the iaaf president has faced questions over exactly when he was aware of corruption allegations at the body. his former aide nick davies was sacked for concealing a 30,000 euro payment and misleading investigators. our sports news correspondent

richard conway has been speaking to coe. there is flash photography in this report. it has been a difficult few days for you in terms of people talking about that trust and confidence, mps in parliament saying that you misled them, what is your response to that accusation?” that you misled them, what is your response to that accusation? i did not mislead them or any select committee. i have global sport to run across 214 countries, they have a report to write. i have furnished the committee with every piece of information that they asked of me. i appeared in front of them for over three hours not long ago, and this isa three hours not long ago, and this is a situation, for me, which is very important that i am able to focus on all of the things that we have talked about, the timelines, task forces, i have two focus on that. bringing back that trust, is, as you say, if there were issues on the sidelines coming back to

question that. your former right—hand man nick davies finding out in the last few days that the ethics committee say that he cannot work for the iaaf any more but can work for the iaaf any more but can work in the sport. it was an independentjudgment by work in the sport. it was an independent judgment by the work in the sport. it was an independentjudgment by the ethics committee but, do you think it is a lenient punishment? as you rightly made the point, the ethics board is independent. it