Harsha Bhogle, Ravi Shastri, & Sunil Gavaskar: The clowns of India Cricket

[G_B_]

Precisely.....People have the choice to either listen to them or mute their TV sets......I honestly prefer listening to Hindi commentary.....it's not significantly better but anything to avoid listening to LSRK and Ravi......

nail on the head. I for one never listen to the Sky team. I switch on the TV, mute the sound and turn on test match special radio from the BBC. when Harsha is on, i just put it on mute for the Indian matches. I personally just love the way Indian fans on twitter and facebook tend to call Harsha all sorts of names. 99% of them would do the same when offered the same amounts of money. Thats one thing i like about the BCCI. They have thick skins and i mean that as a compliment. In a country where everything is loud now a days from 24/7 news channels who are outraged about everything to the latest garbage of bollywood ripping off Hollywood scripts (without the royalties) , i find their silence more appealing.

[NareshK]

I dont understand what some people's problem with Shastri or Gavaskar is. Do they want them to criticize Indian team just for the sake of it ? Can anyone give examples of when they acted like BCCI's stooges and not just say it just because others are saying ? I think they would rather be happy with Indian commentators like Arun Lal who have no backbone and just agrees with whatever other commentators say. They would rather be happy with him because some Indian people's mindset is like this. Sunil Gavaskar to the best of my knowledge criticizes Indian team more than anyone else. You would know this if you had seen his post match shows during Eng or Aus overseas test series losses or even previously when India didnt do well. None of the other ex-cricketers have guts to criticize the team like he does.

[G_B_]

Looks like some ICF posters are also on BCCI payroll to ***** themselves.

i wish. I would love to be paid by them and be on the BCCI payroll. Would not even mind the twitter backlash.

[SLICKR392]

i wish. I would love to be paid by them and be on the BCCI payroll. Would not even mind the twitter backlash.

+++ http://www.indiancricketfans.com/showpost.php?p=2609434&postcount=6

[Robelinda]

Actually the ground was full. People were streaming in upto 2 hours into the match. Many people come a little late once they hear India is batting second. So maybe Rob you need to ask for local judgements before coming to conclusions. If you would have seen the entire match you would have realised the ground was filling up as the game progressed. It happens in many grounds in India. I have been to IPL matches that took about 30-40 minutes to fill out after the first ball had been bowled.

That is all fine, but why mention that the ground is full when it CLEARLY isnt? makes no sense. Nothing to do with crowds coming in later. They mentioned this quite early in commentary. *At the time* of commentary it was a ridiculous statement, they were actually showing empty blue seats on the screen! :cantstop:

[randomGuy]

harsha, navjot singh phuddu, ravi, sunny, manjrekar, siva, arun lal, rameez - All pathetic, irritating. Murli kartik, akram, aakash chopra, bishop, doull, warne - decent.

[diga]

Seems these restrictions came into place for the England series in India earlier this year. Found it hilarious when they were saying yesterday how the ground was full' date=' empty blue seats everywhere! Pathetic.[/quote'] Most tickets in India are reserved for the BCCI members/corporates ... less than 50% tickets are available for the general public which buys the tickets from the counter.. may be those are sold out

[Scarves]

B->

is it more pathetic than channel nine and fox guys trying to portray Aussies as competent team both during Indian series and Ashes.

Yes. At least their commentators can say who should be dropped and you know not have restrictions. Channel 9 will be biased because it is in Australia, they are catering to Australians. However in saying that at least they give the opposition credit and I do recall them criticizing for example Michael Clarke's decisions, selection choices and such. Heck they bag out CA every chance they get. One thing that irks me about the BCCI coverage is the lack of streamline. It looks so dated with the graphics and the look. It is just petty but so damn annoying. Also agree on Nick Knight but no one cares for Nick Knight anyway. Gavaskar I don't even understand what he says anymore, he rambles about something. Shastri is just for the mass, Shiva is like I don't even know. Harsha is a sellout imo.

[FischerTal]

Mark Taylor is my favorite Aussie commentator. Only one who can match the great Tony Greig

[King Tendulkar]

I dont understand what some people's problem with Shastri or Gavaskar is. Do they want them to criticize Indian team just for the sake of it ? Can anyone give examples of when they acted like BCCI's stooges and not just say it just because others are saying ? I think they would rather be happy with Indian commentators like Arun Lal who have no backbone and just agrees with whatever other commentators say. They would rather be happy with him because some Indian people's mindset is like this. Sunil Gavaskar to the best of my knowledge criticizes Indian team more than anyone else. You would know this if you had seen his post match shows during Eng or Aus overseas test series losses or even previously when India didnt do well. None of the other ex-cricketers have guts to criticize the team like he does.

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical: Look sunny could be a good comm. No one has actual issue with wether they could be or not. Problem is we dont know as they are paid big money by BCCI to tow the line and act as PR agents. I would love to sit here and analyse inidna comms on wether good or bad. But we cant do that, as they are paid up stooges. Nothing to discuss I also dont blame them for taking the crores and towing the line. As any would do that. look at Hussey now. Issue is why the hell BCCI are doing this and allowed to do this!

[G_B_]

That is all fine' date=' but why mention that the ground is full when it CLEARLY isnt? makes no sense. Nothing to do with crowds coming in later. They mentioned this quite early in commentary. *At the time* of commentary it was a ridiculous statement, they were actually showing empty blue seats on the screen! :cantstop:[/quote'] because they have probably been handed figures saying that seats have all been sold out. In any case its not as if there were gaping holes in terms of blue seats. Even at the start the ground was about 80% full. towards the end some seats right next to the side screen were left unfilled deliberately because they wanted the batsman not to be distracted They mentioned that early on because it dissuades people who dont have tickets from coming to the ground. It takes time to get into an Indian cricket ground. We do have the threat of terrorism and you need to budget for it in terms of time. You cant just turn up 5 min before the match starts and simply expect to walk in. There are security checks.

[G_B_]

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical: Look sunny could be a good comm. No one has actual issue with wether they could be or not. Problem is we dont know as they are paid big money by BCCI to tow the line and act as PR agents. I would love to sit here and analyse inidna comms on wether good or bad. But we cant do that, as they are paid up stooges. Nothing to discuss I also dont blame them for taking the crores and towing the line. As any would do that. look at Hussey now. Issue is why the hell BCCI are doing this and allowed to do this!

So how come Sunny is still commentating after this? Time for Kohli to replace Dhoni as India captain: Gavaskar http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-17/top-stories/35869575_1_sunil-gavaskar-ms-dhoni-india-skipper

"You don't put a forward short-leg and a silly point to just get wickets. You also put them to pressurise the batsmen and get his wicket somwehere else. When you crowd a batsmen with fielders in his peripheral vision pressure automatically come on him and that's what he (Dhoni) didn't do," Gavaskar said about Dhoni's reluntance to deploy a more attacking field during England's second innings.

[G_B_]

The biggest problem i notice with some people is, they want to be critical of the BCCI all the time for everything. Now i really dont like Srini at all. But there needs to be some balance in the critic. Like it or not, the BCCI are successfully generating money, ranji players salary is heavily increasing and new stadiums and infra is being built. The new stadiums in rajkot and pune and ranchi are fantastic. People like sharda ugra, mukul kesvan etc when have they ever praised the BCCI? In that context i like Akash Chopra, He is rightly critical of BCCI on some issues but praises them on other issues. That is a balanced attitude. Another example, my wife is not heavily into cricket. She knows the basics. But when say Ravi or sunny says played to extra cover. She does not know what extra cover is ie that particular position is called extra cover. Maybe Ravi and Sunny and Harsha have been told to dumb things down for the people who are not cricket nuts. Why do we all assume that everybody who watches the cricket has a good knowledge about the game?

[putrevus]

B-> Yes. At least their commentators can say who should be dropped and you know not have restrictions. Channel 9 will be biased because it is in Australia, they are catering to Australians. However in saying that at least they give the opposition credit and I do recall them criticizing for example Michael Clarke's decisions, selection choices and such. Heck they bag out CA every chance they get. One thing that irks me about the BCCI coverage is the lack of streamline. It looks so dated with the graphics and the look. It is just petty but so damn annoying. Also agree on Nick Knight but no one cares for Nick Knight anyway. Gavaskar I don't even understand what he says anymore, he rambles about something. Shastri is just for the mass, Shiva is like I don't even know. Harsha is a sellout imo.

I don't know what you are talking about Indian commies have this innate habit of praising opposition than their own team. Do you think Star sports is catered for people outside India then, It is catered for largest audience in world cricket naturally they will pump up their players too. Go and listen to last overs of champions trophy when Harsha was going nuts on how England lost that match rather than Indians winning it. Who the frick is Ian chappell to tell what Indians need to do, so If BCCI told him to shut his trap they have done right thing. BCCI and its production quality is another story altogether.

[King Tendulkar]

^ The support BCCI has for paying comms not to give their honest opinions is staggering. But instead not be critical at ALL of BCCI, not to talk about team selction AT ALL and basically leap to defence of srini when he wants them to is supported by many it seems. I dont mind comms giving pants views. As long as any view they give is what they believe in. Sunny/ Shastri and co are on the BCCI payroll, this is not a secret. They are paid to say what BCCI want, yet people support this. Insane

[CG]

Its really sad that sunny has to do this stuff.I do not feel a thing for ravi who is born idiot.They are paid money so have to shut up.But in future with players earning huge sums like dhoni,yuvi,raina ma be we will have a player association and guys who can express their views.

[Sachinism]

Looks like some ICF posters are also on BCCI payroll to ***** themselves.

Seems like the BCCI plan has worked, they've got some Indian fans to agree with their views.

Precisely.....People have the choice to either listen to them or mute their TV sets......I honestly prefer listening to Hindi commentary.....it's not significantly better but anything to avoid listening to LSRK and Ravi......

Yeh and also miss out on the crowd noise, ball hitting the bat. If there is an alternative commentary source available, I will always pick it, though most times like Testmatchsofa, you miss out on the crowd noise, but still 10x better than listening to BCCI's megaphone. BCCI has banned every commentator that has questioned BCCI, if you don't think that is wrong, carry on being taken for a ride

[putrevus]

^^ I dont think that is the case Shastri and Sunny have been critical of Indian team , Sunny by nature is ego maniac who is more concerned about stats than match by itself that reflects in his commentary. Tell me what exactly they have not done, I do find them bearable myself. All these commies I feel are direct reflection of their playing days, Sunny was never bothered about wins and losses as a player as he was with his stats, he always talks about 100s or milestones. Shane Warne on other hand always talks about how a team can win from any position. Manju on other hand reeks inferiority complex putting other teams on pedestal that is his nature. Guys like LSRK and Arun Lal have no identity they are useless.

[putrevus]

^ Arreee what m saying is 'I' do not much listen to commentary nowadays something that comes naturally to me for whatever reason (doesn't necessarily have much to do with bias and what have you just the fact that they bore me) - doesn't mean the entire human race should do that as well :).

My reply was for KT not you sorry.

[G_B_]

fundamentally it boils down to -- private entity wants employees to toe the line. Which to be fair most of us do in our every day jobs. The issue is not Ravi or Sunny or Bhogale. The issue is the line taken by the BCCI. Point is dont blame the commentators. They are there to do the job their employers tell them to do. The fact is under Manohar and Pawar commentators were free to say what they wanted. With srini he has a personal relationship with MSD. That is the problem.