IPL or for that matter any cricket without Harsha Bhogle’s commentary is like Idli without sambhar chutney. The unceremonious ouster of Harsha from the panel of commentators for IPL comes as a shock. He is the ‘Bradman’ of cricket commentary but has been made into a ‘Badman’ by people who control Indian cricket but sadly don’t understand the game. One has to pay a price for honest reporting Harsha Bhogle is a victim of speaking the truth and for his frankness.
Cricketers are good at proverbs and for their laughing qualities. Several Pakistani cricketers whose own players are not picked by IPL franchises are part of commentary panel but the best commentator the game has ever witnessed is sacked without being given any reason which is difficult for Harsha Bhogle fans like me to digest. Indian cricket is all about ‘Chamchagiris’ (speaking sweet to get favours) which genuine cricket lovers disassociate and the same is played out on the field where captains blued eyed boys get selected which ultimately affects team’s performance. Better sense should prevail and knowledgeable men like Harsha Bhogle should do commentary and great cricketers like Kapil Dev should be coaching our boys for better results!
S.N. Kabra
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
