Cricket Commentators: The Voices of Cricket | The Best of the Best

Cricket Commentators: The Voices of Cricket | The Best of the Best

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Cricket

Imagine watching a game without Cricket Commentators. The game suddenly seems to be a colourless sport. Interest level of the audience will suddenly see a downward trend. The connect of the audience with the sport will be missed.

Commentary in sports is as important as the sport itself. Cricket Commentators not only give life to the game, it also brings the passion and tension of the game into the living room.

Commentators over the years have given the cricket world some fond memories of the event that occurred in the cricket field with their expert comments which make watching the game even more entertaining.

Great cricket commentators brought the extra punch into the game making it easy for the TV audience to connect with the game as it happened. They are truly the voices of Cricket

Cricket Commentators The Voices of Cricket The Best of the Best

Presented by: Raghunath Nair

Date: 05/07/2023

Introduction

Commentary is more or less a monologue but in context of the game, it is not only about giving a match update, it is a skill which include storytelling and at times describing the event in a poetic and artistic manner. While the game is watched at real time as it is by the commentator, the audience gets attracted to the game by the commentators who enthral the audience with their apt description of the game and brings the romance in the game.

With the right voice modulation and command over the language, the commentators have been equally responsible for the growth of the game.

Here are some of the Gems of the game who entertained us over the period.

 

Best of the Best voices of Cricket: Famous Cricket Commentators

Tony Greig: Voices of Cricket

Tony Greig Voices of Cricket

If there was an Oscar for cricket Commentary, Tony Greig would be in the list. The South African born, former English Captain brought the glamour in cricket commentary at a time when commentary those days was calm and composed. He revolutionized commentary to another level with his over-the-top expressions and built a sense of excitement in his voice which kept the television audience hooked to the live action on Television.

He loved to add drama in his voice which doubled the fun of watching live television.

Some of his memorable quotes: That’s an Absolute Ripper !! , Take a Bow!!  What a Player!!

Richie Benaud: Voices of Cricket

Richie Benaud Voices of Cricket

An absolute contrast to the Tony Grieg style of commentary, this former Australian captain was dubbed “Voice of Cricket” for his commentary skills. His commentary was soft, mild mannered and to the point with no theatrics attached which made him the voice of Australian media.

Ritchie as a commentator, was well-prepared like in his playing days. He got formal training from the BBC to become one of the leading commentators of his time. He spoke with a formal tone but never used over the top hyperbole and kept language as clean as possible

Ravi Shastri: Voices of Cricket

Ravi Shastri Voices of Cricket

If England had Tony Grieg, India had Ravi Shastri who could make commentary come alive with his voice pitches. His legendary commentary during the last ball of the 2011 World Cup or the commentary during the 6 sixes by Yuvraj Singh reverberates in every Indian’s ear even today.

Ravi Shastri was fearless and openly criticised a wrong umpiring decision. When Sachin Tendulkar was wrongly accused of ball tampering, Ravi Stormed into the media room during the press conference and expressed his displeasure on air about Mike Dennis who was the match referee for the game.

For a period, Ravi Shastri was the India Head Coach and after a successful stint came back doing commentary again

Harsha Bhogle: Voices of Cricket

Harsha Bhogle Voices of Cricket

Easily one of the voices of Indian cricket in the modern era who made his way into the world of cricket commentary with the pure love for the game. Harsha is one of the very few commentators who was not a cricketer but he made a place for himself in the broadcasting field. From radio commentary to Television, Harsha Bhogle became a household name with his stint as a Television host and commentator. Harsha Bhogle has been associated with the IPL since inception and truly a presenter of the highest order.

 

Geoffrey Boycott: Voices of Cricket

Geoffrey Boycott Voices of Cricket

Geoffrey Boycott, the former English Captain was one of the all-time best when it came to commentary. He was the most liked commentator in India whenever he did commentary during any India series and he would be a strong critic for cricket basics when not followed.

He had a sharp sense of humour and his sarcasm were legendary to say the least. Sometimes his comments were brutally honest and he did not mince words when he needed to criticise a player.

His legendary comments of – “My mom could have caught the ball” for a dropped catch or “My Grandmother could have batted better” was hilarious

He has a huge fan following in India and was one of the most honest cricket commentators in international cricket.

Nasser Hussain: Voices of Cricket

Nasser Hussain

Nasser Hussain is one of the modern-day greats when it comes to commentary. He is an astute student of the game and uses his understanding of the game to help him make commentary both informative and logical. He is a very unbiased commentator and do not sugarcoat the home team and criticises his own team when needed.

Hussain used British humour to his advantage but he has often fallen prey to controversy due to his quick-witted and sharp insights into the game.

He is one of the most popular commentators amongst Indian Fans.

Mark Nicholas: Voices of Cricket

Mark Nicholas

Mark Nicholas is one of the most familiar voices in modern cricket. His voice was so popular that it was used in cricket video games (PS Games)

Mark was a former English player and started his commentary in 1995 for Sky Sports.

He is pleasing to the ear and truly a great commentor of the modern era.

Sunil Gavaskar: Voices of Cricket

Sunil Gavaskar

India’s legendary Sunil Gavaskar is one of the most respected commentators in world cricket. After his playing days, Sunil Gavaskar shifted to commentary. Because of his deep understanding of the game, he is widely considered as one of the best voices of cricket

Gavaskar is known for his tongue in cheek comments and often has landed in controversy but his understanding and commentary cannot be doubted

Always known as a smart and intelligent captain Gavaskar’s commentary on the nuances of the game is legendary. He is also known to pick interesting anecdotes from his playing days and does excellent mimic of his colleagues.

Gavaskar is also known to blow out steam especially when wrong decisions are made. He follows cricket around the globe and does commentary for India games and ICC Events and for the IPL

Michael Holding: Voices of Cricket

Michael Holding

One of the few outspoken commentators of the modern game, Michael Holding was a fearless one like he was during his playing days. He preferred cricket to be played in the traditional way and was furious to see impatience shown by bowler or batter during the game. He started his commentary after retirement for Radio and quickly moved to Television.

He was very vocal on racism issues in cricket and always had a view point.

Holding worked along with Tony Cozier for Sky Network and SuperSport.

He does not do commentary for franchise cricket tournaments as he prefers to commentate only for international games.

Ian Smith: Voices of Cricket

Ian Smith

Ian Smith is a very likeable commentator and brings passion into his commentary. The former NewZealand Wicketkeeper and Batsman was a natural when it came to commentary and his one liners and comments was not only hilarious but also very entertaining.

One of his most memorable expressions was during the England NewZealand finals bringing the tension and excitement of the final moments into every living room, “By the barest of margins, the barest of all margins”. This is now a classic.

 

Ian Bishop: Voices of Cricket

Ian Bishop

Who can forget Ian Bishop’s “Carlos Brathwaite! Carlos Brathwaite! Remember the name!”

This was the highlight and an iconic moment of the 2016 T20 World Cup Finals when Ian Bishop did not hide his emotions when the West Indies won the game from an almost impossible position.

Bishop is a soft-spoken giant in the commentary box and often took a joke in the right spirit. He is one of the most likeable voices in the sport today with his no nonsense understanding of the game and one of the most animated commentators who spoke his mind whenever needed. He is a regular during IPL tournaments.

Isa Guha: Voices of Cricket

Isa Guha

Isa Guha has been one the leading female commentator for the men’s and women’s game. Her understanding of the game helps her to make informed comments during the game. She is always prepared and reads the game as well as anyone in the game. She is a former England player and played in the 2005 and 2009 World Cup. She travels around the globe for commentary and is a frequent in the IPL commentary panel.

Currently she works for Sky Sports during the British Summer and then for Fox Sports during the Australian Summer.

Some gems ….Enjoy

Conclusion

Broadcasters in the past relied only on past greats to do commentary due to the player’s reputation and past performance as a player. They were unwilling to look at other options, but things have changed in the past decade. Non players and lesser-known players have done well in commentary due to their knowledge of the game and the preparation they come before any match.

Commentators today need to come prepared with their research for the game as they need to also feed the audience context other than what is being played on the ground.

Good Commentators ensures that they do not talk over each other. They speak only if they have something to add value to else, they keep the mic down. And the most important point which differentiate a good commentator to a great one is not to do commentary when the bowler’s running in.

Commentary has become more professional while the basic approach to the game has remained unchanged.

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