Your Favourite Commentators/ Cricket experts

[thevortex]

Agree about Chappell. But Manjrekar's tactics are cheap? Could you elaborate ? Arun lal has to start talking tactics before he goes ahead of anybody. I find it more interesting to listen his insight into "birds" and his tete a tete with the like minded Rameez Raja. Again I am not talking about the delivery. I guess Tony Greig, Gower or someone like Lawry might be preferred choices. The Sky commentators do offer entertainment quotient, but I can get better from channel nine. Sky are a delusional bunch when it comes to judging their team's credentials. In last Ashes, which Aus really should have won, if you are new guy to cricket and you happen to listen to these mojos, you would think that Eng. have been dominating for last 20 years and Aus have just started to compete. I do like Holding though, offers a neutral perspective. Bumble is the humane clown in the piece. It is interesting to listen to them this year, when idea of "world's best" is being tossed around every so frequently. Fom England, I prefer Mark Nicholas. Very strong reading of the game and a good host.

Tony Greig is not what he was. So he probably wont be anybody's preferred choices. Except perhaps the Sri Lankans for whom he has what seems to be the softest spot. I repeat - Manjrekar is not on the same scale as a commentator when compared to anybody else we are takling about. He is just like Akash Chopra who sounds articulate when he is writing. But he is a disaster when it comes to live commentary. His delivery is not smooth and that spoils everything. Even Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has a comparatively smooth delivery of comments than Manjrekar or Chopra. About cheapness, I was talking about his various tactics to bring attention to himself through bombastic claims. Mostly about Tendulkar - whenever and wherever he can. You talk about Channel 9 being a happy bunch when it comes to their team winning. Nobody beats Healy and Slater in that respect. Or even Mark Nicholas. The guy would go construct a church for the Australian team if he could. That is how lovesick he sounds when he talks about Australian cricket. Oh and I know there are lots of people who dont like Arun Lal talking about birds and stuff. That does not bother me. And he does bring out his knowledge in cricket too during commentary. He comes across as an empathetic commentator who is at the same time not averse to calling it as he sees it. My view.

[Thommo]

I guess every country has its own flavour..But even as I say it, there is a serious lack of proffessionalism when it comes to the subcontinent(and Im obviously not proud of that)...The ability to remain neutral is one of the "skills" I admire in commentators alongwith the ability to read the game well I have had the priviledge to listen to some of the ones who have earned a name for themselves like Richie Benaud and Tony Cozier Cricket knowledge is not only knowing the positions in field, field settings, game rules, but also the ability to engage the viewer and relate to the game..Tv commentator shudnt state the obvious(as the viewer is aware of the proceedings), but he shud bring in as aspect, which the viewer has not comprehended yet.. I have seen those abilities in Ravi Shastry and Manjrekar(occasionally) from the Indian perspectives But the ones I enjoy personally speaking, is Bumble...He is an absolute entertainer, and I just love his wits..Nasser Hussain isnt the greatest, but I believe that in the company of Bumble and Paul Allot he has grown leaps and bounds..Holding is always focussed on the game, add Botham to that list, and theres enuf reasons to belive that SKY has the best of the lot Jadeja is one guy who has missed out, as I believe his 'views' are better than his cricket itself-sadly he cud have been a better panelist on the cricket commentry team instead of the mediocre ones like Arun Lal,Siva etc The ones I cannot bear is Venkatesh Prasad,Attapattu and all his country mates,Sidhu,Tony Greig,Wasim,Rameez to name a few Harsha Boghle's prose and poetry gets to my nerves very often While I feel Ian Chappell can offer more than he has done so far, but his prejudice works against him All in all, a good commentators panel always make cricket far more exciting on TV than it usually does or is

[ina_jawaan]

Best cricket commentators What are people's thoughts on the commentators who illuminate the sport we love with their observations and insights? For me Ian Chappell is right up there. The guy was a great batsman, great captain, part of a great cricketing family, he just has so much knowledge but what stands out is his uncompromising advocacy of attacking cricket. The call he made about the criminal shortsightedness of the selectors in dropping Sehwag for the tour of Australia must rank as one of the most acute critiques of selectorial policy ever - especially when Sehwag was recalled for the latter part of the series and justified his selection with an immortal matchsaving hundred. http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/324429.html Sometimes he goes overboard in his enthusiasm for attacking cricket, as when he called Sehwag "the new Bradman" http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/442012.html but hey the guy is only human after all and i would rather have someone doing that than being a geoff boycott. talking of which, what about his putdown of Boycott who he obviously can't stand?! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG5Bk93RMks]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG5Bk93RMks[/ame] A man who doesn't mince his words but always puts the interests of good attacking cricket foremost. Richie Benaud was probably the greatest exponent of the art of running commentary on television though - his retirement has left a gaping hole which will never be filled. He had the art of describing a scene of cricket better than any other person I can think of - I still remember him commentating when Kapil Dev hit Eddie Hemmings for 4 consecutive sixes when Indian needed 24 to save the follow on at Lords in 1990. The sense of wonder, bemusement and admiration he managed to convey is something I will never forget [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fusw4po3YLE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fusw4po3YLE[/ame] When it comes to radio I am old enough to remember John Arlott's dulcet, wine rich tones and his combination of insight and literary edification of the game was inimitable - younger cricket fans can watch a BBC news report featuring news of his death (at around 7 minutes) here: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdotKNqeFsU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdotKNqeFsU[/ame] But I still have a nostalgic yearning for some of the great cricket commentators I used to listen to as a little boy in India in the seventies - how my 10 year old self used to look forward to the likes of Dicky Rutnagur and the unforgettable AFS Talyarkhan! Yes I suppose I am showing my age by referring to these bygone legends - to be honest the modern crop of commentators don't do much for me - though Hussain and Atherton can be mildly amusing at times and Tony Cozier is still worth listening to after all these years! Always had a soft spot for CMJ as well though he sometimes came across as an old fogey! All good men and true................thanks for the memories :-)