Is Harsha Bhogle the right fit for the IPL?

Yeah correct about Shastri he was exactly like that when India toured England.

Well - Aaron Finch has started like the world #1 batter, 3 consecutive 50s to put his team undefeated atop the ladder - all 3 classy knocks - the first 74 actually the 2nd highest IPL score without a 6. Then an even 50 in a power chase with McCullum that tore apart a moderate tally - and then an unbeaten 60 odd holding the innings together with 7 wkts falling at the other end. He's shown all facets and you only wish some Australian fans could see what their selectors had opted to leave out of the XI just a few weeks earlier. (btw - nice moment in time now - Gujarat on top of the IPL and North on top of the AFL).

It is quite ridiculous isn't it that IPL commentators have to remind viewers that its main sponsor is Vivo when the huge microphone that states the same is practically in their faces. It's quite off-putting and I wonder if the marketing guys who came up with the gimmick have applied scientific thought to the practice! Thanks for commenting, Samuel!

Commentators (I'm looking at you TV commentators) these days are little more than spruikers for sponsors, and cheerleaders who simply state exactly what has just been witnessed on the screen. Mainly because the only requirement to be a commentator is to have played cricket at an international level - whether or not you can express your expertise effectively or not!

It's the commentators job to be as objective as possible while on air. That may be difficult for some especially when they've shared the dressing room with some of the players in the past. But that's the nature of the job.

Thank you very much, Liam! I'm sure Harsha and his fans appreciate your saying so.

Just clearing my throat, VG! Thanks for your comments.

I don't particularly care about the T20's, much less the IPL, but what I really want is for channel 9 to give Bhogle a contract with them. He's eloquent - far more so than the boorish group that mans the channel nine box at the moment - and he will provide a dissenting voice, something in stunningly short supply since Tony Grieg passed away. Mark Nicholas is an unbelievable moron, caught up in his own notions of eloquence and sophistication (or merely the size of his own head), and while England visit Australia relatively often, he still panders to the jingoism of the Australian commentators. I am an Australian, but I detest the circle of pomposity and smugness that Australian cricket seems when Shane Warne, Mark Taylor, Ian Healy, Greg Chappell, and James Brayshaw inhabit the box for a test match. Just before the ODI world cup, when India toured the county, there was no guest commentator to break up the self congratulations, and no indian commentator to display for us superior knowledge of the new faces that had never been to Australia before, in Rahane, Murali Vijay, even Shami. I suppose I'm writing this here because above me, there are comments deriding the BCCI and the commentators it selects, or the obvious bias they commentate with. Even the article, while stopping short of attacking the practice, hints at conspiracies and backroom deals to make sure that the only perspective allowed is the BCCI's. While I don't think there is a conspiracy on the part of cricket australia to have only australian commentators in the box over a summer, I do think that, before we start criticizing another nation's commentary, perhaps we should look towards breaking up the ridiculous line of yes men inhabiting Australia's main commentary box. By putting Harsha there, as well.

What's the "Ahem" for?

Real funny, HG, real funny!

Ganguly was excellent when he was with Sky last time India toured England. Very smart man.

To be fair, few could match Gavaskar in the spoilt brat stakes.

Having said that, Gavaskar has such an in-depth knowledge of the game and years of Mike experience, that he'll be snapped up by any broadcasting channel should he make himself available.

I , personally, wouldn't miss Gavaskar so much. I think Ganguly does a much better job with the modern game. I enjoy his writing, his talking ---not so much!

Why no complaints about Gavasker, this man was a1960's70's and 80's test great. And IPL T20 have got rid of him and no one cares it seems a disgrace from the younger generation.

Ravi Shastri actually seems to believe that he and the BCCI are in sync on most things, if not everything. He also seems to believe that putting the BCCI point of view across as a commentator is part of his job. He does not view it as a possible conflict of interest. But for discerning viewers the perception of a conflict is disturbing, to say the least.

The BCCI's decisions are shrouded in secrecy and covered with opacity. It's not surprising that there is an outcry about Bhogle's ouster. It would help if there was some transparency about these moves but , at the same time, the Board probably reserves it's right to renew contracts or not. Do you think that this should be brought under the purview of the right to information act just as there is a suggestion that selection of players to national sides should? Maybe this article's a bit simplistic for your tastes; it doesn't help that I'm my own worst critic.

Yes it's plainly ridiculous that commentators are selected direcly by the BCCI and are unable to comment on selection, match fixing etc and are effectively just cheerleaders. Harsha was a great apologist for the BCCI using its considerable strength and influence against others - if I recall correctly Gideon Haigh and others destroyed Harsha's arguments so comprehensively that Harsha lost a fair bit of credibility. It's sad that the BCCI have now used that power against Harsha but not too sure he's really in a position to complain.

Ahem! There's not much for me to say in response to your comment except that, yes, the IPL is on. The BCCI are bully boys and Kohli is a spoilt brat. But then aren't most cricketers nowadays?