Commentators who you didnāt know were prominent cricketers
Cricket, as of this moment, is filled with so many ex-players who have transformed themselves into commentators and analysts, that we picture only a select few individuals as āspecialistsā bound for the job. But what if we were to tell you that they, too, were once prominent cricketers?
It is no secret that we, the cricket fans, when we were kids, apart from imitating the bowling action of bowlers, also used to construct scenarios in our head and mimic our favourite commentators. The joy of pretending to be a commentator and the freedom of being able to say the words you want to, whilst playing out an imaginary game in your head, is quite frankly, unmatched. In fact, the role that commentators and the art of commentary has played in our lives is criminally underrated.
Not only did commentators help us understand the game better, but they also beautified some of the greatest moments that the sport has had to offer us to such an extent that those incidents, till date, stay ingrained in our hearts. And whilst we know that certain great commentators - be it Ravi Shastri or Nasser Hussain or Richie Benaud - were once great servants of the sport, sometimes it is hard for us to picture a certain other few as cricketers, for it feels like these select few people were always destined to be commentators. We, here at SportsCafe, look at a list of few commentators who we, the fans, refuse to believe once played cricket.Ā
Alan Wilkins
Now you could be thinking that Iām making this up. Yes, Alan Wilkins is a face that weāve been seeing since the very first day we started watching cricket and you do sometimes suspect if he was born with a mic in his hand. Cricket, Football, Tennis, Golf - you name it. He is EVERYWHERE!. But hey, he was a darn good cricketer back in the day, too. Wilkins was a left-arm pacer who, between 1976 and 1983, played a total of 107 first-class matches for Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, scalping a total of 243 FC wickets. By the time Wilkins hung up his boots in 1983, he had already added a total of 373 wickets next to his name (FC + List A) and had established himself as one of the more handy left-armers to have played in that era. One thingās for sure, though. A then 30-year-old Wilko, back then, wouldnāt have imagined that people would be talking about 37 years later, thatās for sure.Ā
Mark Nicholas
Is it even the Australian summer if you donāt switch on your television early in the morning and hear Mark Nicholas utter the words, āThere she goes.ā In fact, for many, including myself, it is hard to believe that Nicholas is actually an Englishman, given heās been the heart and soul of commentary of Tests held in Australia for as long as I can remember. Either way, back in the day, he was indeed a very, very handy all-rounder. Nicholas, for his state side Hampshire, amassed over EIGHTEEN THOUSAND first-class runs while also accounting for 72 wickets. In fact, he agonizingly came close to getting selected for the English side and even captained the England āAā in his career. The now-commentator eventually retired in 1995 at the age of 38, but firmly established himself as a veteran in the domestic circuit.
Mike Haysman
For many, this could come as a shock. Firstly, Haysman did indeed play cricket and secondly, the fact that he is an Australian. Given Mike Haysman has been the voice of all matches held in South Africa, for well over a decade, it is surprising, indeed. But the South Australian was a āMan with a mulletā back in the day and played a total of 103 first-class matches for South Australia and Leicestershire. Haysman accumulated close to 6,000 FC runs, including a high score of 180 and averaged just under 37. He eventually called it quits in 1993, at just the age of 32.Ā
Athar Ali Khan
There is no way on earth that you will find a Bangladesh match going on without listening to the voice of Athar Ali Khan. Yes, I mean, come on, it is almost obligatory for Athar to be present wherever and whenever Bangladesh play. We all know that he is the most prominent commentator from the country, but what we perhaps donāt know is that he represented the nation in 19 ODIs. A No.4 batsman who can also bowl military medium, Athar Ali Khan made his debut against a strong Indian side led by Dilip Vengsarkar, in 1988. In his 19-match ODI career, Athar averaged close to 30 and registered three fifties, including a high score of 82 against Pakistan in Colombo in 1997. Incidentally, his last international game also turned out to be against the Indians in 1998, but he was unfortunately dismissed for a duck by Paras Mhambrey.
Ian Smith
Some eight months ago, Ian Smith was on air when the Kiwis broke the heart of a billion Indians and some 30 years ago, he was the architect-in-chief when he smashed the Indian bowlers to smithereens in Auckland. In fact, that 173 by the now-commentator Smith is, till date, the highest score by any batsman batting at the No.9 position. An agile wicket-keeper who was also aggressive with the bat, Smith represented New Zealand in 161 international games between 1980 and 1992 and established himself as a kind of a āMr Reliableā. He has, since, as we know, seamlessly transitioned into the commentary box, and has is loved by millions for the passion that he displays with the mic in his hand.Ā