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Does using an on-field microphone to interact and engage with the telecasters make you a chatterbox? Virat Kohli certainly thought so when he gave Steven Smith a fiery send-off in the first T20 between Australia and India.
Kohli saw red when his opposing Test counterpart lost his wicket cheaply while commentating live for Channel Nine.
Australian viewers were not amused with the manner of Smith’s dismissal, blaming the broadcasters for disturbing his concentration, and taking in hordes to Twitter over the broadcaster’s unwelcome intrusion.
This kind of circus is part and parcel of the Big Bash League and the Indian Premier League. The purported purpose is to make the the viewers and the expert commentators feel part of the action.
What’s really going on? Do fans really need insights from batsmen about what’s happening on the field?
It would be better if mic’ing up players was restricted to fielders and umpires. Bowlers and batsmen need to focus on the next ball. Fielding and umpriring are much more instinctive, consisting of reacting to on-field events as they occur. Batsmen and bowlers need to plan and pace their innings and overs.
But what was the actual reason for Kohli’s acrid mouthing off and signing?
Could it be that the Indian was not pleased that Smith was shielded from the banter fielders engage in when rival batsmen are at the crease?
Kohli has mentioned that he sees nothing wrong with sledging the opposition, and his young Indian side are known for not holding back, unlike previous Indian sides.
Sledgers wouldn’t enjoy their choicest jibes drowned out by commentary from the press box. Additionally, they have to be careful, lest their tomfoolery be caught by the sensitive microphones.
Assuming that what the fielders said did carry to Smith, how would he be able to focus with three or more sets of sounds in his eardrums – fielders’ banter, experts’ questions, noise from the crowd, and finally the sound of his own voice.
That sounds like a lot to take in, even for a man who has scored a mountain of runs in every format over the past two years.
Kohli had a hand (and mouth) in Smith’s dismissal, catching the Aussie Test captain off Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling. Smith immediately shut up, giving no further feedback to the Nine commentary team.
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