5 commentators we would've loved to hear during the IPL

The IPL is one of the most eye-catching tournaments in the cricketing world. The frenzy of an IPL game is enough to keep millions of viewers hooked on. However, the game becomes all the more watchable and comes alive when the on-field proceedings are narrated by a voice with a lot of zeal. The likes of Ravi Shastri, Danny Morrison, and Harsha Bhogle have been big hits with the crowd and have only added to the popularity of the IPL.

This season quite a few commentators like David Lloyd, Isa Guha, and Anjum Chopra have made their debut at the IPL. Considering this, we thought of coming up with a list of commentators who are not part of IPL’s commentary team but would have been fun to listen to.

NOTE: Richie Benaud, considered to be one of the best cricket commentators, is not a part of this list because he was not the kind of commentator you would associate with screaming something like a ‘Yes Bank Maximum’. Moreover, his rather subtle and soft-spoken style of commentary wouldn't necessarily augur well with a tournament like the IPL.

1. Bill Lawry

Widely regarded as one of the best cricket commentators ever, Bill Lawry would have been a major hit in the IPL. Lawry was part of Channel Nine’s team for over 30 years and was often labelled as the entertainer of the team. His partnership with Tony Greig is the stuff of legend as the duo engaged in several verbal battles on air.

Lawry’s narration of on-field proceedings in a high-pitched voice combined with the use of several cliches like "Got him, yes!" and "It's all happening" would have made for an exciting watch. Another feature of his commentary was the excitement in his voice when a game reached its climax. It was as if one could easily gauge as to what was happening on the field just by listening to his voice. However, age has caught up with the legendary commentator and he no longer does commentary on a regular basis.

The below video is a compilation of the best pieces of commentary by the Australian great:

2. Tony Grieg

Lawry’s long time partner in the Channel Nine commentary box, Tony Greig too is one commentator who would have added a lot of zing to the IPL commentary team. He had a dress code of sorts as he suited up for every game and had his trademark white hat on. While Lawry was someone who used a lot of cliches, Greig was a lot more spontaneous. On one instance, he had the entire Channel Nine team in splits when he was struggling with a graphic while explaining slip fielding.

Indian fans were particularly fond of Greig for the way he took Sachin Tendulkar’s name. Coincidentally, the Englishman was on air on several big occassions for Indian cricket such as the Desert Storm innings and the 2001 Eden Gardens Test. Unfortunately, Greig passed away in 2012 and thereby left a big void in the world of cricket commentary.

Relive his exciting commentary during the two desert storm innings in the video below:

3. Geoffrey Boycott

Just like fellow Englishman Tony Greig, Geoffrey Boycott too dresses dapper for every game and has his trademark hat on. Quite contrary to his traditional, forward defensive style of batting, Boycott is rather outspoken as a commentator and clearly articulates his thoughts. Moreover, given his knowledge and experience of the game, he can be very insightful as a commentator. All this combined with his typical Yorkshire accent make him a must-have on this list.

In today’s age, wherein most of the commentators are fence sitters and shy away from commenting on controversial issues, Boycott is one man who wouldn’t think twice before speaking his mind. He is also known to take digs at players for committing mistakes on the field.

Very often when fielders drop catches, Boycott in his inimitable style remarks, “My grandmother could have caught that in her pinny.”

4. Mark Nicholas

Mark Nicholas is one of the most popular cricket commentators of the present generation. After the Benauds, Greigs and the Lawrys of the generation gone by, Nicholas serves as the anchorman of the present day Channel Nine commentary team. While there are many commentators these days who scream on top of their voices to sound more appealing, the 57-year old makes an impact by way of his deep voice and rather poised style of commentary.

Nicholas also happens to be the voice of the game EA Sports Cricket wherein he delivers the opening piece for every game. Given that he has not played even a single international game, his journey to becoming one of the best commentators of his generation seems all the more remarkable. Though he has been part of the IPL commentary team in the second season, he has not been able to continue thereafter due to the English summer coinciding with the IPL.

Watch the video below that captures the best bits of Nicholas:

5. Ian Smith?

In the recently concluded World Cup, New Zealand’s Ian Smith emerged as one of the most popular commentators of the tournament. Off late, the 58-year old has been a regular member of Sky Sports’ rugby and cricket commentary team. His exciting style of commentary was a big hit with fans, especially in games involving co-hosts New Zealand.

The below tweet from news presenter Mike McRoberts sums up how good a commentator Ian Smith can be:

Have to say Ian Smith's commentary on Elliot hitting the winning six is pure gold. One for the archives #BlackCaps

— Mike McRoberts (@MrMikeMcRoberts) March 25, 2015

Given the several ups and downs that an IPL game goes through, Smith can be a big hit in the IPL. Moreover, given that he has also had a lot of experience playing international cricket, he can also provide some valuable insights.