Buzz checks out: Channel 9's cricket coverage can only improve from here

Nine's coverage is unbeatable for vision. I feel for Ian Chappell though, the only remaining commentator with any command of the English language, who's not caught up in narcissism. And with the addition of inane comments, delivered with such condescension from Michael Clarke, Nine's audio is rendered unlistenable. As has been said, thank dog for ABC radio......The only way to watch cricket!!

That's Mark Waugh pal

I like the fact they have 3 commentators, always feels more alive than the English commentary. But yeah, Mark Nicholas stands out as the only one with consistently good cricket insight. Warne and Taylor occasionally too.

Nine used to have a guest commentator from the country of the touring team once upon a time. Not sure why they stopped. I for one enjoyed the extra insight from an outsider. Most of them were interesting to listen to and enjoyable to listen to unlike most of the Nine team.

Maxwell displays humour but only if he initiates it...and then it's a bizarre kind of humour. I enjoyed Chris Rogers, Simon Katich and Gerard Whately but Maxwell and Nannes (who sounds like he still resents not being seleted more than he was) are as symbolic of the ABC commentary's decline as Slater et al are of 9's.

To me, Maxwell comes across as terminally sour. He may or may not know a bit about cricket but he gives no impression of liking it at all. Admitting that as a non-NSW person my perception may be biassed, he also appears to reserve any positive comment exclusively for NSW players.

Over the last few years, Mel Mclaughlin on cricket and Yvonne Sampson on the NRL have been two of the best commentators going around. Hopefully those two are the vanguard of getting journos back as hosts and commentators and relegating most ex-players back to the role of special comments. Next time you watch the NRL, at half-time or post-game, have a look at how well Yvonne Sampson directs Andrew Johns' comments - it such a vast improvement on waiting for his brain to spin into gear and get something insightful out.

I agreed. Tony's passing at the end of 2012 and the loss of Richie in 2015. During the last summer of cricket, Channel 9 has gone very sour with Chappelli, McNamara, Tubby, Brayshaw, Heals, Slats (started to deteriorate in Nov 2015). Chappell needs to retire this year. Bill Lawry has started to go downhill but I still have a lot of respect for him. The rest of the other channel 9 commentators go OK. In fact, BBL has had a humongous improvement for TEN and is still leading over Channel 9 thanks to Gilchrist, Punter, Freddie, Kevin Pietersen, Damien Fleming and Steve Waugh. Hence, I do have strong respect for these commentators. Why not have some other female commentators like Izzy Westbury in the commentary team? She does a pretty good job.

Can’t believe I missed that reference, Jim Maxwell is the biggest drone on radio. Despite having watched the game for decades every time I listen to him I remain convinced he actually knows SFA about the game. Clueless is the kindest thing I can say about him, and a terrible commentator to boot.

Wit and wisdom of the ABC team, and the first person you mention is Jim Maxwell? I think the Channel 9 commentary has bludgeoned you so long and so hard with footy show style banter that you've forgotten what good commentary is and taken anything short of awful for actually being great. Had the pleasure of listening to the BBC radio commentary during the series NZ played over there, that was proper commentary.

Channel Nine should bring in someone from outside, for example, if Australia is playing South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka why not have someone like Harsha Bhogle as part of Nine commentary team. He got experience working with ABC and BCCI have already thrown him out because he criticized BCCI on twitter

I wanna scream when the three Vic amigos, Lawry, Brayshaw and Warne are on air together. We get nothing but a running commentary on everything Victorian and some little cricket thrown in. Give it a rest you three please. We do not want to know who makes the best pizza in Melbourne or what is the best nite spot to go to.. or who Warne's latest girlfriend may be. Lawry we certainly are not interested in your latest pigeon news. or that Victoria has everything better than everywhere else. When these three come on I immediately turn off now. Also tell Tubby Taylor to speak more clearly and sound less like the local butcher.

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If you listen to Shane Warne commentate for overseas broadcasters you find him balanced and insightful. On channel 9 he's the blokiest bloke who ever bloked (to quote Geoff Lemon). To me that says that it's the direction that brings the terrible commentary. Hopefully we will see a change now.

Tony Greig got a tourism award from the city of Sydney.Now why was he so fond of Sydney? I remember vividly one day many years back when Tony Greig was going all wax lyrical about Sydney and the SCG in particular - 'Australia's home of cricket.' Bill was, surprisingly, quiet. Then, a couple of seconds before announcing the score and cutting to a break, Bill said, 'Yeah but it'll never seat a hundred thousand though.It's two for...'. I laughed so hard I nearly fell out of my chair! In those days the barbs were a bit more spontaneous and a bit less self conscious. Bill's excitement appeared genuine and was always infectious for me. I used to imagine playing for Australia as a kid, and when I played that great shot, or took that vital wicket, I would always imagine his excited commentary (yes, I am a Victorian), and the calm but informed commentary of Richie. For me they enhanced what was great about the game. They did not only educate me - they made the emotional highs and lows more intense and more memorable. And yes, they entertained. Some moments of cricket watching from my younger years are forever etched in my memory. When I recall those moments, I can often remember the commentary word for word, the tone and voice etc. Mediocre cricketing career aside, I regard myself as someone who really knows their cricket. But I am not against being entertained, and some entertainment on the side is not a bad thing. What I feel has happened, however, is that after that golden period, the 9 commentary team became a little bit too self conscious and parochial about its former successes. They also became a bit obsessed with the 'science' of cricket, and lost a bit of appreciation of what the Don called the 'art' of the game (I hate the term 'execute their plans'). This is a shame. For this reason I am not a big fan of the current line up. But I take the bad with the good. I am not so against Michael Slater because his passion appears genuine, even though most people I know are not big fans.I feel Ian Healy is a bit biased, and I wish he would stop saying 'we' when referring to the Australian cricket team (RB followed the principle of never saying 'we' or 'us' or'our side'). Huss really knows his stuff, but sometimes he seems to be a bit argumentative, and forgets that in a game like cricket, there can be many solutions to a single problem, and not everything is black and white. Not a huge fan of Brayshaw, but I have time for Tubby. I actually like Ian Chappel, although no-one else I know seems to.I feel I can't judge Mark Nicholas.RB set standards no-one should be judged against.

Brad McNamara deserves to be gone for good. I cannot stand him because he ruins a good game of cricket. And Take Brayshaw, Healy, Chappell and Tubby along with him. I am sick and tired of the 4 commentators talking the most silly garbage instead of concentrating on the game. As what I say: I don't care of what they have done during Christmas period, AFL or other things. I hope that Nine would walk off Cricket at the end of 2017-18 season because the commentary has gone sour.

Disagreed.

I'm available.

Nice article. When Healy started, he was a valuable commentator. he's gone downhill. Slater gives us Footy Show commentary. Lawry and Grieg were at times cringeworthy. Benaud was of course all class. I don't see anything improving this summer.