Cricket Can't Do Without 'em..

Remember Yuvraj gushing sixes off Broad in the 20-20 WC? Would those moments be the same if behind the mic, it were not the ecstatic, overjoyed voice of Ravi Shastri, but the deep baritone of Michael Holding, his profile perhaps as ecstatic as Shastri, but the unwavering frequency of his voice sounding as if Geoffrey Boycott’s mother could have performed the same feat without breaking a sweat.

Commentators can make a world of difference to a match broadcast. We don’t want commentators to tell us what we can already see on our screens. We don’t want commentators treating us like cricket illiterates. We know, Mr. Commentator, that the line belongs to the umpire. Or that the ball is clearly pitching outside the leg stump. We know that’s Preity Zinta at whom the camera is focusing. We don’t know her next release, but we’re not interested in hearing about that. Yes, we heard the joke the first time, and we didn’t like it, can you get on with the game now?

What is the difference between a Charu Sharma and an Ian Chappell? If a player, say Sehwag, scores runs, Chappell will talk about the still head, the batspeed, the conscious effort to take singles and keep the momentum going. Charu Sharma will talk of him like a soap opera actor, his 'unyielding will to prove his mettle', 'selfless character' and other phrases he might have picked up while co-hosting matches with Mandira Bedi. And unfortunately, her sense of humour seems to have rubbed off on him as well. He knows cricket, but he could do with talking a little more about that than actresses, though it’s not his fault that the channel he’s working for directs him to interview movie celebrities during match intervals.

Then of course there is the League of Extraordinary Commentators. They are paid to talk about cricket, and they gladly oblige. A few of my favourite commentators are:

Ian Chappell:

His views are clear and uncluttered. If you didn’t think Geoffrey Boycott was a great batsman, say it. You don’t have to laugh at every one of your fellow commentator’s jokes. You can ignore the girls in the crowd being shown on the screen and continue criticizing Ponting for not plugging the gap between 2^nd slip and gully. He is a great thinker of the game.

David Lloyd:

When the dead pitch is making batsmen out of mortals, we could do with a joke or two, or a friendly banter, or an interesting story. He can make a living out of stand-up comedy, this guy.

Harsha Bhogle:

He’s just so passionate about cricket, it’s infectious. His mannerisms are of a cricket authoritarian, his demeanor of a well-trained journalist, but his eyes give him away. His eyes reflect the childish wonder we all feel when Sehwag dispatches a perfect outswinger to the cover boundary fence with the flash of a blade.

Dean Jones, Tony Greig, Bill Lawry:

Don’t hold back. Let it all out. Commentating is not a job for these guys, they just seem to be enjoying every bit of it so much.

Geoffrey Boycott:

If the fielding is roobish, say it. Then interrupt Harsha and say it again. It’s quite a relief to hear someone not afraid of being politically incorrect. He’s not going to be invited for dinner by the ECB officials anytime soon, but he doesn’t care, does he. His is a proud mum.

RaviShastri:

Once in a while he goes overboard, praising Swapnil Asnodkar’s mistimed slog as if he’s just cover-driven Dale Steyn on the up, on a seaming wicket at the Wanderer’s. But that can be forgiven. The energy and enthusiasm in his voice keeps the average viewer from giving up on any match.

Navjot Singh Sidhhu:

O guru, his commentary is like a trip through the Amazon, you never know what’s coming next!

There are others, such as Mark Nicholas, Ian Botham, Nasser Hussain, Bob Willis, Michael Slater, Michael Holding, Alan Wilkins, who will provide their share of insightful analysis and interesting anecdotes to keep the match alive.

Did I miss out on Richie Benaud? Not really. When Michael Atherton was given a commentary job, he asked the channel’s executive producer what preparatory steps he should take. “None”, came the reply, ”Just listen to Benaud”. That should sum up Richie Benaud.

I read somewhere once, that Tony Greig perhaps should be given credit for half of Tendulkar’s success, for all the praise he showered upon Sachin during his commentary stints. That was a joke, of course, but it’s interesting how we recount special cricketing moments with the ongoing commentary at that time playing out in our minds.

Commentary is like a background score in a movie. The commentators give words to the emotions of the viewer and  hope to the dejected fans, apart from, of course,  telling us when the new ball is due, the number of deliveries Richardson has faced without scoring a run, the speed variations of Vettori, and of course, who the celebrity being shown on our screens is.