Quality of Cricket Commentators

Entertainment Cricket and Other Sports
21

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

And I bet after every comment, he puts the mic down and looks into the mirror and thinks "mai kinna sohna tey changaa aan"

Bewafa
22

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

Well, there are far too many of these useless commentators that I'd rather not waste my and your time writing about them.

And even when there is a person with a lot of useful info to contribute, sometimes the delivery style (monotone) makes it a big drag. We are trying to enjoy a friggin' game of cricket, not to listen to a lecture, for crying out loud. Amongst the whole galaxy of former cricket players who now fancy themselves as ace cricket commentators (arguably simply because of lucrative money involved) only a handful are worth the moneny paid to them. I still firmly stand by my first comment that cricket needs better and professional commentators to bring back some excitement in TV commentary. People who are actually trained in voice control and are proficient in language. Many of these former cricketers just don't fit the bill, their cricketing accomplishments notwithstanding.

23

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

^Everything said and done, Cricket commentary is in much better hands than it was 10 years ago. So I am not sure what you have been complaining about.

Give us some examples - which so-called "professional commentators" would you rather listen to.

24

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

I really have no idea if Indian commentators really sucked 10 years ago or what. But I am pretty sure on an over-all basis I enjoyed Pakistani commentators of yester-years much more than the current breed of so-called experts rambling on and on.

25

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

My all time-favourite commentators in no particular order

  • Iftikhar Ahmed (copied English commentator Christopher Martin Jenkins (CMJ) I think) but sometimes he overdid that uppish rubbish............
  • Bill Lawry
  • CMJ
  • Hasan Jaleel (very lively, almost the perfect voice for urdu)
  • Chishti Mujahid
  • Tony Greg
  • Benaud
  • The late Omer Kureishi
  • The late Brian Johnston (English commentator)
  • Aggers (Jonathan Agnew) - English
  • Henry Blofeld - English

And I agree that the standard of commentators is not what it used to be in the 70s and 80s (the Golden age of cricket!)

May 6, 2010 - World T20 - Pakistan v England
26

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

^ Although I don't recognize a name here and there but over all a great list. Some of these are the kinda ppl you can actually look forward to in terms of listening. Good conversationalists.

On a related note, most commentators from UK have this dry sense of humor that I enjoy. Plus their accent sounds refreshing compared to both the American accent I listen to all day or the desi commentators who are asked to speak english. Remember that Henry guy who used comment in Sharjah matches and made a huge deal out of the fancy ear-rings etc of female spectators. The guy brought a smile to everyone's face, but did not miss a beat in terms of action on the field.

27

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

Examples sir jee...examples.

You are speaking in too much generalities. I have listened to Pak commentators as well (yes 'yesteryears' waale...)...don't recall anybody that special...but I could be wrong.

28

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

One crappy commentator if you ask me...oh yes...the ear-rings...that is probably the only thing people remember of him. He still comes on during some matches...never gets into any technalities...because he just cannot afford to....with the kind of Cricket "insight" he has.

Geoff Boycott....now there's a commentator I like...no sugar-coating...no spinning....no diplomacy....calls a spade, a spade

29

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

One of the reason I think commentry quality is not the same, simply because many are ex-cricketers and therefore resulting in biased comments most of the time. Plus you dont see that energy when the bowlers comes to bowl that you see in Football, thanks to commercials after every over and if they are not on, cricket commentry becomes sight seeing guide for that very city, where the game is played.

30

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

I think you guys are becoming nostalgic for nothing. Not everything that is OLD is GOLD....

Reminds me of the guy who looks at his vintage 70's car and wistfully tells his friend - "They don't make cars like this anymore". His friend says - "Yes, you are right...the cars today are much more safer, run much smoother and are much more reliable".

31

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

Oh how could I forget Henry Blofeld. Even the comedian Moin Akhtar took inspiration from him. He played the role of a selector in one of the episodes of Studio 21/2 (late 80s- early 90s TV show) and was asked by someone (can't remember her name)

aap Sharjah kyon nahin gaye?

Moin: jee main jhumkon main bohut bura lagta hoon, naa main cigar peeta hoon aur naa main jhumke pehan sakta hoon, phir main TV pe kiss tarah aa sakta hoon?

and the audience burst into laughter

32

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

And Holding is not biased...he is biggest biased pro-indian and anti-paksitani prick out there...the less said about his pro-windies biast the better...I don't find his commentary at all helpful nor insightful...

33

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

^ Holding is biased towards India. Wow, my opinion about his commentary just went up a few notches !!

34

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

Yeah with the revenues being generated by Indian sponsors...it's not surprising to see the long list of fools lining up to sell their dignity...you can include that match fixer Wasim in the list as well...

35

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

Some1, we are not talking about cars here. Your analogy is pretty bad. And while you are certainly entitled to your opinion that present corp of cricket commentators are the best thing that happened to cricket since sliced bread, I stand by my opinion that properly trained and professional commentators are better and that they can come from other backgrounds too, and not necessarily have to be former test cricketers.

36

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

Try to tell the same thing when half of your screen is patched up with commercials. Nice comparison :smack:

have you watched NFL game recently? have you watched Hockey (ICE/ North American) recently? and if this seems distant then have you seen australian cricket commentry during a ODI or Test game recently?

My point is simple, old time or present, they have their ways to keep the interest of viewers, either by using triva, providing stats (significant to the teams/players playing).

37

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

Please do not hyperbole-ize my opinion to make your point. You can certainly do better than that.

The premise of this thread was pretty vague and weak to start with. After some goofing around the subject with generalities (like commentator with 'good voice' etc and you weren't even talking about Lata Mangeshkar ).... you got around to the realization that you did actually like some of the ex-Pak cricket commentators(from the days of the RADIO !!) and ear-ring Blofeld. Well, everyone has his own tastes, so I am not questioning your likes or dislikes....but I have been asking for concrete examples of your choices and so far what I have is only Henry Blofeld....and that is not saying much I am afraid.

38

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

There's nothing like Richi Benaud's voice to get the blood pumping.

39

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators

During Australia's tour to Bangladesh.

It started raining in the **test **and Banlgadesh were almost about to beat the Aussies.

** Ravi Shastri** : Where do you see the match going from here,Athar ?
** Athar Khan** : Oh no,the Duckworth Lewis will come into play and Bangladesh will win.

Source: some forums ;)

40

Re: Quality of Cricket Commentators


Well, actually you are the one who keeps poking back in again and again to repeat that you like the current lot of former-cricketers-turned-commentators. Fine for you. What you don't realize is that you probably never heard good quality commentators of yester-years. Its not my fault, ofcourse, that you missed out on some great commentators, and now you think the current lot is good. Those who know what I am talking about, agree with what I am saying. Unfortunately I can not recreate good commentary video clips for you now. Just your luck. Enjoy the current lot! :)

welcome me my chumlies