Everyone who cares about South African cricket probably has a worst ‘moment’ from the last couple of years which, for them, symbolises the nadir to which the game’s reputation sank.
This blows my mind. The radio 2000 ball by ball cricket commentary is an institution, the ECB have been smart enough to snap up Andrew Samson for their tests as the stats on the fly bring so much depth to the listener. What doesn't add up for me, this is probably about budget, right (and the SABC lost theirs in a pothole)? This talk of the series being worth some figure in the hundreds of millions to CSA, surely there's an answer.
Apart from anything else, Steven, the SABC is a public service provider. They are mandated and obliged to provide the service. The justification from Radio 2000 management was that they are "pursuing a commercial model." What? They are not a commercial station. The problem, perhaps, lies in the inability or unwillingness of their commercial arm to find a sponsor for the India tour. I personally know of several sponsors who would have been interested in an association with such a big tour...
i think we all know how ridiculous that sounds. I'm sorry that there are people who can provide the product, people who want the product and morons in the middle who don't know what the product is but have their fingers on the product tap.
I think its ridiculous that a 'sports radio station' fails to broadcast 'ball-by-ball' a test & ODI series between us and the strong Indian national team. Shame on them. Do you know if spectators will be able to attend? Hope to see you at Newlands for the 3rd test.
Hi David, apologies for the delay in replying. 'Ridiculous' is a polite way of putting it. Apart from anything else, CSA need their home internationals to be on radio to keep many, many thousands of loyal followers in touch with the game - and to attract new followers, too. At this stage I am due to be at Newlands for the 3rd Test but who knows...
No more commentary on Radio 2000? I am gutted. As a relative newcomer to the sport I've loved the commentary, with Aslam Kota, Natalie Germanos and you providing hours of memorable and profoundly educated chit chat! Like many others I listened on headphones while attending games at Newlands. I also taught at the Athlone School for the Blind where the students were cricket mad, played blind cricket and could tell you how Ponting went out 5 years previously. Imagine the loss for them! TV commentary is simply not the same.
Ingrid, you can only imagine how many similar stories I have heard over the years. Many thousands... And Dean du Plessis, the blind commentator, is one of my dearest mates. I've done many 'chats' with the members of blind cricket clubs and associations so I'm acutely aware of their passion and commitment to the game. And yes, their ability to remember tiny details from may years back never ceases to amaze me...!
Good article Neil. Sad to hear about the demise of cricket commentary on the radio. Very sad. Insofar as Smith being at fault in not selecting Thami is concerned I would lay the blame on whoever ill- advisedly told Thami he would succeed Boucher. No team in the world would have selected a good keeper and an average provincial batsman if you had a phenomenal batsman in your team who was at worst the equal of Thami as a keeper. By selecting AB you opened up a space in the team for another quality batsman and allowed the team to operate with 4 seamers and a spinner- and in 2012 beat England in England. Thami’s race was irrelevant in making this decision I would suggest. Terrible to say this but Boucher’s tragic injury was a blessing in disguise for team selection.
Hi Barry, Andrew Hudson was the selection convenor at the time and it did make sense that he wanted to keep Tsolekile reassured that he was 'in the mix' and not just a squad member. The plan was for Thami to take over after the England tour once Boucher had retired. The change of mind occurred after Boucher's injury with the three Tests yet to played against England for which Smith and Hudson felt an extra specialist batter could make a critical difference. When they won the series and claimed the No.1 ranking they thought 'why change a winning combination?' It was tough on Tsolekile but he wasn't the first cricketer to suffer such selectorial misfortune...
Thanks Neil. I thought it was a decision made for sound cricket reasons and was not race based ( although we can never discount racial bias in our country). It was tough on Thami but he did play Test cricket unlike Nic Pothas for example whose career unfortunately ran in tandem with Boucher’s. Sport is not fair and defaulting to race every time a selection is contentious is unhelpful.
This blows my mind. The radio 2000 ball by ball cricket commentary is an institution, the ECB have been smart enough to snap up Andrew Samson for their tests as the stats on the fly bring so much depth to the listener. What doesn't add up for me, this is probably about budget, right (and the SABC lost theirs in a pothole)? This talk of the series being worth some figure in the hundreds of millions to CSA, surely there's an answer.
Apart from anything else, Steven, the SABC is a public service provider. They are mandated and obliged to provide the service. The justification from Radio 2000 management was that they are "pursuing a commercial model." What? They are not a commercial station. The problem, perhaps, lies in the inability or unwillingness of their commercial arm to find a sponsor for the India tour. I personally know of several sponsors who would have been interested in an association with such a big tour...
i think we all know how ridiculous that sounds. I'm sorry that there are people who can provide the product, people who want the product and morons in the middle who don't know what the product is but have their fingers on the product tap.
I think its ridiculous that a 'sports radio station' fails to broadcast 'ball-by-ball' a test & ODI series between us and the strong Indian national team. Shame on them. Do you know if spectators will be able to attend? Hope to see you at Newlands for the 3rd test.
Hi David, apologies for the delay in replying. 'Ridiculous' is a polite way of putting it. Apart from anything else, CSA need their home internationals to be on radio to keep many, many thousands of loyal followers in touch with the game - and to attract new followers, too. At this stage I am due to be at Newlands for the 3rd Test but who knows...
No more commentary on Radio 2000? I am gutted. As a relative newcomer to the sport I've loved the commentary, with Aslam Kota, Natalie Germanos and you providing hours of memorable and profoundly educated chit chat! Like many others I listened on headphones while attending games at Newlands. I also taught at the Athlone School for the Blind where the students were cricket mad, played blind cricket and could tell you how Ponting went out 5 years previously. Imagine the loss for them! TV commentary is simply not the same.
Ingrid, you can only imagine how many similar stories I have heard over the years. Many thousands... And Dean du Plessis, the blind commentator, is one of my dearest mates. I've done many 'chats' with the members of blind cricket clubs and associations so I'm acutely aware of their passion and commitment to the game. And yes, their ability to remember tiny details from may years back never ceases to amaze me...!
Good article Neil. Sad to hear about the demise of cricket commentary on the radio. Very sad. Insofar as Smith being at fault in not selecting Thami is concerned I would lay the blame on whoever ill- advisedly told Thami he would succeed Boucher. No team in the world would have selected a good keeper and an average provincial batsman if you had a phenomenal batsman in your team who was at worst the equal of Thami as a keeper. By selecting AB you opened up a space in the team for another quality batsman and allowed the team to operate with 4 seamers and a spinner- and in 2012 beat England in England. Thami’s race was irrelevant in making this decision I would suggest. Terrible to say this but Boucher’s tragic injury was a blessing in disguise for team selection.
Hi Barry, Andrew Hudson was the selection convenor at the time and it did make sense that he wanted to keep Tsolekile reassured that he was 'in the mix' and not just a squad member. The plan was for Thami to take over after the England tour once Boucher had retired. The change of mind occurred after Boucher's injury with the three Tests yet to played against England for which Smith and Hudson felt an extra specialist batter could make a critical difference. When they won the series and claimed the No.1 ranking they thought 'why change a winning combination?' It was tough on Tsolekile but he wasn't the first cricketer to suffer such selectorial misfortune...
Thanks Neil. I thought it was a decision made for sound cricket reasons and was not race based ( although we can never discount racial bias in our country). It was tough on Thami but he did play Test cricket unlike Nic Pothas for example whose career unfortunately ran in tandem with Boucher’s. Sport is not fair and defaulting to race every time a selection is contentious is unhelpful.
Hi manners
It is really sad that radio 2000 wont have live cricket commentary anymore.
I use to have my ear phones on to hear the commentary at work and also on the way home from work. You guys will all be surely missed on air.
Hi Riyaadh, there is always hope that a change of mind may happen! Life is miserable without hope...!