Do Sky believe that the attention span of the Cricketing audience is really so small that they must reduce their recorded highlights almost to the level of the Channel 5 offering”?
Do they really believe that we are more interested in listening to the allegedly expert views of Bob Willis and Tom Moody, than we are in viewing the actual Cricket?
“If it ain’t broke – don’t fix it”, comes to mind!!
SKY what are you doing?
Who are you actually catering for? Cricket fans or out of season semi-interested football fans with their famed intellectual capacity short attention spans!
However much that Sky are slipping from their previously high standards, their decline cannot compare with the appalling spiral downwards of the longer established, hugely regarded, and previously much loved, and professionally produced Test Match Special, (“TMS” !!) on the radio. John Arlott, “Jonners” and CMJ must be turning in their graves as they listen to some of the pathetically poor drivel that is currently being transmitted over the airwaves. As an ardent Cricket follower I have never before found myself switching off the radio during a “live” TMS broadcast. However, this summer that is happening frequently.
I was never a huge admirer of the pompous, self promoting, overbearing, poor mans version of John Arlott that is Henry Blofeld! Now that his eyes, ears, and short-term memory, are all failing him it is embarrassing to listen to the constant stream of mistake ridden commentary. The few facts/interesting snippets that he does accurately deliver are so obviously hand-fed to him by “researchers/assistants/scorers” in the box.
Time to slide off into the sunset “Blowers” old boy!
However, Blowers suffering from the effects of “anno-dominie” pale into insignificance when compared to the pathetic, shallow, juvenile attempts at low grade humour, provided by Phil “Tuffers” Tufnell. A hugely over-rated Cricketer, with a relatively short international career, and miniscule in-depth knowledge of the game, “Tuffers” is more suited to stay with his “celebrity culture friends” on “Reality TV” rather than insult the intelligence and patience of the TMS audience. The combination of the fading “Blowers” and the irritating “Tuffers” is so irritating as to be instant “Turn Off” material regardless of the state of play in the match! When they are both on together – it’s time for the “off switch” or the Cyanide capsule!!
It is also a pity to witness the deterioration of the now “Celebrity Culture/Twitter obsessed” Michael Vaughan. Previously a well respected England Captain, in his early days in the broadcasting media and on TMS, he brought a knowledgeable and interesting perspective, and excellent current cricketing aspect to his role. His deterioration in performance, and loss of Cricketing focus, is distressing to observe, and he becomes significantly more “silly” as the day extends. Perhaps too much “refreshment” is a contributory factor.?
Jonathan Agnew and Geoff Boycott retain one’s interest and focus on the Cricket, and from the visiting “Aussie” commentators Jim Maxwell is dignified and interesting, while the debutants Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne are excellent. In recent years Mike Selvey and Vic Marks have been very good too – where have they gone? It’s time for the TMS Production Management to get a grip of the programme and restore it to its previous glory before it is too late!!
On a final note – When “The Ashes” are at stake “Why oh Why” did England not go for the jugular and enforce the follow-on in this current test match? Every Radio and TV commentator was falling over themselves to convince their audience that it was “sensible” and “the modern way” for sides to no longer enforce the follow-on, and save their bowlers from exhaustion!!
Is it however true that the CEO of the ECB was seen creeping out of the England/Reed dressing room at Tea on the 2nd day with the Aussies 96 – 7 in their 1st Innings and seemingly down and out? Had a furtive chat with Alastair Cook taken place?
Lords current spectator capacity is 32,000.
Days 3, 4 and 5 of the Test Match were sold out.
The “pay-back cost” to the ECB just for Day 4 and 5 match day tickets, if there was no play on those days, would have been around £6 Million, let alone the loss of sales of Food, Drink and Merchandise from the “concessionaires”, and the loss of “live” SKY TV “Live programme” advertising revenue!
Seems to me to represent around 10 Million reasons for not enforcing the follow-on!!!!
(This Weekly column is written by John Heslam Club Chairman of Reed Cricket Club. The views expressed in the article are his own and do not necessarily comprise those of the Clubs General Committee)
