Commentators XI - A squad of ex-cricketers and current commentators

It has become quite common for cricketers who have played up to a decent level, to get into the commentary box post retirement in recent years.Only those cricketers who have truly earned their stripes in international cricket, however, manage to be revered for their commentary and for their thoughts on the game, with a few notable exceptions of course.Here is a playing XI consisting of commentators who were distinguished international cricketers during their playing days:

#1 Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor’s captaincy credentials could easily make you overlook the fact that he was also a very distinguished opening batsman during his decade-long international career with Australia. He scored 7,525 runs from 104 Tests at an average of 43.49, with a highest score of 334* against Pakistan, and will go down in history as one of the finest captains Australia has ever produced.

Post retirement in 1999, he has moved seamlessly into the Channel Nine commentary box, and is known for expressing his forthright and insightful views on various issues surrounding the game of cricket.

#2 Sunil Gavaskar

Undoubtedly the greatest opening batsman India has ever had, Sunil Gavaskar scored a staggering 10,122 runs from 125 Tests at 51.12 in an era which consisted of some of the greatest fast bowlers of all-time. Blessed with a sound technique and boundless patience, Gavaskar was the first man to score 10000 runs and 30 centuries in Test cricket, a truly rare feat back in those days.

Since retiring, he has become a noted commentator and columnist, and has also donned various administration roles with the BCCI from time to time.

#3 Rahul Dravid

The soft spoken and erudite Rahul Dravid might have started his commentary career only as recently as 2012 and has commentated only sporadically up until now, but he has already become one of the more popular voices on the game. Dravid, who retired from all forms of international cricket in 2012 following a poor Test series Down Under, finished up with a colossal record of 13,288 runs from 164 Tests at 52.31, not to mention his 10000+ runs in ODI cricket.

#4 Ian Chappell (C)

Ian Chappell was extremely aggressive in his approach both as a batsman and captain during his time in the 1960s and 70s, and those qualities come to the fore in his commentary as well.

Although Chappell was a mighty fine top-order batsman as his 5,345 runs from 75 Tests at an average over 40 highlight, it was his achievements as a captain that he will be truly remembered for. He never lost a Test series as captain, and also took Australia to the final of the inaugural 1975 World Cup before eventually losing to the West Indies.

Chappell, following years of fighting with cricket authorities at the lack of sufficient pay, also played a defining role in the introduction of World Series Cricket, the contribution of which in what cricket is today cannot be underestimated.

#5 Ian Botham

Ian Botham took 383 Test wickets at a strike-rate of 56.9 and scored 5200 runs, with 14 centuries, over his long and illustrious Test career, thereby cementing himself as England’s greatest ever all-rounder.

In fact, he had earned that status long before playing his 102nd and final Test, courtesy of 399 runs and 34 wickets in the historic Ashes series of 1981.

#6 Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly, who was one of the most elegant Indian batsmen during his time, made his Test debut for India in 1996 and, over his 12-year long Test career, scored 7000 runs from 113 Tests at an average of 42.17, in addition to 11363 runs in ODI cricket from 311 matches at 41.02.

He took over the captaincy of the Indian team after the match-fixing saga in 2000, and presided over a successful period for Indian cricket in both Test and ODI cricket. The most refreshing aspect of his leadership was the fact that he laid a strong emphasis on achieving success away from home rather than being content at just home wins and, to a large extent, achieved what he set out to.

Behind the mic, he has been a refreshing change for Indian viewers who have been peppered with some cliched commentary over the years, and forms a fantastic partnership with Dravid, like all those years on the ground.

#7 Ian Healy (wk)

Ian Healy, who joined the Channel Nine commentary roster as soon as he gave up playing in 1999, played 117 Tests and 168 ODIs for Australia over an eleven-year playing career. In that time, he effected 395 and 233 dismissals, respectively, to establish himself as the leading gloveman in the world at the time, not to forget his valuable runs down the order especially in Test cricket.

#8 Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud’s long-standing and illustrious career as a commentator shouldn’t make one lose sight of the fact that he was also a terrific cricketer for Australia in the 1950s and 60s. Benaud, who made his Test debut for Australia against West Indies in 1952, played a total of 63 Tests and took 248 wickets with his leg spin, apart from scoring 2201 runs with the bat at an average just under 25.

#9 Wasim Akram

With the ability of swinging the ball both ways at speeds of 90 mph and above, Wasim Akram caused endless havoc to batsmen around the world throughout his playing career. Akram made his Test debut against New Zealand in January 1985, and went on to establish himself as one of Pakistan’s greatest ever cricketers, finishing his career with 414 Test wickets and 502 ODI wickets from 104 Tests and 356 ODIs, respectively.

#10 Shane Warne

Australian spin bowling legend Shane Warne has been commentating on cricket for Sky Sports during the English summer and for Channel Nine during the Australian summer over the last few years, much to the delight of cricket fans around the world.

Warne took a staggering 708 wickets from 145 Tests, which were the most at the time and now second only to Muttiah Muralitharan, having made his debut against India way back in 1992. He also had 293 scalps to his name in ODI cricket, and was one of the leading figures in Australia’s success at the 1999 World Cup.

#11 Michael Holding

Michael Holding, who possessed a long, rhythmic run-up and hurled the ball at ferocious speed, took 248 wickets from 60 Tests at a bowling average of 23.68 over his 12-year Test career. Part of West Indies’ fearsome pace quartet of the late 1970s and 80s, Holding was as intimidating a fast bowler as there have been. This was on display none more so than against England at the Oval in 1976, when he finished with match figures of 14/149, the finest ever by a West Indian till date, on a pretty docile Oval pitch.

In recent years, he has been commentating regularly on cricket around the world, and is well appreciated for his opinion on contentious issues confronting the cricket world.