Gautam Bhimani tells you what to expect from the microphone men during 50-over cricket's greatest show
Gautam Bhimani tells you what to expect from the microphone men during 50-over cricket's greatest show
Every time I hear the old clich ufffd about a picture being worth a thousand words, I think of that breed of individuals who have the challenge of dealing with a thousand pictures and having to select the right word to enhance every one! We better know them as television commentators. And as the ICC World Cup 2011 is almost upon us, come February 19, we will have quite a motley crewu00a0 of over two dozen voices and personalities describing for us all the pretty pictures from thirteen venues across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. With 14 nations competing in the event it was always going to be a challenge to select the right mix. Something for every palate. Something for every regional bias. Something to satisfy a wide spectrum of discerning cricket viewers across not just India or the subcontinent but the entire world given that the telecast will go out to the farthest possible corners, from Lucknow to Los Angeles, Bulawayo to Birmingham.
Serious stuff
In the quest to satisfy every need, the most basic would have to be the hard core no-frills cricket lover who wants serious analysis. The universal favourite in this category that comes to mind quicker than a tracer bullet would have to be Ravi Shastri. And if Shaz is in the house, then Waz can't be far away. Wasim Akram's late swinging deliveries on the pitch may have been far more lethal than his languid style of delivery on the mike, but he still packs a punch, is aware of his limitations and is learning everyday. He also brings the much valued perspective from across the border along with veteran Rameez Raja. Waz however finds himself one of the few members of the eye candy club in the commentary fraternity and also qualifies to be on another list that follows.u00a0u00a0
Making up numbers in this serious analyst club will be our very own legend Sunny Gavaskar along with Sanjay Manjrekar, Mike Atherton and the two Ians, Bishop and Chappell. I was tempted to put a third Ian in here ufffd Botham ufffd but Chappelli and Botham in the same list would itself be a potent cocktail and a certain recipe for disaster! But then, given that "Beefy" does not fit any other category we shall have to settle for the explosive combo! Imagine pairing the two of them in the same stint. The contest would be in the box, not on the pitch.
Recently-retired The next category (and this is where Waz fits in again) would be the relatively recently retired stars, a whole new breed of commentator. The tall, dashing Simon Doull, the even-taller Tom Moody, the ebullient Pommie Mbangwa, the fast improving Russell Arnold (who snuck in to the panel ahead of several Lankan stalwarts like Ranjit Fernando and Ranil Abeynayake) , the untried Lance Klusener, the matter-of-fact Alastair Campbellu00a0 and of course the Prince himself Sourav Ganguly, who could well now find commentary to be a full-time vocation!
Category number three are the entertainers. The ones who use voice pitch, and the power of delivery to great effect. Occasionally when there is a dull passage of play, or God forbid, a dull contest per se, it is these guys who raise the decibel levels and manufacture adrenaline even when it is nonexistent! Tony Greig being a shining example along with someone like Robin Jackman or even at a pinch Pat Symcox or Bangladesh's Athar Ali Khan. Now here again, we have an overlap, as a couple of gentlemen who I have classified elsewhere also have the ability to pump up the volume ufffd. Ravi Shastri (who has enough experience of high voltage decibel drowning from IPL tosses) and Danny "the eyes" Morrison ("yeeeeeeeeeahhhhhhhhhhhhh") both fit in here.
Funny guysThe next bunch are the funny guys. The ones who, with very different types of humour, make the audience have a bit of a giggle. Leading this pack is the inimitable David "Bumble" Lloyd. Not far behind is Danny Morrison and the very unique brand of dry, almost cynical humour that Nasser Hussain provides. Fifty over cricket may not quite be the circus that T20 is, but a good laugh is always welcome!u00a0
And just to round things off are the guys who are commentators first and everything else later. The suave Mark Nicholas, the evergreen Tony Cozier and the silky smooth Alan Wilkins who give us constant reminders that clocking up Test runs or wickets are not a means to broadcasting brilliance.u00a0
Now, with a line-up like this, do you still want that picture to try and churn out a thousand words? Or leave it to the men who matter.
Gautam Bhimani, himself a Test and ODI commentator, will be clocking up the air miles at the World Cup and providing the on-ground perspective, grilling the players before and after games, and occasionally sampling the odd grill when it comes to local cuisine.
