I don't like Sanjay Manjrekar's commentary. I really don't. The one and only positive thing about his commentary though is the fact that he has an opinion on most things cricket and isn't afraid to air them. You certainly cannot say that about most, if not all Indian commentators.
Ravindra Jadeja's angry tweet in response to a perceived slight by Sanjay Manjrekar has once again brought the spotlight on Indian commentary. The point is not whether Manjrekar is right or wrong - it is about whether he should be vilified for saying what he thinks.
This sorry saga got me thinking of my favorite commentators. All of them, be it Ian Chappell, Michael Holding, Geoffrey Boycott, Nasser Hussain among others are opinionated and not afraid to say what they think. You don't always have to agree with them - in fact very often you may not but what they unfailingly do is to get you to start thinking. Commentary today is no longer only about describing what everyone can see. A good commentator keeps the viewer's interest alive by talking about things surrounding the game. In India we have forgotten what good commentary is.
Let's make one thing clear - this isn't about Ravi Jadeja alone. It's more about the retrograde culture that exists in Indian cricket where players believe that they are above the game and should never be criticized. The biggest players within Indian cricket are guilty of this. MS Dhoni not too long ago retweeted a tweet from Amitabh Bacchan that seemed to indicate that the commentator's only job is keep heaping praises on the current side and it's players whether they are deserving or otherwise. Virat Kohli has said on more than one occasion that people who have not played the game at the highest level have no business criticizing the team and its players. Let's think about this for a moment - fans who make the players what they are, the very same fans who follow the game and the team through thick and thin should in Kohli's version of the world have no opinion because they have not played the game at the highest level. These are only two of many such examples.
The problem, as mentioned earlier, is not the current set of players and their inflated sense of worth. The problem is that the Indian fan has so thoroughly bought into this idiotic idea of a commentator being nothing more than a cheerleader for the team. Say anything about the team or a fan favorite and the commentator is mercilessly trolled. We keep looking at the west and wondering when, if ever, we will also get a commentary team that we can truly enjoy listening to. Allowing commentators to state an opinion - whether you agree with it or otherwise - might just be a good starting point.
