Greatest cricket commentators: The commentary panel in the India-Bangladesh series has been below par. Host commentators especially have looked partisan while observing the game. This underrated aspect of the game has come to the fore in this series. The fans are clearly missing the voices that make the game beautiful.
Cricket commentary in the radio era:
During the era of radio commentary, it was the commentators who played out the game in minute detail. The generation who grew up on such voices sing laurels about the times’ cricket commentary was at its zenith.
We look at the 5 greatest cricket commentators:
#5 Tony Cozier
The soft-spoken West Indian from the Caribbean Islands, Tony Cozier’s voice was timeless. He was one of the few commentators who gloriously linked the present to the past. Cozier had seen it all as a West Indies cricket lover.
He witnessed the peaks the side achieved while also calling out the decline the team got to post the late 90s. Cozier was never shy of expressing his views but he did so in his own imitable style. Ian Bishop who is now regarded as the voice of Windies cricket is carrying forward Tony Cozier’s legacy.
#4 Tony Greig
It was his voice that was the constant for fans watching games in Sharjah in the 90s. Tony Greig could lift a dull game just with his enthusiastic voice. His rendering out Sachin Tendulkar’s onslaught against Australia in the Coca-Cola cup in 1998 is the stuff of legends. No fan can ever forget Greig’s description of a dropped catch.
Greig on air played out the moment as beautifully as one could ever wish. He stated, “This is in the air, this might be out, oh he’s dropped him, he’s dropped him”. Greig was someone who was loved across the world for his distinct style. His passing away has certainly robbed cricket a bit of its sheen.
#3 Harsha Bhogle
He is the only contemporary commentator to make this elite list. Harsha Bhogle is widely considered the voice of cricket. He has been active for over 4 decades now. Bhogle a non-cricketer at the international level has fought biases to own his turf. His biggest moments as a commentator include Sachin Tendulkar’s iconic last Test.
The recent commentary gold from Harsha Bhogle was heard when he quipped, “Kohli goes down the ground, Kohli goes out of the ground”. This line has already achieved iconic status as Virat Kohli hit an incredulous shot off Haris Rauf in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
#2 Bill Lawry
He was one of the most highly respected commentators of all time. Bill Lawry had a distinguished presence in the commentary box. He formed a fantastic combination with Richie Benaud and Tony Greig as part of Channel Nine’s commentary team. His reading of the game separated him from the rest. Lawry’s often repeated lines are part of cricketing folklore. Nobody could ever forget him saying, “ It’s all happening here at the MCG.”
#1 Richie Benaud
There is little doubt that Richie Benaud is cricket’s greatest-ever commentator. He was the original voice of cricket who appreciated the game for what it was. Benaud would have found the modern-day buffoonery of cricket commentators appalling. He used the pauses beautifully to provide the viewers with an experience of having been there.
His famous message to Sunil Gavaskar still stands out. He said when a batsman scores a century, it is important for the commentator to pause and let the moment sink in. His words were, “Let the viewers applaud the batsmen in their way.”
