Pat on the back for DD
Have been meaning to make this post for many days now, but I always forget. Finally making it.
This blog has been very critical of the shoddy quality of service from Doordarshan with regards to cricket coverage. While there is still a lot of scope for improvement (please never let Mohinder sing!), there are two noticeable and commendable improvements that deserve a mention
Firstly, the duration of an over. An over on DD now actually has six balls. Once upon a time it was a 4-ball or 5-ball over, as ads were inserted stupidly before time, and continued after time. Someone in Mandi House seems to have actually watched the match on DD. He must have gotten irritated and ordered the nonsense to stop. So thankfully, we have six-ball overs.
Secondly, in a rare pioneering move, DD has found a female panelist who is easy on the eyes, articulate as well as knowledgeable. Anjum Chopra, ex-captain of the India women's team is doing a great job on the "Fourth Umpire" panel. She talks more sense than Srikkanth, Mohinder Amarnath, Charu Sharma and Atul "What-!-He-played-test-cricket-!-when-!?" Wasan combined. Plus she is more articulate than Diana Eduljee, the grouchy matron who sometimes graced the panel. Whoever thought of hiring Anjum Chopra certainly deserves a pat on the back.
To end the post, a suggestion to DD. Please change the name "Fourth Umpire". It makes no sense. Okay, you don't want to change it? At least make a change to the audio-visual opening bit of the show. You know how you guys show examples of the first, second and third umpires, before announcing that Charu is the fourth? Well, an error there. What you show as a visual for the third umpire is actually one of the first two umpires - our friend Brent Bowden. He is just asking for the third ump. Why not replace it with a visual of the third umpire's cabin with the green-red lights hanging outside it?
This blog has been very critical of the shoddy quality of service from Doordarshan with regards to cricket coverage. While there is still a lot of scope for improvement (please never let Mohinder sing!), there are two noticeable and commendable improvements that deserve a mention
Firstly, the duration of an over. An over on DD now actually has six balls. Once upon a time it was a 4-ball or 5-ball over, as ads were inserted stupidly before time, and continued after time. Someone in Mandi House seems to have actually watched the match on DD. He must have gotten irritated and ordered the nonsense to stop. So thankfully, we have six-ball overs.
Secondly, in a rare pioneering move, DD has found a female panelist who is easy on the eyes, articulate as well as knowledgeable. Anjum Chopra, ex-captain of the India women's team is doing a great job on the "Fourth Umpire" panel. She talks more sense than Srikkanth, Mohinder Amarnath, Charu Sharma and Atul "What-!-He-played-test-cricket-!-when-!?" Wasan combined. Plus she is more articulate than Diana Eduljee, the grouchy matron who sometimes graced the panel. Whoever thought of hiring Anjum Chopra certainly deserves a pat on the back.
To end the post, a suggestion to DD. Please change the name "Fourth Umpire". It makes no sense. Okay, you don't want to change it? At least make a change to the audio-visual opening bit of the show. You know how you guys show examples of the first, second and third umpires, before announcing that Charu is the fourth? Well, an error there. What you show as a visual for the third umpire is actually one of the first two umpires - our friend Brent Bowden. He is just asking for the third ump. Why not replace it with a visual of the third umpire's cabin with the green-red lights hanging outside it?
