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Donna Symmonds

Rick Hahn

Cricket Spectator
The worst foremost female commentator has been getting a lot of publicity this week, since the twenty20 started

Saw this scathing article yesterday, which promoted me to think: should she be in the commentary box?
 

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
At first i thought it was nice to see a chick in commentary, i remember when Belinda Clark made the odd appearence a couple years back she added something. But this chick is useless.
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Already being discussed in the 20/20 WC forum. I don't think she's any good, but it's not hard to see why she's there, given the format and everything.

edit: Just read the article, it's rubbish. There's plenty of quality pundits and commentators out there who haven't played test cricket, and plenty of former players who are awful commentators. She's no good, but it's not because she hasn't played at the highest level.
 
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archie mac

International Coach
I don't think she should be judged on her work with 20/20 not easy to make it sound interesting, would like to see some of her efforts in Tests:)
 

Josh

International Regular
I'm surprised my mother didn't hurl a rather large, solid object through her TV screen the way she was yelling about this hopeless woman.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
2 "m"s FTW.

Never heard Miss Symmonds myself, but I presume majority opinion can't be this badly wrong.
 

stumpski

International Captain
Already being discussed in the 20/20 WC forum. I don't think she's any good, but it's not hard to see why she's there, given the format and everything.

edit: Just read the article, it's rubbish. There's plenty of quality pundits and commentators out there who haven't played test cricket, and plenty of former players who are awful commentators. She's no good, but it's not because she hasn't played at the highest level.
By that criterion John Arlott, Brian Johnston and Christopher Martin-Jenkins would never have been heard on the airwaves. Is Symmonds the one on Sky? She has rather a hectoring style, she sounds like she's shouting at the mic to me. If Ann Widdecombe did cricket commentary it couldn't sound much worse.
 

PhoenixFire

International Coach
I don't find her any more annoying that Nasser Hussain (which isn't saying much), I don't even listen to the commentary anyway, unless it's Boycott or Atherton.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Is she the only female WI commentator going around? iirc there was a female commentator doing some radio work over there when the Aussies last toured there for tests. Dunno if it was the same lady but i remember back then thinking whoever the female commentator was that she was pretty good.

If it was her, maybe tv isn't her thing and she's a better ball-by-ball radio caller than a tv-type expert.
 

HeathDavisSpeed

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
her voice does my head in.
Harsh. I think her voice is great. I heard her on Radio 4 longwave commentating on England vs West Indies a few years back and she was great.

She wasn't as good in the 20:20 though, but it didn't help from what I saw that whenever she made a point in discussion with Ravi Shastri, he didn't bloody answer! Mus be frustrating to a commentator to talk to a brick wall!
 

four_or_six

Cricketer Of The Year
I was telling someone yesterday she couldn't be the person who did TMS before because she was really good and this person wasn't. So maybe she just isn't suited to TV as much as radio.

But I have to say, Gooch is way worse. He's so grumpy about everything. And I don't like Ian Chappell, he just annoys me. Oh, and chuck Ian Ward's hosting of the programme away too please.
 

four_or_six

Cricketer Of The Year
Yeah, and Goodch calling Brett Lee 'mate' all the way through an interview... that sounded weird.

Loved Slats impression of Freddie yesterday though, that was funny. :laugh:
 

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