Your dream commentary team

[FaaipDeOiad]

I don't know too much about commentators other than those from England, Australia and South Africa, all I know is that I hate most of the South Africans, save maybe Donald. I find that they're all incredibly biassed.

I can handle Barry Richards. The rest are awful though - easily the most biased commentators in the world. When Australia made their 400+ score they spent the first 20 overs talking about how lucky Australia was not to lose early wickets, then the next 25 overs talking about how flat the pitch was, and the last 5 overs in mourning. I don't mind a little bit of home bias, so long as it doesn't get in the way of commenting on the game in a constructive way, but when everything is about how the home team has been screwed over or the other team is lucky or how it's "sad" that someone from the opposition is playing well or something... it's just irritating.

 

[Francis]

How long have you been listening to him and how often?

Years.

Boycott has throughout his career blamed Englands losses on a lack of talent, a lack of preparation, a lack of dedication and poor training regimes.

Like I said, excuses.

 

[Goughy]

Years.



Like I said, excuses.

Well if they are excuses what are the reasons, in your opinion, for Englands long term failure during Boycotts tenure in the booth?

Since when has an excuse for failure been that the team is not good enough. It is not biased when you have a realistic appraisal of a topic. An excuse is used to explain something that could in your opinion easily have had a different outcome. Boycott has always looked deeper than this and never waved off a failure with a simple excuse.

Biased definition: To cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge. A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment.

Boycott is a realist with high standards. He may be concentrated on England but his opinions are not pro-England. In fact many of his criticisms of England in the 90s have been indirectly adopted to form the basis of the current England system.

Did you know what the word biased meant before using it?

Pat Symcox is biased but Boycott is not

 

[SJS]

Off the cuff

Benaud (of old)
Boycott
Nasser Hussain
Slater
Atherton
Ian Chappell
Holding

 

[howardj]

Slater
Atherton
Boycott
Gower
Manjrekar
Ian Chappell

 

[no1_gangsta_786]

My fav commentator is Dean Jones.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I'm going for an all time team.

Richie Benaud
John Arlott
Jim Laker
Alan Mcgilvray
Tony Cosier
Fred Trueman - at his wittiest best, not the stuck in the past old fool of later years.

I don't think a lot of the current commentators like Gower and Botham actually enjoy their work, it's just that cricket is the only thing they know and they need to earn a living.

 

[SJS]

I'm going for an all time team.

Richie Benaud
John Arlott
Jim Laker
Alan Mcgilvray
Tony Cosier
Fred Trueman - at his wittiest best, not the stuck in the past old fool of later years.

I don't think a lot of the current commentators like Gower and Botham actually enjoy their work, it's just that cricket is the only thing they know and they need to earn a living.

THAT truly is a dream team !! Bravo.

I would have added Brian Johnston to that.

 

[Armadillo]

1. Nasser Hussain
2. Michael Atherton
3. Dean Jones
4. Robin Jackman
5. Sanjay Manjrekar

 

[Goughy]

THAT truly is a dream team !! Bravo.

John Arlott was the voice of cricket for me. His words and the tone of his voice were perfect. Still sorely missed after all these years.

With Johnston gone and Cosier and Benaud reaching an elderly stage which of the modern guys will take over their mantle as legendary cricketing voices?

 

[Francis]

Biased definition: To cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge. A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment.

Did you know what the word biased meant before using it?

This is becomming patronising.

Boycott is a realist with high standards. He may be concentrated on England but his opinions are not pro-England. In fact many of his criticisms of England in the 90s have been indirectly adopted to form the basis of the current England system.

It's really basic. If England lose there's a reason for it, and giving that reason isn't bias. Boycott does that but he also gives off a sense, to me, that England should always be number 1 for his own reasons.

Fact is that if every cricket team in earth played the perfect game, there'd still be losers and you can't be number one all the time. People like Boycott and Botham act as if England could be number one when everything comes together.

Are you telling me you haven't heard Boycott go on a rant on why England aren't winning?

 

[tooextracool]

5. Greg Chappell

surely you cant be serious about greg? one of the most boring commentators ive ever heard and his knowledge of the game IMO is quite low too. if anything its his brother Ian whos actually anything worth listening to in the family.

 

[steds]

Chappelli!!!!!!

 

[Sanz]

He must have meant Ian Chappell.

 

[superkingdave]

Benaud
Boycott
Slater
Holding
Hussein
Atherton

I'd love to hear him and Boycott in the comm box together

 

[chalky]

I can handle Barry Richards. The rest are awful though - easily the most biased commentators in the world. When Australia made their 400+ score they spent the first 20 overs talking about how lucky Australia was not to lose early wickets, then the next 25 overs talking about how flat the pitch was, and the last 5 overs in mourning. I don't mind a little bit of home bias, so long as it doesn't get in the way of commenting on the game in a constructive way, but when everything is about how the home team has been screwed over or the other team is lucky or how it's "sad" that someone from the opposition is playing well or something... it's just irritating.

I think Mike Haysmen deserves the the CW "aussie" award for cricketing treason - he is so far up the Saffies back sides it's untrue. Even during the the 1st test he was making excuses for South Africa saying how unlucky they where and how lucky the Aussie batsmen where. Also during the 400+ ODI how it would have all been different had Pollock been playing as he "guarntees early wickets and keeps it tight". Conveniently forgetting McGrath hadn't played all series.

 

[steds]

I think Mike Haysmen deserves the the CW "aussie" award for cricketing treason

Isn't he acutally a Saffie, though?

 

[chalky]

Isn't he acutally a Saffie, though?

Quite positive he is an Aussie

 

[sirjeremy11]

Always liked O'Keefe and Jim Maxwell.

Certainly Benaud. Best NZ commentators (?), I like Coney and Smith I guess. Ron Snowden. Peter Sharpe. Good thread this.

 

[Smudge]

Ron Snowden??? He's awful - knows next to nothing about cricket. And don't even get me started on his Trackside work...