While changing channels last night I ran into Sony-espn where the expert panel included the unbearable Navjot Sidhu and recently sacked Pakistan coach Waqar Younis. Waqar is of course one of the all time greats of Pakistan, Waqar will always be remembered for being quickest to 200 test wickets and those toe-crushing yorkers which resulted in numerous match-winning performances. Our host however could only think of the q/f match against Ind in 96', what is it about drawing sadistic pleasure by reminding legends of their off days that excites the masses of today.
Harsha Bhogle recently got sacked by BCCI since Amitabh #PanamaLeaks Bachchan did not approve of his commentary. How did we become like this, this of course did not happen overnight. We have drawn inspiration from the greatest cricketing country Australia.
All you have to do is to listen to the Channel 9 commentary team during the Australian summer to realize what being biased means. listen to this commentary stint in Australia when Virat in 2012 scored that spectacular 100 to enhance India's chances of going into the final of the CB series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMgdJRxrLy8 , whilst you listen you will hear Ian Healy saying the following line " Virat with the shots he is playing must be surprising himself", I have just paraphrased what he said but what he means is that Indians are not capable of playing an innings like this and so they should be suitably surprised now that they are doing something which only is an Australian Birthright , now Ian Healy is not an exception he is very much the rule on how the channle9 commentary box runs, there are two in the form of Ian Chapppelle and Shane Warne who continue to sledge opposing captains well into their retirement, in their own minds they are still very much part of the team indulging in "mental disintegration", they think they are powerful enough to defeat teams from the commentary box on the back of their scathing criticism, don't get me wrong constructive criticism is essential part of commentary but it should not start to sound like personal animosity, no wonder then Marlon Samuels was waiting for an opportunity to get back at Shane Warne because Warne unlike what the "Australians preach" did not leave "on field rumblings behind as he took to commentary (Watch Warne vs Samuels here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hic7L46mFRI).
My first brush with channnel9 commentary started in 92' with World Cup being organized in Australia, the first time the World Cup was happening in colored clothing and under lights with White balls, it was great to hear the likes of Bill Lawry, Ian Chappelle, Tony Greig, and the inimitable Richie Benaud, off and on one got to hear the very smooth Keith Stackpole or Simon 'o Donnell .
The team created a hype around the Australian summer like no one else, they laid down rules which when you hear at an impressionable age tend to believe and something you learn to ignore when you reach the "age of reason", so some of the rules that we were told about were as follows:- Australia is the greatest team to have played the game of cricket, Aussie public is abusive but if you do well in Australia they will respect you thus doing a big favor to you, sledging makes you successful and if you are not up-to taking abuse then you might as well not play the game, teams from subcontinent fail to understand Australian culture, if you do not share a beer with the opposition then you are a poor sport, happenings on the field should be forgotten about once umpires call off the day etc. etc. Once you reach the "age of reason you realize all those rules are what Ian Chappelle would say " a right load of old codswallop".
Monkey-Gate exposed the entire double standards of Australia, the whole business of giving it to the opposition was all well but when they were at the receiving end of Indian style "sledging" all they could muster was to run like a squirrel to the match-referee to file a complaint, of all teams Australia was the last you expected to complain but they did, other myth that needs to be busted is this whole business of being respected by the "Aussie crowd", Virat Kohli made it very clear in press conferences on the last tour that he does not care much about being respected by the Australian crowd or Australian scribes, the only respect he cared about was from his team-mates in the dressing room. Mathew Hayden who was in India as part of the commentary team found it increasingly difficult to get his head around to what Kohli was saying, this probably was his first brush with the "new age" Indian, it was palpable to see his reaction, he could not believe that someone could have such contempt for respect from Australians, may be Tendulkar and players from his generation craved for that respect but not players of Kohli's generation, why would you crave for respect from people and opposition and the scribes who would form a troll army against visiting teams and draw sadistic pleasure in your failure, when it comes to giving respect to opposition teams India is light years ahead of where Australia can ever be, one only has to talk to AB De-Villiers and Chris Gayle.
We Indians have to draw a leaf out of our inspirational Test skipper Virat Kohli and call out the Australian bluff instead of becoming clones of their commentary team because praising the opposition and constructive criticism of our own team members is not an "anti-national" activity, Harsha Bhogle although well past his prime as a commentator does not deserve the treatment meted out to him by BCCI and Amitabh #PanamLeaks Bachchan should not add vent to the fire.
Harsha Bhogle recently got sacked by BCCI since Amitabh #PanamaLeaks Bachchan did not approve of his commentary. How did we become like this, this of course did not happen overnight. We have drawn inspiration from the greatest cricketing country Australia.
All you have to do is to listen to the Channel 9 commentary team during the Australian summer to realize what being biased means. listen to this commentary stint in Australia when Virat in 2012 scored that spectacular 100 to enhance India's chances of going into the final of the CB series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMgdJRxrLy8 , whilst you listen you will hear Ian Healy saying the following line " Virat with the shots he is playing must be surprising himself", I have just paraphrased what he said but what he means is that Indians are not capable of playing an innings like this and so they should be suitably surprised now that they are doing something which only is an Australian Birthright , now Ian Healy is not an exception he is very much the rule on how the channle9 commentary box runs, there are two in the form of Ian Chapppelle and Shane Warne who continue to sledge opposing captains well into their retirement, in their own minds they are still very much part of the team indulging in "mental disintegration", they think they are powerful enough to defeat teams from the commentary box on the back of their scathing criticism, don't get me wrong constructive criticism is essential part of commentary but it should not start to sound like personal animosity, no wonder then Marlon Samuels was waiting for an opportunity to get back at Shane Warne because Warne unlike what the "Australians preach" did not leave "on field rumblings behind as he took to commentary (Watch Warne vs Samuels here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hic7L46mFRI).
My first brush with channnel9 commentary started in 92' with World Cup being organized in Australia, the first time the World Cup was happening in colored clothing and under lights with White balls, it was great to hear the likes of Bill Lawry, Ian Chappelle, Tony Greig, and the inimitable Richie Benaud, off and on one got to hear the very smooth Keith Stackpole or Simon 'o Donnell .
The team created a hype around the Australian summer like no one else, they laid down rules which when you hear at an impressionable age tend to believe and something you learn to ignore when you reach the "age of reason", so some of the rules that we were told about were as follows:- Australia is the greatest team to have played the game of cricket, Aussie public is abusive but if you do well in Australia they will respect you thus doing a big favor to you, sledging makes you successful and if you are not up-to taking abuse then you might as well not play the game, teams from subcontinent fail to understand Australian culture, if you do not share a beer with the opposition then you are a poor sport, happenings on the field should be forgotten about once umpires call off the day etc. etc. Once you reach the "age of reason you realize all those rules are what Ian Chappelle would say " a right load of old codswallop".
We Indians have to draw a leaf out of our inspirational Test skipper Virat Kohli and call out the Australian bluff instead of becoming clones of their commentary team because praising the opposition and constructive criticism of our own team members is not an "anti-national" activity, Harsha Bhogle although well past his prime as a commentator does not deserve the treatment meted out to him by BCCI and Amitabh #PanamLeaks Bachchan should not add vent to the fire.
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