Facing the camera
- discussing cricket and analysing pros and cons for a web tv channel has been
quite an exhilarating experience!
Cricket has been a passion for over four decades and I have
judiciously followed the game from the early 1980s - on ABC, BBC & AIR via
radio commentary and then Live on TV, and yes, some great matches on the ground
too. I have played the game at a much amateur level having started as a
wicket-keeper batsman to turning into a spinner in the later years. I also had
the opportunity to officiate as an umpire in over a hundred local T20 league
matches - mostly organised by my erstwhile cricket club Frisco.
With a fair understanding of the nuances of the game and the
players in international cricket, it was obvious I took to social media to post
my own armchair critical versions through micro and macro blogging.
The big break
The 2015 Cricket World Cup got me an opportunity to
ghost-write for a retired South African international cricketer. The daily columns
were featured in a popular international website. It was one of the most
defining moments for me as a writer and it surely opened up many other avenues.
40 days and 40 match reports got me critical acclaim for thinking like an
accomplished world-class cricketer, a perspective totally new for my style of
writing. While I wanted to continue writing ghost columns, I didn't get another
chance of the same standard and had to wait four years and another World cup to
do something different.
Facing the camera – a first
As part of a totally crazy cricket following closed user
social media group called Pure Cricket, I have been analysing much cricket for
the past few months with the ‘gang’. It was during IPL, we hit upon the thought
of creating an innovative buzz with our knowledge. Initially, the plan was to
launch a dedicated cricket website with daily pre and post-match analysis
starting with the World cup 2019.
Then came the brilliant idea mooted by my friend Sairam
Chavali, who initiated a discussion with the popular web tv portal HyBiz.tv,
about a daily short 3-5-minute sponsored analysis on the forthcoming World Cup
matches. The channel owner, old friend Rajgopal, jumped on the idea and had Sairam and me summoned to
his studio for a brief. In no time we were shooting short capsules without much
preparation or cuts, takes and re-takes.
The first set of videos started bringing in much feedback. While most were congratulatory messages, there were also quite a few tips on body language, posture, content, attire and even personal grooming. "You seem stiff and not relaxed". "Could you not look at the camera a little more"? "Why those blazers"? "Can you speak a little more naturally"? “Can you not colour your hair and shave off your moustache”? "You are too conscious of the camera". "Where is the innovation"? - Well there were countless messages of advice and all were accepted in right earnest – some were put into practice too.
Then there were messages from professionals who gave tips
not just on content but also on technical aspects. Like an ardent cricket fan
said, "Why don't you both talk about the advantage of left-arm
seamers"? And a movie maker friend said "Change the seating position
to an arc facing each other and crop the screen space to focus the speakers in the
centre" - Well, I was overwhelmed. There was an air of acceptance in what
we were doing and sincerely as amateur presenters facing the camera for the
first time Sairam and Me have learnt a few good things and look forward to
inculcating our learning for better output.
It’s always nice to be involved with something one is
passionate about – in a small way I have been pursuing my unbridled passion for
cricket through these initiatives.
Let’s see where this takes me!
Until the dawn of another new match day, it’s Stumps!
