Mark Nicholas Dumped

[Tim]

Theres a very high chance that Nicholas will now be over in NZ this summer doing commentary..he was here last year for the tests against Pakistan.

 

[Blaze]

Theres a very high chance that Nicholas will now be over in NZ this summer doing commentary..he was here last year for the tests against Pakistan.

The year before last..

 

[Tim]

well yeah, 2 seasons ago I mean.

His price-tag might have risen though, but I wouldn't rule it out now.
Personally I wouldn't mind. He's a damn sight better than Crowe, Larsen, Morrison etc.

 

[sqwerty]

It's an absolute tragedy. Finally they get a fresh voice - and a more analytical commentator - into the box, then they dump him. Im sick and tired of people like Lawry and Greig. All they do is just describe the play and make ridiculously obvious statements. There's no attempt from them, whatsoever, to analyse things or to offer any insight. As for Benaud, he's too occupied with making smart little comments and trying to be witty. I liked him when he was naturally witty, but now he just tries to force it. Replace these people with the likes of Slater and Nicholas - guys who actually say unobvious things and offer some insight.

These are exactly my thoughts though I'm not as passionate about Nicholas.

As for Greig and Lawry I can't remember them ever saying anything insightful. Their commentary is so damn basic, obvious and boring.

And I couldn't agree with you more about Benaud. He is painful.

Slats is great, Mo and Jones, while a bit odd, know their stuff and that pommy analyst on Channel 4 who sits in front of all the monitors and pops up every half an hour or so are all good value.

 

[Slow Love™]

I actually love Tony Grieg. But criticisms of Lawry, Taylor and (obviously to a far lesser degree) Benaud, are, IMO spot on (I'm not a huge fan of Nicholas, but I don't really mind him either) - I have felt like Benaud has been losing it for a few years now. Originally, I had thought that Nicholas was drafted in to replace Benaud, whose departure at the time looked imminent. Obviously this situation has changed now, and I assume that's why he's going. Which probably means there's not going to be a replacement as such.

 

[Linda]

I just hope Slater gets a gig, he was so good over the winter.

 

[Crazy Sam]

I hope it's true but really am unsure. I mean, he was still doing the intros and everything in the supertest; surely if they weren't going to use him in future they would have given this to simon o'donnell.

However, it could happen. Taylor, Healy, Chappell were nowhere to be heard on channel 9 during the super series. Assuming Michael Holding stays on for the West Indies series, this could mean that Sanjay and Nicholas would lose their spots to two of them.

Personally I wouldn't have any issues with Taylor, Chappell and Nicholas being permanently dumped from the commentary team. Love Bill Lawry's commentary when he gets all excited. Don't like some of his pro-victoria comments that you hear but they aren't unexpected, and I was glad he was defending watson when he was bowling in the first innings because bowling in your second test against that type of line up would surely be daunting for any bowler.

 

[Pratters]

Yahoooo!

The boring commentator is dumped.

Yipeeeeeeeee.

 

[howardj]

I wonder if the Old Guard of Channel Nine commentators did anything to undermine him, in order to protect their own positions? eg Lawry unplugging Mark's microphone; or Chappelli putting a "i hate Richie" post-it note on the back Mark's blazer. Ah the Old Guard.....the only way they'll leave that box, is in a box.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I wonder if the Old Guard of Channel Nine commentators did anything to undermine him, in order to protect their own positions? eg Lawry unplugging Mark's microphone; or Chappelli putting a "i hate Richie" post-it note on the back Mark's blazer. Ah the Old Guard.....the only way they'll leave that box, is in a box.

Or locking themselves in the commentary box until they're allowed to "open up"?

 

[benchmark00]

I didn't mind Nicholas, way better than Chappell or Healy. I think its more of a matter of 'it's easier to dump a new comer than it is to dump someone who's been around for years' rather than quality.

 

[SteveG]

I don't have a problem with Mark Nicholas' commentary, I find it superior to the Australia-biased commentary of Lawry (he's the Aussie equivalent of Ian Botham) and the annoying Holding. Maybe its the fact that he is the only commentator not to have played for his country (correct me if I'm wrong), let alone captaining his country.

I'd like to see Michael Slater and Kerry O'Keefe given a go...tho I don't think he'd be taken seriously by the others.

I think they should stick with Mark Taylor as well, he has a good cricketing brain. I think some of the 'old guard' are stuck in the past.

 

[Blaze]

Slats definetly has to come in IMO. Lawry I have got used to and actually enjoy now. In fact I like the whole AUS commentary. I could live without either Healy or Taylor if it meant getting Slater in there though.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Slater has been too outspoken since his retirement to get a guernsey at Ch 9.

 

[Craig]

I am not a fan of Kerry O'keefe.

 

[Craig]

I wish Geoff Boycott would come over here. Now he is worth listening too.

I'm serious, considering the amount of runs he scored he scored in his career and the number of hundreds he would know what he is preaching about.

 

[Craig]

Slater has been too outspoken since his retirement to get a guernsey at Ch 9.

Didn't he have a cosy retirement job lined up there while he was still playing?

 

[Jono]

YES! I was telling my mate how good this was, but he likes him for some reason. I guess some people get sucked in to his 'polished' voice where he just talks crap using the thesaurus.

He never says anything worthwhile in the commentary box. And I reckon he's in love with Michael Clarke.

 

[Jono]

It's an absolute tragedy. Finally they get a fresh voice - and a more analytical commentator - into the box, then they dump him. Im sick and tired of people like Lawry and Greig. All they do is just describe the play and make ridiculously obvious statements. There's no attempt from them, whatsoever, to analyse things or to offer any insight. As for Benaud, he's too occupied with making smart little comments and trying to be witty. I liked him when he was naturally witty, but now he just tries to force it. Replace these people with the likes of Slater and Nicholas - guys who actually say unobvious things and offer some insight.

What exactly does Nicholas say which is analytical and has insight? He's all show with no substance.

 

[howardj]

Didn't he have a cosy retirement job lined up there while he was still playing?

Yeah, but Kerry Packer kicked him while he was down by cutting him when he got dropped from the Test Team in 1996-97