Yesterday night I was watching India vs. South Africa match. Basically I was waiting for Laxman and Dhoni’s century. The commentators were full on with their analysis. On that time Laxman Shivaramakrishnan and Darrel Cullinun was in commentary box. Suddenly one small conversation caught my ear. It’s not word by word, but I am trying to quote them here.
Shiva: India is having so many support stuffs from South Africa. Gary Kirsten, Paddy Upton, Siemence.
Cullinun: Yeah. These two countries are in good relation for such a long time. Isn’t it? It’s around 150 years.
Shiva: No way, whoever are the support stuffs, its India who is playing good. It’s India who is at rank 1 and south Africa at no 2. Nobody cares support stuffs belong from which country
Cullinun: Hey am not saying that. I am saying relation between India and South Africa. Since Gandhi went there we are in good relation.
Shiva: Look, first test was all about your country. Now we are playing good. These guys are playing like champions.
Then Cullinun stopped talking on this topic. Shivaramakrisnan kept talking on the same line. Now can anybody relate Shiva’s comment regarding the statement Cullinun made? Is he dumb? Does he at all capable to sit in the commentary box?
Commentary in cricket is far far different than other sports. In a slow game like cricket where one can find plenty of time gaps between balls and over. So they need to utilize the time to speak something sensible and entertaining so that television viewers don’t lose interest in the game. Yes I am talking about television commentary only. Again it is different than commentary over radio. In TV everything is in front of you, the score, who is bowling from which end, how the shot is offered, how the players reacted. For radio, listeners look for every minute detail. If you ever listened to radio commentary you will find it is like “Dale Styne starting a new over from the pavilion end, bowling with 3 slips and one deep gulley…..he put the ball short….Dhoni goes for a pull…..but didn’t manage to connect it properly. Ball went to midwicket region, Kallis fielded the ball, and one run scored. India 556/6 after the first ball of 143rd over.”
Now days there are so many sports channels and so much cricket is being played, everybody started their commentary career. I feel in last 6-8 years the quality of commentary has deteriorated a lot. The guys who are good commentators are still doing good. But the new comers didn’t able to make any impact. Being a good player is not the condition to be a commentator. Look at Harsha Bhogle, without playing any sorts of cricket he is now an expert commentator.
Lets look into some great commentators. First name comes into my mind is Richie Benaud. His voice and style of talking is really soothing. There is no doubt about his game reading capability as well. That made him a copybook commentator. However still I think his genre is test match only. For ODI and T20 we need some exciting voice especially in death. Just like Tony Greig. I still remember his shout when Kanitkar hit Saqlin Mustaq for four to win the final against Pakistan in Bangabondhu stadium in Bangladesh chasing 314. Geofrey Boycott is another legend. How can I forget his exciting commentary in Taunton Cricket ground during 1999 world Cup. I like Ravi Shastri, Gavaskar, Holding, Harsha Bhogle and Wasim Akram’s commentary. Ramij Raja’s talking style is good but the problem is whenever Pakistan plays, he becomes partial. Whatever Pakistan does, appears good move for him. Same problem is there with Navojyot Sidhu with India. But When I see commentators like Laxman Shivaramakrishnan, Venkatesh Prasad, Sanjay Manjerekar, Ranjit Fernandez then surely I mute my Television set and enjoy the match. I can’t accept them as cricket commentator.
Showing posts with label Cricket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cricket. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
A letter to Andy Bichel
Dear Mr. Andy Bichel,
I don’t know if you really have made any comment on Ajit Agarkar like “you Indian, you do as you are told”. Even if you made such comment, there is nothing to be surprised. The day I started watching cricket I can hardly recall any GENTLEMAN’s name, who has played for Australia. Yes I know Steve Waugh is there, Mark Taylor as well. But the list of unsporting, arrogant, impolite players is so long, those good names are hiding their faces. Whom should I put first? Glen McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Greg Chappel, Allan Border, Dean Jones, Andrew Symonds, Mathew Hayden, Michael Slater, Shane Warne, Shane Watson. It’s a never ending queue. But there is one more similarity between these players apart from their attitude and character. That is they all are undoubtedly among the best in the business. Yes I know, they are good players and that does not mean they can humiliate others, make harsh comments. Still they did so in past, examples are not important here. But If I talk about you then I must confess what did you achieve in your cricket career? You must have forgotten your career details. Let’s have a quick look on that. You started you career in 1996 and played till early 2004. That means eight long years you were in the international circuit. Australia usually plays 10-15 tests in a year. That means in this duration Australia has played at least 80 test matches. Among those 80 matches you played only 19 matches, rather I must say Australia allowed you to represent their cricket team only for those 19 matches. And yes you proved their decision right to keep you out of the team by only taking 58 wickets. You claimed yourself as all rounder in your own website, but you have managed only 355 runs in test cricket with average of 16.9 and highest score as 71. I don’t even think you are a good one day international player as you played only 67 matches taking 78 wickets only. Batting in One day? Even worse. You scored only a single half century there. I should not compare you with anyone, but for your information Ajit Agarkar has played 26 tests and 191 one day international with 58 and 288 wickets consecutively. Once he was scoring consecutive ducks in Australia you guys made a mockery out of him, but he has a test century. He is the quickest 50 and 100 wicket taker in one day international. His one day international highest score is 95 and has 2 more half centuries. He also has more 5 wicket haul than you. He is not among the best bowlers/players India has ever produced, but your performance is not even comparable with him. More illustration about your quality-level is not required here; people around you are not dumb. You claim yourself as a bowling coach, I didn’t find any coaching recognition of you in your website, do you really have any? No need to defend yourself on the ground why you are selected as KKR’s bowling coach. You are from Queensland; the same place where John Buchanan is from, even a little kid can relate these two things. You are making money from India, BCCI, Indian Cricket so at least be loyal with it, with your job. Time will say if you made any racial comment or not, but if not then don’t dare to do that. Once you get time stand in front of a mirror and ask the person in the mirror “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?” If you get a quick answer then it will be good for you, else keep asking that. The thing is you will get enough time to do this practice; the day is not far when you and your joker band party will be kicked out of the IPL2 circuit. Start praying……………
I don’t know if you really have made any comment on Ajit Agarkar like “you Indian, you do as you are told”. Even if you made such comment, there is nothing to be surprised. The day I started watching cricket I can hardly recall any GENTLEMAN’s name, who has played for Australia. Yes I know Steve Waugh is there, Mark Taylor as well. But the list of unsporting, arrogant, impolite players is so long, those good names are hiding their faces. Whom should I put first? Glen McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Greg Chappel, Allan Border, Dean Jones, Andrew Symonds, Mathew Hayden, Michael Slater, Shane Warne, Shane Watson. It’s a never ending queue. But there is one more similarity between these players apart from their attitude and character. That is they all are undoubtedly among the best in the business. Yes I know, they are good players and that does not mean they can humiliate others, make harsh comments. Still they did so in past, examples are not important here. But If I talk about you then I must confess what did you achieve in your cricket career? You must have forgotten your career details. Let’s have a quick look on that. You started you career in 1996 and played till early 2004. That means eight long years you were in the international circuit. Australia usually plays 10-15 tests in a year. That means in this duration Australia has played at least 80 test matches. Among those 80 matches you played only 19 matches, rather I must say Australia allowed you to represent their cricket team only for those 19 matches. And yes you proved their decision right to keep you out of the team by only taking 58 wickets. You claimed yourself as all rounder in your own website, but you have managed only 355 runs in test cricket with average of 16.9 and highest score as 71. I don’t even think you are a good one day international player as you played only 67 matches taking 78 wickets only. Batting in One day? Even worse. You scored only a single half century there. I should not compare you with anyone, but for your information Ajit Agarkar has played 26 tests and 191 one day international with 58 and 288 wickets consecutively. Once he was scoring consecutive ducks in Australia you guys made a mockery out of him, but he has a test century. He is the quickest 50 and 100 wicket taker in one day international. His one day international highest score is 95 and has 2 more half centuries. He also has more 5 wicket haul than you. He is not among the best bowlers/players India has ever produced, but your performance is not even comparable with him. More illustration about your quality-level is not required here; people around you are not dumb. You claim yourself as a bowling coach, I didn’t find any coaching recognition of you in your website, do you really have any? No need to defend yourself on the ground why you are selected as KKR’s bowling coach. You are from Queensland; the same place where John Buchanan is from, even a little kid can relate these two things. You are making money from India, BCCI, Indian Cricket so at least be loyal with it, with your job. Time will say if you made any racial comment or not, but if not then don’t dare to do that. Once you get time stand in front of a mirror and ask the person in the mirror “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?” If you get a quick answer then it will be good for you, else keep asking that. The thing is you will get enough time to do this practice; the day is not far when you and your joker band party will be kicked out of the IPL2 circuit. Start praying……………
A very common Indian Cricket Fan
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