An all new experience!

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!