PRAGATI PRAVA, OP
Eloquent and balanced, cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle is not just liked for his astute analysis of the game but also his dispassionate judgments of abilities of individual players. He has raised the hackles of cricket fanatics in India by praising deserving players of other teams as well, but is luckily back in the English commentary box
In India, the craze for cricket is stronger than all other crazes and cricketers almost enjoy the status of demigods in the public perception. As a result, even positive criticism of the players triggers adverse sentiments in fans across the country. Also, praising highly talented players of other cricket-playing nations, especially those with whom India shares years of hostility on the field, is not taken well by fanatics.
Eloquent cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle was a victim of this prevailing wave of fanaticism revolving around cricket in the country only because he had rightfully praised players of other countries who deserve praise. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan took to twitter to express his resentment against Bhogle for, supposedly, according more importance to cricketers of other countries. A month after Bachchan’s tweet which read: “With all due respects, it would be really worthy of an Indian commentator to speak more about our players than others all the time”, Bhogle was excluded from the Indian Premier League commentary team, April 10, 2016.
As Bhogle returned to English cricket commentary for India’s tour of West Indies, which started June 23, after almost a year, Orissa POST interacted with a few die-hard cricket fans who said they missed Bhogle’s inimitable style of commentary all this time. Cricket lovers, they said, would be glad to get to hear his insightful commentary again.
According to Samir Mohanty, an accounts professional who lives in Mauritius, “Bhogle has been an integral part of the IPL commentary team since the commencement of the tourney in 2008. Being a cricket lover, I thoroughly enjoy every bit of his commentary. The best part about him is that he gives a balanced presentation of the sequence of events during a match and the attributes of individual players. He treats the players fairly, without bias for Indian players and antipathy for others. This is the true spirit of sports. I love him for his sharp analysis of the game and his ability to ask relevant questions to the players.”
Biswadeep Mohanty, a Bhubaneswar-based young advocate, said: “Cricket was not enjoyable sans the voice of Bhogle. I was elated when I got message on twitter that Bhogle has returned to commentary again.”
“Though I love my country and sincerely pray that it wins every match, I appreciate Bhogle for his frank admiration of players of other countries. As a matter of fact, he represents the spirit of India, which is unbiased,” Mohanty added.
Cricket is Srimoy Nath’s greatest passion in life. The English literature student said: “As I am keen to get engaged with something related to cricket in my career, Bhogle has shown me that one can be extremely successful in the field of commentary.”
“Indians die for cricket. Their hearts break when the country faces a defeat. They revere cricketers and worship the ground their heroes walk on. It is very natural that they get hurt when they hear much praise about players of other countries, especially at times when the country suffers a defeat in a crucial tie. But I am sure Indian cricket fans have great respect for players of other countries,” he added.
“Bhogle truly represents the Indian spirit of sophistication and broad-mindedness and commands deep respect of all sensible cricket lovers,” Nath said.
Jayashree Barik, a cricket enthusiast and a literature student, however, supported Bachchan’s tweet and maintained: “Being an Indian commentator, Bhogle should have spoken more about the country’s players to boost their morale. An Indian commentator speaking so much about rivals has a negative impact on our players and certainly affects their performance.”
“Though I am a big fan of Bhogle’s eloquence and his in-depth analysis of the game, and while I know that he does not have a substitute, I wish he spoke more for our team. I wholeheartedly welcome his return to English commentary,” she said.
On BCCI’s sacking of Bhogle, she commented: “I do not feel it is Bachchan’s tweet which was behind BCCI’s decision. There could have been other reasons like the involvement of senior cricketers who felt uncomfortable at Bhogle’s questions and the heated argument with a Vidharbha Cricket Association official during India’s ICC World Twenty20 match in Nagpur.”
However, BCCI should have come clear about its decision that robbed millions of viewers of the chance to listen to Bhogle’s mesmerising commentary, she added.
Smita Pradhan, a social development practitioner, struck a different note. She said: “People should not take commentary, and commentators, too seriously. They are only storytellers and help viewers get a hang of the technical aspects of the game. They have no role in boosting the morale of players.”
“Being a storyteller, it is absolutely right on the part of the IIM Ahmedabad alumnus to do justice to all players instead of just the Men in Blue. I love his spirit, eloquence and insight into the true spirit of the game,” Pradhan said.
