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Channel Nine has named their commentary team for the first Test between Australia and South Africa, with one much-maligned commentator seemingly missing out on a gig for this year’s season opener.
James Brayshaw, one of Nine’s more-criticised members of their cricket coverage, appears set to spend the South African series away from the microphone, with Daniel Brettig tweeting the commentator won’t be on Nine’s team when the summer of cricket begins next Thursday.
Nine names Test commentators as Nicholas, Taylor, Warne, Chappell, Slater, Healy, Clarke and Kevin Pietersen. No Brayshaw it seems #cricket
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) October 24, 2016
Brayshaw’s omission comes on the heels of speculation that he is eyeing off a move to Channel Seven to focus on AFL commentary. The North Melbourne Kangaroos chairman, who is about to be replaced by Ben Buckley at the helm of the AFL club, had reportedly told friends he wasn’t expecting a busy summer of cricket during 2016-17.
Brayshaw’s absence follows the news that both Michael Hussey and Brett Lee had been squeezed out of the commentary line-up.
While Lee’s family and business commitments have seen him unable to fulfil any commentary role, Hussey will be hosting and reporting digital content for Cricket Australia over the course of the summer, providing something of a link between Nine and Cricket Australia’s digital coverage.
With the three members of last year’s team no longer in the frame, it leaves Nine with eight commentators for the South African series. Shane Warne, Ian Chappell, Michael Slater, Ian Healy and Marks Nicholas and Taylor all back up from last year’s coverage, and will be joined in the box by new voices Michael Clarke and Kevin Pietersen.
Pietersen is expected to be a notable absentee from the Nine commentary box during the Pakistan Test series due to his Big Bash commitments, and there are rumours that former Pakistani fast bowler, Waqar Younis, will take his place for that three-match series.
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