Ranking Top 10 Best Cricket Commentators Of The Current Era

Commentary is a vital part of any sport. A good commentator adds drama to the theatre and keeps the viewer hooked and longing for more.

Over the year, cricket has been blessed with a plethora of legendary commentators like Richie Benaud, Billy Lawry, Tony Grieg, Ian Chappell, Henry Blofeld,  Tony  Cozier, Robin Jackman, all of whom, in their own very different styles, made the game richer.

With the onslaught of ex-cricketers in the commentary box in the current era, the commentary level has gone down in the past decade or so but there are still a plethora of celebrated commentators, who continue to enrich our viewing experience.

On that note, here’s a look at Ranking Top 10 Best Cricket Commentators Of The Current Era:

10. Mark Nicholas

“The crowd are with Johnson, this is like the days of Lille and Thompson, in comes Mitchell Johnson now. Ooooooooh How about it!? How about it!? It’s barely believable, the Adelaide oval has gone off, and so has Stuart broad!”– Mark Nicholas thundered in the commentary box as Mitchell Johnson took down yet another English batter with unrelenting pace and accuracy during the 2013 Ashes.

A former Hampshire captain, Mark Nicholas never played international cricket but he remains one of the famous faces of the game because of his brilliant oratory skills.

The face of Channel 09 in the post-Richie Benaud era, Nicholas has been an active commentator for over two decades now, and the manner in which he describes the situation of the game, fans like me instantly connect to him.

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9. Simon Doull

Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull has impinged himself as one of the leading commentators of the modern era and one of his biggest qualities is that he is a straight-talking, erudite and unbiased commentator, who always speaks his mind.

A former Kiwi international, Doull has a deep understanding of the game and like an all-rounder, he has the ability to make a seamless transition from being an analyst to a mass commentator, who captures the excitement of a crunch moment with his voice.

Doull is a regular face in the comm. box, both at the international level as well as in the IPL.

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8. Mike Haysman

The voice of South African for a better part of the last three decades, Mike Haysman brings an element of energy, vibrancy to the commentary box and he backs it up with insightful knowledge of the game.

A veteran commentator, who has lent his voice to a plethora of events around the world, Mike Haysman knows how to connect with the masses.

While he can do all the technical analysis of the game with ease, he can easily double-up as the mass commentator, hooking fans into submission

What makes Haysman so special is the fact that despite being a veteran in the field, he always does his homework and ensures that he is well updated with current events; something not many commentators do currently.

And yeah, his patented words- ” Goodness me!” are enough to keep the viewers hooked.

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7. Michael Holding

They called him the ‘Whispering Death’ during his playing days. Smooth run-up backed up by an equally smooth action coupled with unrelenting hostility, Michael Holding was a sight to behold, except for the batters.

And as hostile as he was on a cricket field, Holding brings an air of calm in the commentary box. His witty one-liners leave everyone in splits while at the same time, there are very few that can capture the gravity of a situation like the ‘Whispering Death’.

He is unbiased, honest, a humble student of the game who dissects the nuances of fast bowling like no one can, the best thing about Michael Holding is that he is a ‘no nonsense’ commentator.

He describes it as he sees it.

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6. Isa Guha

A former World Cup-winner, Isa Guha is one of the few former cricketers, who has made a seamless transition from being on the field to calling the action on it.

In an era where the commentary box is filled with mediocre ex-cricketers, who do not even do the basic homework before passing off their opinion, Guha is a thorough professional, who goes into the minute details before making a comment.

Blessed with a voice that is smooth as silk, Guha captures the scene brilliantly and her brilliantly timed subtle pauses can even make the great Richie Benaud proud.

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5. Ian Bishop

Ian Bishop was a quintessential West Indian pacer back in the late 80s and early 90s: tall, burly built, and menacing.

But, in reality, he is one of the most humble personalities that one will ever come across. A student of the game and a guy with great work ethics, Ian Bishop is one of the greatest commentators of the modern era.

He is one of those commentators, who can delve into the minute intricate technical details of the game and at the same time, raise the crescendo of his voice to match the gravity of the moment.

“Carlos Brathwaiteeee, Carlos Brathwaite, REMEMBER THE NAME”, ” The dream has diminished for Carlos Brathwaite in Manchester”- these are some of the many gems that the legendary commentator has dished out that are now a part of the folklore.

What makes Bishop so special is that he is a thorough professional. He is unbiased and extremely compassionate and every time, you hear him, you tend to learn something new. He is not that stereotypical commentator, who says the obvious but he is someone who brings a different perspective to a situation, something that is extremely rare to see in an era of cliches.

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4. Ian Smith

“England have won the World Cup by the barest of margins, by the barest of all margins. Absolute ecstasy for England, agony, AGONY for New Zealand”

Well! No one, and I mean, no one, can make your hair stand and cause goosebumps around your body in the current era like the legendary Ian Smith.

Exactly 24 hours ago, England were crowned world champions, after the final to end all finals.

Re-live the greatest finish of all time, as you've never seen it before!#CWC19Final | #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/SHrgguTI75

— ICC (@ICC) July 15, 2019

The veteran New Zealand commentator is a passionate individual, who wears his heart on his sleeves and never, ever fails to drive home his point irrespective of what people may think.

Smith’s passion for the game is truly reflected in his voice and the theatre that he creates through his voice, even a non-cricket fan can get hooked. And, that is a rare quality to have.

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3. Michael Atherton

An extremely humble, articulate, unbiased pundit, Michael Atherton is one of the most cerebral voices in the modern game.

Be it dissecting the technical aspects of batting, dissection of strategies, astute narration, deep understanding of the mental side of things, Atherton is a complete package, a seasoned journalist, who has proved his worth in the commentary box just like he did when he faced the fearsome pacers of his era.

His sobriety coupled with an occasional mix of witty humor and unbiased calling of the game is what makes him such a delight to listen to.

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2. Harsha Bhogle

Harsha Bhogle is a perfect example of the fact that you don’t need to play the game at the highest level to have a deep understanding of the game.

Bhogle, an IIT and IIM alumni, is the voice of Indian cricket and the manner in which he relates a cricket scenario with a real-life situation is what makes him such a special commentator.

He can befuddle you with his witty remarks and at the same time, he can transform into a student of the game, who is willing to learn new things every single day.

Some of Harsha Bhogle’s best quotes:

 “ Ask him (Rahul  Dravid) to walk on water and he’ll ask, how many kilometers”
“It’s been that kind of a day. Today Sehwag can walk blindfolded across a busy highway and not get run over,’’– When Sehwag got a few reprieves during an ODI in New Zealand in 2003.
“Pujara is a classical musician in the era of Yo Yo Honey Singh,” Bhogle, when Pujara was batting slowly during a T20 game.
When  Geoffrey Boycott tried to troll Sachin for not getting a 1oo at Lords’—”So, whose loss it?”– said Bhogle.
“This is Yuvraj unleashed, absolutely unleashed:”- When Yuvi was going beserk during a 2007 WT20 game against Australia.

No one captures cricketing moments and relates them to a real-life situation as Harsha does. Add his exemplary work ethic, discipline, and humbleness, Bhogle is a complete package and a connoisseur’s delight.

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1. Nasser Hussain

Hands down, the best commentator of the current era has got to bet the former England captain, Nasser Hussain.

A feisty and aggressive captain during his playing days,  Nasser Hussain has impinged himself as a mass favorite because of his deep understanding of the game, unbiased views, and the ability to match his voice as per the match situation.

One of the best things about Nasser Hussain is he rarely gives a bad take on a particular situation. He almost always hits the nail on the head and irrespective of where his allegiance lies, he never lets it come in the way during his commentary.

His famous line when Ben Stokes took that ridiculous catch during the 2019 World Cup–” No way, No no way, you cannot do that, Ben Stokes’ or when Mohammad Amir dismissed Virat Kohli during the 2017 Champions Trophy final after a catch was dropped of his bowling on the preceding delivery–” Pakistan cricket at its best- one minute down, next minute up”– perfectly captured the emotions of the folklore at the time, and that is what makes him such a delight to hear.

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