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Who is the best Pakistani cricket commentator?

Who is the best ever Pakistani commentator?

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Sher Khan

Sher Khan

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This is in regards to internal cricket commentary. Ramiz Raja is obviously the most experienced Pakistani commentator. However, I still feel he lacks insight into the game and merely points out the obvious. Although, his voice is pleasant and his jokes are often humourous.

Then their is Bazid Khan. Who is a little better in providing insight. But is often put on mute by viewers, due to his monotonous tone. In terms of the commentary of Wasim and Waqar, the less said the better.

Who in your view if the best Pakistani commentator?
 
I reckon someone like Mohammad hafeez after retirement should give commentary a go. He seem like a good analytical person with great knowledge and doesn’t have issues speaking English. In addition, it’s no secret that he is extremely talkative.
 
Ramiz by a mile. The rest of the lot are terrible. Shoaib Akhtar's Hindi commentary still gives me nightmares.
 
Ramiz hands down. He is Goofy and is colorful. He adds a bit of spice and fun and is memorable. Bazid is a drag. I think he was informed about his monotonous voice as I see him struggling to modulate his pitch these days. It is so artificial.
 
None appeal to me at all.

In fact I normally watch Pakistan cricket with the commentary on mute.

Most of these guys tend to state the obvious, offer nothing in terms of insight or technical observations.
 
Bazid Khan is the best test match commentator because his commentary saves lot of my time. whenever I hear his commentary during a test match, I reaslise that I shouldn't waste my 8 hours for 5 continuous days, so I just watch highlights & periodically check scorecard. Last but not least, his commentary is a perfect alternative for sleeping pills.
 
Saj said:
None appeal to me at all.

In fact I normally watch Pakistan cricket with the commentary on mute.

Most of these guys tend to state the obvious, offer nothing in terms of insight or technical observations.
Click to expand...

Shoaib Akthar's Hindi/Urdu commentary is decent, good analysis on fast bowling and also on how sometimes batsman will react to certain bowling strategy.
 
Salman Butt through away his career really. He would have been a decent commentator and analyst
 
We don't have much competition however Bazid Khan is the best and most balanced
 
Shoaib Akhtar has been brilliant in Hindi version.

Emmad Hameed has been decent in domestic English commentary
 
Iftikhar Ahmed or Omar Kureishi. These days I don't really mind Bazid Khan, although I understand why a lot of posters dislike his accent due to the nasal twang. Nonetheless, the content matters more than the manner of delivery for me.
 
Ramiz Raja is the most lazy, unprepared commentator who does no basic homework. The latest one being during the Pak-NZ series , he was awarding the MOM to Ajaz Patel, someone who has been in NZ since a kid and Ramiz asks if he wants to talk in Hindi or English. The expression on Ajaz's face was something else!
 
Saj said:
None appeal to me at all.

In fact I normally watch Pakistan cricket with the commentary on mute.

Most of these guys tend to state the obvious, offer nothing in terms of insight or technical observations.
Click to expand...

Aamir Sohail provides technical insight for sure.
 
Safaraz Nawaz - last time he was on air, he accused Gavaskar and Asif Iqbal of match-fixing. Nearly had an international diplomatic incident over that.

:)

That's the kind of impact a commentator should: going out in a blaze of glory, never to be seen near an international commentary box again.
 
I agree with [MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] but if I had to pick one in the current roster it will be Bazid. His commentary has context and cricket articulation. Not sure if Ramiz is going through a mid life crisis or such but he has gone really awful and seems in disarray. Just because you have a better accent doesn't make you prime compared to others.
 
BaankeJi said:
Aamir Sohail provides technical insight for sure.
Click to expand...

Yes, probably more than most of the others.

Some of the technical insight of the others revolves around reading the on-screen graphics.
 
Today Shehzad Azam Rana came on to bowl in the National T20 Cup and there were two commentators 'commentating'.

One of them called him Ahmed Shehzad.
The other one called him Shehzad Ahmed Rana.

And keep in mind that this isn't some youngster or a newbie, Shehzad Azam Rana has been playing domestic cricket in Pakistan for around a decade with 175+ appearances and almost 500 wickets.

:salute
 
Pete Rose said:
Safaraz Nawaz - last time he was on air, he accused Gavaskar and Asif Iqbal of match-fixing. Nearly had an international diplomatic incident over that.

:)

That's the kind of impact a commentator should: going out in a blaze of glory, never to be seen near an international commentary box again.
Click to expand...

What! He did it on air? When?
 
Bazid hands down, Ramiz is good but sometimes it feels as if he is knowingly pronouncing the names wrong.. Waqar has improved a lot & Wasim is hilariously error prone 😂
 
Hitman said:
:))) Unbelievable. Do you recall what he said exactly?
Click to expand...

https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/...ches-claim-finds-few-takers-780485-1999-03-22

Despite this background it was bizarre to hear Sarfaraz say on television that "Asif and Gavaskar were openly involved in match fixing". The eccentric fast bowler claimed that during the 1979 Test in Bombay, the "wicket was wet ... the pitch was not fit to play ... Many of the Pakistani batsmen complained, they didn't want to bat. But Asif and Gavaskar agreed".

Why Sarfaraz was interviewed live is questionable considering his reputation - this is a man who said Imran Khan was a Jewish agent. That Gavaskar refused to conduct the interview and Ravi Shastri was reluctant should have been warning enough.

More alarming was that minutes prior to the interview, Sarfaraz asked if it would be recorded and shown. When told it was "live" he seemed surprised and asked about "liability". The producer replied that he (Sarfaraz) would be responsible for what he said. It was clear he had something up his sleeve.

It was too late. Expectedly, Gavaskar was livid and called Sarfaraz the "**** of the earth". Two days later, Gavaskar, a cricketing monument in this country and untouched by any betting scandal so far, was more composed. "Looking at his credibility I should have laughed at the matter rather than react the way I did."

He was also buoyed by the response he received after the incident. "The Pakistan Television crew came and apologised, so did stewards on the Pakistan International Airlines flight ... it was overwhelming." Asif's response was, "I don't wish to comment as it will give those statements dignity." Yet he was surprised, for as he explained Sarfaraz was not even on the 1979-80 tour.
 
Abdullah719 said:
https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/...ches-claim-finds-few-takers-780485-1999-03-22

Despite this background it was bizarre to hear Sarfaraz say on television that "Asif and Gavaskar were openly involved in match fixing". The eccentric fast bowler claimed that during the 1979 Test in Bombay, the "wicket was wet ... the pitch was not fit to play ... Many of the Pakistani batsmen complained, they didn't want to bat. But Asif and Gavaskar agreed".

Why Sarfaraz was interviewed live is questionable considering his reputation - this is a man who said Imran Khan was a Jewish agent. That Gavaskar refused to conduct the interview and Ravi Shastri was reluctant should have been warning enough.

More alarming was that minutes prior to the interview, Sarfaraz asked if it would be recorded and shown. When told it was "live" he seemed surprised and asked about "liability". The producer replied that he (Sarfaraz) would be responsible for what he said. It was clear he had something up his sleeve.

It was too late. Expectedly, Gavaskar was livid and called Sarfaraz the "**** of the earth". Two days later, Gavaskar, a cricketing monument in this country and untouched by any betting scandal so far, was more composed. "Looking at his credibility I should have laughed at the matter rather than react the way I did."

He was also buoyed by the response he received after the incident. "The Pakistan Television crew came and apologised, so did stewards on the Pakistan International Airlines flight ... it was overwhelming." Asif's response was, "I don't wish to comment as it will give those statements dignity." Yet he was surprised, for as he explained Sarfaraz was not even on the 1979-80 tour.
Click to expand...

Thanks I was looking for this
 
Abdullah719 said:
Today Shehzad Azam Rana came on to bowl in the National T20 Cup and there were two commentators 'commentating'.

One of them called him Ahmed Shehzad.
The other one called him Shehzad Ahmed Rana.

And keep in mind that this isn't some youngster or a newbie, Shehzad Azam Rana has been playing domestic cricket in Pakistan for around a decade with 175+ appearances and almost 500 wickets.

:salute
Click to expand...

This tells a story......a total lack of research and homework by these amateurs.
 
Imran Farhat in the studio impressed me with his reading into the game and some of the cricketing points he was making with regards to a massive reduction in U-19 tours, A tours against quality teams.
 
Abdullah719 said:
https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/...ches-claim-finds-few-takers-780485-1999-03-22

Despite this background it was bizarre to hear Sarfaraz say on television that "Asif and Gavaskar were openly involved in match fixing". The eccentric fast bowler claimed that during the 1979 Test in Bombay, the "wicket was wet ... the pitch was not fit to play ... Many of the Pakistani batsmen complained, they didn't want to bat. But Asif and Gavaskar agreed".

Why Sarfaraz was interviewed live is questionable considering his reputation - this is a man who said Imran Khan was a Jewish agent. That Gavaskar refused to conduct the interview and Ravi Shastri was reluctant should have been warning enough.

More alarming was that minutes prior to the interview, Sarfaraz asked if it would be recorded and shown. When told it was "live" he seemed surprised and asked about "liability". The producer replied that he (Sarfaraz) would be responsible for what he said. It was clear he had something up his sleeve.

It was too late. Expectedly, Gavaskar was livid and called Sarfaraz the "**** of the earth". Two days later, Gavaskar, a cricketing monument in this country and untouched by any betting scandal so far, was more composed. "Looking at his credibility I should have laughed at the matter rather than react the way I did."

He was also buoyed by the response he received after the incident. "The Pakistan Television crew came and apologised, so did stewards on the Pakistan International Airlines flight ... it was overwhelming." Asif's response was, "I don't wish to comment as it will give those statements dignity." Yet he was surprised, for as he explained Sarfaraz was not even on the 1979-80 tour.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. I really believe this guy has some psychological issues. It's not about what he believes, but the fact that he said on air.
 
Sher Khan said:
I reckon someone like Mohammad hafeez after retirement should give commentary a go. He seem like a good analytical person with great knowledge and doesn’t have issues speaking English. In addition, it’s no secret that he is extremely talkative.
Click to expand...

Maybe he is also
good at this facet of the game
 
Saj said:
This tells a story......a total lack of research and homework by these amateurs.
Click to expand...

Yep. All it takes is a simple google search for them to find out basic information. Wonder if they even know basics of cricket, like how many overs List A cricket is, whether the top 2 teams make a final, etc etc. Need to get better commentators, people who are fun to listen to and make the game more enjoyable
 
Bazid is extremely underrated

Razeem is definitely the most popular, between him and Bazid for the best commentator. Wasim isn't bad either

Aamir Sohail and Waqar competing for the worst
 
Rameez Raja hands down, the king of swag.

As a kid I enjoyed Rambo, Arun Lal and Siva commentating together. Rameez would hype the Indian players and Arun, Siva would make no name Pakistani players sound like mythical beasts. All the while supporting their teams but trying their level best to hide their raw emotions LOL. Best part was during some crucial passage of play these 3 gentlemen would start talking about random stuff like Siva's silky smooth hairstyle, Rameez's fashion sense, Lal's knowledge of butterflies, birds, random stuff about Bollywood etc. I once recall hearing a 10 minutes conversation about Rajinikanth, then once they were talking about how wild animals would play cricket, all that crazy stuff. And some fancy English words amidst a whole lot of grammatical errors and out of place idioms.

Miss those days, currently Siva during commentary stints looks so lonely without his 2 best buddies. There was something in their relationship that elevated them to GOATness together. In the world of cricket no other trinity (and that includes Benaud/Chappell/Lawry) comes close to the awesomeness of our 3 desi boys in sync.
 
Also there is something in Rambo that brings out the best in his co-commentators. Look at Russell Arnold for instance. A mediocre voice but when he's with the King, their bickering and trolling garners more attention than the actual match involving many ATGs. Post match again they are cool as cucumber and smiling, laughing, making bad jokes together. I swear I have seen full matches with Rameez offering no insight about the game except obvious stuff, yet he keeps viewers invested all the time, at the edge of their seats. Which other commentator can conduct an hour's play (forget full match) without talking anything useful about the cricket?

There will always be entertainment when guys like Rameez and Arun Lal are involved. Rameez's hilarious incident with that Kiwi Patel recently or how after that tri series final in WI, Uncle Lal forgot to award the trophy to Dhoni and declared the end of the post match presentation ceremony- I mean these are the stuff of legends we fans live for. After such iconic episodes who even remembers what happened in the match? Just by a stroke of genius these legends can overshadow whatever happens on the field. There is something inherently beautiful in their subtle art of trolling, looking at their facial expressions I know they are up to some mischief. Rambo has that kind of face which suggests he enjoys trolling everybody.
 
Seems some posters are easily amused by Ramiz with his such cheap entertainment. He tries too hard but his output is nothing but pure cringe particularly the way he handles the post-match presentations and how he badly he gets names wrong in the comm box. The worst of the lot was when he called Ashley Nurse "Ashley Giles".
 
Who is the best ever Pakistani commentator?

Vote on the poll.

Mention others if you think they can be added to the poll as well. But they have to be commentators who have done substantial work internationally, not domestic ones.
 
Not exactly a list of Richie Benauds, Tony Coziers or Mike Athertons is it.
 
Has to be Rameez Raja. The only marketable guy we have. Shame that he isn’t the brightest but definitely very well spoken and has an entertainment value. For entertainment purposes he is one of the best.
 
Iftikhar Ahmed was brilliant - he is the voice around many of Pakistan's most famous wins
 
Old school commentators such as Omar Qureshi and Iftikhar Ahmed. If you don't have anything insightful to add, better to be understated and describe the action only.

It's like choosing your favourite brand of poison if forced to select one from the names listed in the poll. I guess for cheap laughs, I'd go for Chishty.
 
I really liked Amir Sohail's insights the last time I heard him commentate. If only he had a better tone...Ramiz is a bit cliche like SG but he's the best of the lot. Wasim is just bland.
 
Bazid and Aamir are most knowledgeable when it comes to Pakistan domestic cricket and other lesser known players but lack in entertainment value which is what Ramiz has. He is corny but still very good.

Though Chishty was most articulate.
 
Rameez is the only proper commentator from Pakistan. He is not perfect but he is pretty good.
 
Ramiz for presenting.
For technical insight purely as a commentator it is Aamir Sohail.
The fact Sohail only commentates once in a while means it is refreshing to hear him as we are so used to not having him around.

Perhaps add Mohammad Akram, Imran Khan and Asif Iqbal to the poll.
 
Don't forget Sikander Bakht (not the ex player)

How on Earth did he make it to the main commentary panel last time England played in the UAE along with Ian Botham, David Lloyd, Michael Atherton, Ramiz Raja and Bazid Khan. :))) What were Ten Sports thinking :)) looked out of his depth when trying to interact with Bumble and Beefy. Beefy asked him who Pakistan's next Test opponents are and he didn't have a clue. He hasn't played the game at the highest level so he should know this stuff at least.
 
The list really shows how Pakistan has struggled to produce any high-quality commentators over the years.
 
They've all been pretty awful if we're being honest.

Bazid started off like a breath of fresh air with his knowledge of the domestic circuit, but his commentary lately has consisted mostly of inane banter and bad jokes.
 
Don't really want to choose any tbh. Bazid's insight is solid and his knowledge of domestic cricket is good. But the jokes are unnecessary also his voice.
 
this is andhon mai kaana raja type situation.

i'd go with amir sohail. his insights are good even if tone isn't catchy
 
Last edited:
Saj said:
Not exactly a list of Richie Benauds, Tony Coziers or Mike Athertons is it.
Click to expand...
I mean if commentary was happening in Urdu than imo quality of commentators would be much higher, it makes a huge difference

Personally I don't like English commentary because it's really dull with almost no passion, English language commentary for sports is kinda boring in general
 
I am surprised - and guess this an age thing - that Iftikhar Ahmed is not being mentioned by more people.
 
It's not even close.

Ramiz 'The Rambo' Raja has been the voice of Pakistan across studios all over tje world for the last 25 years.

It is about time people of Pakistan give him the respect that he deserves.

25 years of service to the game and I can't think of many instances where he crossed the line and embarrassed himself or Pakistanis on air.

Just few months on these YouTube stars, and there is already so much nonsense out there. Respect for Rambo has increased even further
 
I like the unique way in which Aamir Sohail says things. For example, instead of "15 overs have gone, it's 75-1", he'll say " 15 overs, they have gone, it's 75-1". :))

My favourite though is Bazid. I think part of the fun of watching cricket is that you get to hear from experts who tell you something you didn't already know. So for example, some analysis about a particular batsman's weakness or about the action of a particular bowler. Bazid is the only one in Pakistan who offers an expert opinion.

I think Ramiz is less entertaining and more just plain annoying. His jokes are often cringeworthy. His analysis is non-existent. His knowledge of Pakistani domestic cricket is dire. He just comes across as someone who is lazy, has had it too easy for too long and, frankly, not very bright. Whenever Ramiz provides some "analysis", it is either completely obvious or just plain wrong.

Wasim and Waqar are also poor. Their only saving grace is that both can provide some brilliant analysis of a bowler's action and what he is doing wrong or right. Their wider awareness of the game however is just not good.
 
Last edited:
You know things are bad.....when Rambo is leading this poll.
 
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