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The "Channel 9 Commentary Is Hurting Brain" Thread

GotSpin

Hall of Fame Member
Apart from anything else, 9 needs to get over this "you have to be have been a good Australian player to get a guernsey in the commentary team" fixation - Mark Nicholas aside. ****, throw some money at Gideon Haigh - again, not to do ball-by-ball, but to do some stories and interviews for the coverage.
The main issue with this, aside from the obvious problems, is that they're all good mates (in most cases) with the guys out their playing. Get a journalist or someone in there who is ready to say the harsh truths rather than glossing it over with icecream and cherrys on top
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Tbf, Nasser and Atherton have had no problems laying into England when necessary.
 

GotSpin

Hall of Fame Member
And the obvious problems are: they're not good commentators.
Well yeah clearly. But there's so much wrong with sugar coating Hussey's current situation as under a little bit of pressure that's been relieved by a very scratchy innings.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Tbf, Nasser and Atherton have had no problems laying into England when necessary.
Yeah but Nasser is a ****, and Atherton is just too awesome a commentator to not do so. :p

Regarding Atherton though, I don't think I recall him ever coming out and saying he doesn't think a player is good enough. I'm sure he's thought that at times too, but he normally just ends up listing their strengths and what they need to work on. He's an excellent analyst and probably my favourite commentator, but he too is a bit too nice at times IMO.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Do you mean Nasser is a **** as in he's ruthless and doesn't care what his old mates think and says it like it is, or that he's not a good commentator?
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Do you mean Nasser is a **** as in he's ruthless and doesn't care what his old mates think and says it like it is, or that he's not a good commentator?
The first one. ****s generally make good commentators if they know the game well.
 

Teja.

Global Moderator
Nasser and Atherton are both awesome analysts.

Dravid, Punter and most particularly Sanga should become commentators after they retire. Sanga's articles on his favourite cricketers are fantastic.

Ganguly should do ball-by-ball for Neo, IMO.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Yeah I really hope Sangakkara becomes a commentator. Aakash Chopra's articles have always impressed me as well - I'm not sure what his spoken English is like but his written stuff is excellent so I get the feeling he could make a good commentator too.
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
All my mates, family and people I know who follow cricket absolutely hate Greig as a commentator. Secondly, he was voted the Australian public's least favourite commentator in an Australian cricket survey about 6 months ago that came out in every newspaper and also online, a lot of people took part in that. I also see many people complaining about him on various cricket forums I have been on.
I think at least part of that is probably to do with how quickly he turns in favour of whichever team is visiting if they happen to be winning a game against Australia. Loves it when Australia are losing. Goes back into fawning mode when they are on top.
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
Yeah, they were (Grandstand). They had some young sounding Australian on, who I'd never heard before, didn't know who it was. Any idea?
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Don't mind the Channel 9 commentary as a whole. Healy can be annoying, and Mark Nicholas annoys the **** out of me. The others are mostly ok though as far as I'm concerned.

There's usually at least one commentator that annoys me in every other telecast when someone else is commentating though. Maybe it's because I'm not used to their take on the game. Ian Smith is just a whiny girl though, and there seems to be a great many of the new commentators who are so concerned with fitting in cliches they're just boring. Hate Jim Maxwell. Heard him say some ridiculous things years ago, and seemed to be too concerned with renaming every shot to make himself sound semi-intelligent. He might have changed, haven't given him a chance though for the last 7 years to find out.

Think the product placement that has come into Channel 9's commentary is detrimental to their efforts too. Should just let them talk about cricket and let the advertising people advertise.

The worst commentator I've ever heard anywhere for anything though is Ben Ikin...****ing atrocious.
 
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Matt79

Global Moderator
Nasser and Atherton are both awesome analysts.

Dravid, Punter and most particularly Sanga should become commentators after they retire. Sanga's articles on his favourite cricketers are fantastic.

Ganguly should do ball-by-ball for Neo, IMO.
Ponting as commentator would be awful.
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
How to talk like Mark Nicholas.

Step 1. Every player requires an adjective before he is mentioned.

"Nicely hit cover drive from this sumptious batsman"
"Turned down to fine leg by the magificent Ponting"
"Great over from the ever-important Flintoff"

More to come...
"My fellow commentator is the now semen-covered Richie Benaud"
 

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