In cricket not only what’s happening on the ground is exciting but also the ones transpiring inside the commentary box. Similar to the athleticism and effervescence displayed by the players, the wit and sarcasm exchanged in the box while sharing the expert views about the match is no less entertaining to hear. Unlike the radio commentary where the people tend to be both the eyes and ears of the people, the TV commentary only tries to please your ears, thanks to the advantage of the visual medium. So, you have various cricket experts, including former cricketers, baring their hearts with new vocabularies, idioms in a quirky manner. This write-up is an endeavour to familiarize readers with some of the absolute gems coming out of the mouth of cricket commentators, specialising in the English language.
Saurav Ganguly
As a commentator, the prince of Calcutta is as flamboyant and cheeky as he used to be during his playing days. Ganguly comes across as a no-nonsense commentator who hardly holds anything back, be it the opportunity of landing humour or showing his cynical side. Dada does not let go of an occasion to get even with his fellow commentators who are trying to be funny at his expense or express his displeasure over a player’s on-field behavior. Sample these “Dadagiris”, a word coined to describe Ganguly’s views, to understand his exemplary commentary skills better:
Nasser Hussain: “When can I see India in the FIFA World Cup?”
Ganguly: “If India had played football for 50 years, then we would have qualified for the finals at least once.”
Geoffrey Boycott: “You must mention your experience about taking your jersey off and flying it in the air at the Mecca of Cricket: Lord’s! Oh, you naughty boy!”
Ganguly: “One of your boys also took off his jersey here in Mumbai.”
Boycott: “Yeah, but Lord’s is the Mecca of cricket.”
Ganguly: “Lord’s is your Mecca, and Wankhede is ours!”
Rajdeep Sardesai: “Does Greg Chappell owe an apology to Indian cricket? To Sachin Tendulkar, to Sourav Ganguly, to Rahul Dravid.
Ganguly: “He can call up Tendulkar or Dravid. But he dare not dial my number. If he is hearing this on TV, he dare not call Sourav Ganguly.”
Sunil Gavaskar
Sunny, as he is fondly called, has always played the game with a conservative approach, religiously sticking to the cricket manual. As a batsman, he always played with a straight bat and there was not even a single shot of unconventionality in his batting arsenal. But as a commentator, he is mixed baggage as he presents his views in a straightforward way as well as in an inventive manner. There is no flamboyance as far as Gavaskar’s commentary is concerned but can be very caustic if push comes to the shove. Just check out these statements by him inside the commentary box to know why he is not second to anyone when it comes to expressing his views:
“If stares could get you wickets, then Merv Dillion could have had 300 by now”: On West Indian pacer Merv Dillon’s habit of staring at the batsmen after delivering the ball.
“When I die the last thing I want to see is the six MS Dhoni hit in the 2011 World Cup final.” On MSD’s maximum to claim India’s second 50-over WC title.
“This England Team comprises of two and a half players and India should be able to easily defeat them.” On the dearth of quality in the English side when India toured the country in 2021.
“You said this India will not be bullied as perhaps the previous generations would be. (I) Belonging to the previous generation, could you perhaps enlighten which generation? And what is the exact meaning of bully?” Gavaskar to Nasir Hussain when latter spoke about bullying in cricket.
Harsha Bhogle
He is not a cricketer just a studious observer of the game. Most articulate among the current crop of commentators, Harsha has proved that one does not have to be an international cricketer to pass sound judgements regarding the game. The IIM alumnus is blessed with humour as well as immaculate knowledge of the game in good measures. As a commentator, he has never breached the sacred line of calm demeanour but always expressed his pleasure as well as displeasure without going overboard. You only have to go through these gems uttered by Harsha to gauge the fact that nobody loves the game of cricket more than him:
“England are redefining the single here.” When England batsmen Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan took singles that were never on.
“Dhoni is extremely quick between the wickets and Ashwin… let’s just say he has other skills.” about Ashwin’s running between the wicket
“Oh, what a shame. It’s like a soldier who survived the war when all the bullets were flying by his nose and then got run over by a bicycle in his native town.” after Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed by Michael Vaughan during the 2nd Test of India’s tour of England in 2002.
“By looking on the cover page Pietersen expected the book would be in English but when he opened it, he found the script was in Urdu.” when Pietersen missed a Doosra from Pakistan’s spinner Saeed Ajmal and got stumped during an exhibition match.
Navjot Singh Sidhu
While talking about commentators, it would be criminal not to speak about this “tiger from Punjab”. In fact, Siddhu was the one who made everyone realize that commentating can be an entertaining affair as it need not be boringly informal and one-dimensional. As a matter of fact, his wit on display as a commentator prompted many publishers to approach him to write a book. Some might find his views to be pedestrian but for the majority, it is as pleasing as enjoying a Harrison Ford or an Amitabh Bachchan starrer. Simply listen to these quirky statements to understand why this former cricketer is dubbed a cracker of an entertainer inside the commentary box:
“Statistics are like Mini Skirts, they reveal more than what they hide” On batting averages that can be misleading more often than not.
When you are young you use a comb to brush your hair but as you grow old you use experience for the same job.” Why experience is significant, as per Siddhu.
“Wickets are like wives – you never know which way they will turn!” Siddhu’s take with regard to the unpredictability of the pitches.
“New Zealanders are like bicycles in a cycle stand – one falls down and the complete row will be down!” On the Batting collapse, Kiwi suffered in a match.
“A hair on the head is worth two in the brush.” Chiding at Boycott’s bald pate.
“He is like Indian three-wheeler which will suck a lot of diesel but cannot go beyond 30! ” On Sri Lankan batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana’s slow batting.
