(This post is part of the A to Z Challenge. I am writing this month on activities that keep me refreshed during these depressing days. It's day 3 today.)
No, I am not playing cricket. That's unimaginable in these times, isn't it? So, what am I doing with cricket now? Wait, read on.
My interest in cricket was mainly because of an excellent English teacher, Prem C Nair, who was also a good cricket player. He introduced me to not only some of the famous cricketers but also cricket journalists. He used to tell us about the unique relationship between cricket and English literature. Some of the famous writers I got to know about from him are W G Grace, Neville Cardus and C L R James.
I can't believe now the amount of time I spent in school days listening to radio commentary during holidays. Those were the days of only 5-day Test matches. I did nothing other than listening to radio commentary from 10 in the morning to 5 in the evening on all five days. A number of friends also used to come to my house to listen to the ball-by-ball description or telecast on TV.
GREAT COMMENTATORS
The two great commentators of All India Radio I can fondly remember are Anand Setalvad and Suresh Saraiya. There were many others too like Balu Alaganan, J P Narayan, Sushil Doshi and Jasdev Singh.
On the BBC, I was a great fan of Test Match Special, which had the likes of Henry Blofeld, Brian Johnston, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Don Mosey, and Johnathan Agnew. Unfortunately, I am unable to listen to TMS on the BBC app now because of geographical rights restrictions.
COLLATERAL BENEFITS
There were a few collateral benefits of my interest in cricket. I learnt very early where different nations, especially the cricket playing ones, are located on the global map. Secondly, I understood the concept of the time difference between nations. In New Zealand, matches start around 4.30 am Indian Standard Time, in Australia, around 5.30 am, in England, around 3.30 pm, in the West Indies around 8 pm.
THE FAMOUS LEG OVER
Okay, what am I doing with cricket now? I am watching clips on anything to do with cricket on YouTube. Unfortunately, there are not many archival clips of Indian commentary. I am still searching the web for excerpts of Anand Setalvad and Suresh Saraiya commentary. If anyone can find one, please let me know.
Henry Blofeld would easily rank as the most popular of all commentators, and the most well-known episode from his commentating days is what has come to be known as the "leg over". In fact, that bit was hailed by BBC Radio 5 listeners as the best ever piece of commentary on the radio!
Here is BBC TMS producer Peter Baxter explaining what that episode was.
Below is that very famous clip
Henry Blofeld's final moments of his 47-year-long radio commentator career
Blofeld reflecting on those final moments
Henry Blofeld has written two books: Over and Out and Squeezing the Orange.
If you are interested in some of the great funny moments inside the commentary box of Test Match Special, there is a book called Rain Stops Play written by Brian Johnston. It's when rain stops play that all the fun begins with commentators exchanging jokes and pulling each other's legs!
My interest in cricket was mainly because of an excellent English teacher, Prem C Nair, who was also a good cricket player. He introduced me to not only some of the famous cricketers but also cricket journalists. He used to tell us about the unique relationship between cricket and English literature. Some of the famous writers I got to know about from him are W G Grace, Neville Cardus and C L R James.
I can't believe now the amount of time I spent in school days listening to radio commentary during holidays. Those were the days of only 5-day Test matches. I did nothing other than listening to radio commentary from 10 in the morning to 5 in the evening on all five days. A number of friends also used to come to my house to listen to the ball-by-ball description or telecast on TV.
GREAT COMMENTATORS
The two great commentators of All India Radio I can fondly remember are Anand Setalvad and Suresh Saraiya. There were many others too like Balu Alaganan, J P Narayan, Sushil Doshi and Jasdev Singh.
On the BBC, I was a great fan of Test Match Special, which had the likes of Henry Blofeld, Brian Johnston, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Don Mosey, and Johnathan Agnew. Unfortunately, I am unable to listen to TMS on the BBC app now because of geographical rights restrictions.
COLLATERAL BENEFITS
There were a few collateral benefits of my interest in cricket. I learnt very early where different nations, especially the cricket playing ones, are located on the global map. Secondly, I understood the concept of the time difference between nations. In New Zealand, matches start around 4.30 am Indian Standard Time, in Australia, around 5.30 am, in England, around 3.30 pm, in the West Indies around 8 pm.
THE FAMOUS LEG OVER
Okay, what am I doing with cricket now? I am watching clips on anything to do with cricket on YouTube. Unfortunately, there are not many archival clips of Indian commentary. I am still searching the web for excerpts of Anand Setalvad and Suresh Saraiya commentary. If anyone can find one, please let me know.
Henry Blofeld would easily rank as the most popular of all commentators, and the most well-known episode from his commentating days is what has come to be known as the "leg over". In fact, that bit was hailed by BBC Radio 5 listeners as the best ever piece of commentary on the radio!
Here is BBC TMS producer Peter Baxter explaining what that episode was.
Below is that very famous clip
Henry Blofeld's final moments of his 47-year-long radio commentator career
Blofeld reflecting on those final moments
Henry Blofeld has written two books: Over and Out and Squeezing the Orange.
If you are interested in some of the great funny moments inside the commentary box of Test Match Special, there is a book called Rain Stops Play written by Brian Johnston. It's when rain stops play that all the fun begins with commentators exchanging jokes and pulling each other's legs!