The Hindu Business Line : Cricketing humour of years gone by

Today’s cricket fans know only of the superstars of the game. With television bringing every single movement of the ball and actions of the batsmen and the fielders to their drawing rooms, they do not really need to read the reports in the print medium. But before the advent of the satellite channel, cricket buffs of a bygone era followed the game closely through ball-by-ball radio commentary and reports in newspapers the following day.

Those were the days of superstars of radio commentators and writers of the game. The first known writer superstar was Neville Cardus, whose cricket dispatches were pure literature. Describing the deadly speed of a fast bowler and the elegance of a slow spinner, Cardus compared the two to the velocity of an aeroplane and the sheer grace of an eagle in flight.

Good commentary

During the 1950s to the 1970s there were superstar writers such as Jack Fingleton of Australia, Norman Yardley and Jim Swanton of England, all of whom commanded a hue reader fans. There were superstar radio commentators like Alan David McGilvray of Australia and Brian Johnston of England. There was England’s John Arlott whose commentary flowed like a lyrical poem.

In India, the late A. F. S. Talyarkhan was both a superstar cricket commentator and writer. He is reputed to have given the running commentary solo on radio for full five days of a Test match during the 1940s. In 1973, writing about the exploits of touring England’s fast bowler John Lever, he wrote, “What India needs today is a Hindustan Lever.”

His keen sense of pun gets a sharper edge by the fact that his column was being sponsored by the then Hindustan Lever for its blade Erasmic! There was the late S. K. Gurunathan who commanded his own fan following.

In the 1960s and 1970’s England had at least two superstar cricket writers — John Woodcock of The Times of London and Ian Wooldridge of the Daily Mail. The late Wooldridge’s “Cricket Lovely Cricket” about the 1963 Frank Worrel’s West Indies tour of England, is a classic on the game.

Wit and humour

The cricket Press Box also produced its own wit and humour that helped to bring lighter moments to the boredom of watching aimless tall scoring tame draws. On one such occasion in India, noticing some vultures hovering over the ground, an Indian correspondent wrote on a piece of paper, “John (addressed to Woodcock), do you know why the vultures are flying above? Because the pitch is dead,” and passed it on to the Englishman who uttered “Good one that!”

In 1974, former India opener Chetan Chauhan’s father startled the nation by filing a case against the cricket board in Delhi High Court for not selecting his son for a Test match against the touring Sri Lankan team. The case was, of course, dismissed.

Incidentally, Chauhan was selected for the next Test at Bombay. Sadly, the opener was bowled first ball by Sri Lankan pace bowler Tony Opatha. “Now, Chauhan’s father will file a case against Opatha,” cried a wit from the press box!

R. C. RAJAMANI

(The author, a former Editor, PTI, is a Delhi-based freelance writer.)