5 Best Cricket Commentators Currently on Air (Radio/TV)

The commentary is the one of the most important aspects of a summer of cricket and there are plenty of good ones - and supposedly good ones, i.e. former star players like Craig McMillan, Simon Doull, Nasser Hussain and Shane Warne who are actually not very good and are quite biased although not quite as bad as Tony Greig or Kerry O'Keefe with his stupid gaffaw.

And Mark Nicholas is NOT a good commentator.He is an awesome TV host ala Phil Keoghan and Jeff Probst but he isn't the greatest commentator as he doesn't engage his viewers and listeners.

A good commentator tends not to be a former player and has had some formal training in journalism. Richie Benaud and the late Peter Roebuck were the two exceptions.

Here is my list of "good" commentators -

5.Jonathan Agnew, England
Ah Aggers. One of the reasons why BBC's Test Match Special still kicks arse worldwide and why we always look forward to tours involving the England cricket team. Probably one of the finest commentators we've never seen on TV but the name Aggers extracts respect from the cricket community.

4.Bryan Waddle, New Zealand
Wadds! New Zealand's most enduring cricket commentator and he along with Ron booowwwls-it's-SHORT-AND-WIDE Snowden are the stars of Radio Sport New Zealand's summer programming. Waddle is the only radio commentator invited by the BBC and ABC to provide commentary when New Zealand are playing.

3.Neil Manthorp, South Africa
Listen to Radio Sport during this summer's tour involving South Africa and you'll listen to this gem born in England but very much a South African. Manthorp has knowledge of all aspects of the game that a whole volume of Encyclopaedia Britannica wouldn't quite be enough to fill yet is never boring to listen to. Probably one of the most engaging cricket pundits around at the moment.

2.Henry Blofeld, England
The greatest English cricket commentator ever? Probably and the venerable Blowers doesn't look like he'll be stopping any time soon even if his commitments are much reduced naturally due to his age. But when he's off the air, he's hugely missed by cricket followers on BBC Test Match Special. A true legend of the game and a Lord's test just wouldn't seem quite right without him.



1.Richie Benaud, Australia

Richie! The former Australian captain has defied the odds and age to become a true Aussie icon almost on par with the great Don. Thankfully for the Packers and for Australian cricket fans, Benaud gives substance, knowledge and wit to a Channel 9 commentary team that has lost its way a bit in recent years. What will cricket be without the dulcet tones of Richie.