5 current commentators who did not play International Cricket

Live cricket commentary is more than just a drab ball-by-ball description; commentators give cricket a voice and make words out of the game's nuances. From Richie Benaud's calm, insightful take to Danny Morrison's over-the-top, wrestling-style commentary, cricket has witnessed different kinds of orators in the press-box.

Generally, former international cricketers make the natural foray into commentary after their careers end, to stay associated with the game and keep their bank balance ticking. However, there are a few self-made men, who haven't played international cricket and have reached the pinnacles of cricket broadcasting by sheer talent.

Here's a list of five current commentators, who haven't played the game at the top-most level:

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Alan Wilkins

One of the most recognizable faces in cricket commentary, Wilkins has been an old war-horse of the trade. Born in Cardiff, Wilkins started his cricket career as a left-arm seamer who played for Glamorgan and Gloucestershire.

In the year 1977, he took 47 first-class wickets for Glamorgan, before shifting to Gloucestershire in 1979. In all, he took close to 400 wickets between 1976 and 1983, before a serious shoulder injury brought an end to his playing career.

He started his career beyond the field with a stint at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (Johannesburg) for radio and television broadcasting, where he won the SAB Sports Journalist of the Year award.

He moved back to Wales, before being called back to South Africa to cover the Proteas' return to international cricket in 1994. He shuttled back and forth between South Africa and the UK, covering the Rugby World Cup and the Wimbledon championships.

He started his association with ESPN Star Sports in 1996, where he was asked to commentate on the 1996 Indian Cricket team's tour of England, a series which saw the Test debut of Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.

He has been part of the ESS Cricket Commentary team ever since, and has also hosted and commentated Tennis and Golf tournaments.

Harsha Bhogle

One of the favourites of the crowd because of his charming disposition and eye for detail, Harsha has become one of the constants of the batch of Indian commentators. Born in Hyderabad, he is alumnus of Osmania University and has a post graduate degree from IIM-Ahmedabad.

He first started commentating when he was just 19, for All-India Radio. Before the 1992 World Cup, he was invited by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to cover the tournament.

He has also worked for eight years in the BBC commentary team. He has a huge presence on social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook.

Bhogle is part of the commentary team called 'Few Good Men', comprising of Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Geoffrey Boycott, and has been covering all IPL editions since 2008, before being controversially taken off from the panel for this season.

Mark Nicholas

Born in Westminster and graduated from Bradfield College, Mark Nicholas had a long and successful career as a first-class cricketer, but couldn't break his way into the national team.

Nicholas captained Hampshire to victory in four prominent tournaments: the Benson and Hedges Cup (1988 & 1992), the Sunday League (1986) and the NatWest Trophy (1991). He played 377 first class matches, compiling more than 18,000 runs, including 36 hundreds.

He occasionally used to bowl medium pace, and took 72 first-class and 108 List A wickets.

After retiring from the game, he started commentating for Sky Sports, before being roped in as an anchor for Channel 4. He has also served as commentator and anchor for Australia's Channel Nine, and was awarded the Sports Presenter of the Year award in 2001 by the Royal Television Society.

He had also worked for the Daily Telegraph as a journalist, and has also presented the UK version of the Survivor reality show.

Tony Cozier

Winston Anthony Cozier is one the longest serving commentators and cricket writers, having been associated with the game since 1958.

He studied journalism at Carleton University and played hockey for Barbados, as well as cricket for local Barbados clubs. He first stint in commentary was in the West Indies vs Australia way back in 1965.

Currently, he is part of the Sky Sports West Indian Commentary Team, and the BBC Test Match Special Team. He has also been part of Australia's Channel Nine in the past. Famous for his 1978 book, Fifty Years of Test Cricket, Cozier is also the editor of all editions of the West Indies Cricket Annual.

Apart from commentating, Cozier has also been part of many television channels and radio shows. He was awarded an honorary membership by the MCC in 2011, and has the press box at the Kensington Oval named after him.

Jim Maxwell

A veteran of covering over 250 Test matches, the 65-year old Maxwell, one of the most recognizable voices in Australian cricket, has been associated with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation since 1973.

His career on the field was limited to playing grade cricket at the Cranbrook School, Sydney. He is a member of the BBC Test Match Special team, commentating for them during the Ashes series.

Apart from cricket, he has covered a number of sports, including rugby, hockey, golf and table tennis. He has been editing the ABC Cricket Magazine for 28 years, and is also the author of three cricket books.

Along with Richie Benaud, Maxwell provides the commentary for the EA Sports games Cricket 2004 and 2005. He is an avid photographer and a member of The Primary Club of Australia.