Channel Nine

Channel Nine is no more. Outpriced. Vijay Tagore in Mumbai Mirror reports the RIP of Channel Nine in Australia with talking rights snatched by Seven and Foxtel. Richie Benaud with Morning Everyone to add: Glenn McGrath dismissed for two, just 98 runs short of his century, writes Vijay Tagore. Me has not much eared Channel Nine. Or for that matter any cricket commentator. For me the best was Noob as he never spoke. Sports for me, is watching and appreciating not talking. Talking is later over rums after the game, rewinding the cover drives of Sobers and manslaughter by Viv.  And is there any cricket, any class cricket, any style cricket? Music minus notes. The recent SA-Australia series was all about cheating. Talking fixing. For me cricket started with gentleman Frank Worrell leading West Indies at Brisbane against abrasive Benaud's Australia at Brisbane to a Tie. Worrell, Sobers, Kanhai, Hall... And then followed Lloyd's magic men: Greenidge, Richards, Roberts, Holding ... Sobers, the greatest of them all. Master. Bradmans and Hobbs are not on me memory pads. OK, they are great for you, not me. With that Test cricket for me is over. Not for me gods and gentlemen as the first were the West Indies. T50 and T20 are not cricket ... an insult to decencies.....and nothing to talk and write and click about. Me dhobi told me the other day: Saab, I dont see the entire match. Last five overs or better last over.' Every last over is the same as the previous and future last over. A swipe shot is an abuse of the red ball and willow bat. Bowlers bowling knuckles, not an inswinger or a turner, an off spin or leg spin. And the loutish audience, waving flags and spilling abuses. Today, cricket commentators, all, every one of them, have no poetry in them (perhaps are ill read), zilch imagination and lots of volume. Gavaskar making faces is not Commentary. Channel Nine saw all of me greats, the Calypso symphony. Harry Belafontes all. Today, there is no West Indies cricket, no cricket, no Channel Nine. Astu.