Ponting, Sangakkara, McCullum, Pollock and more to voice Champions Trophy
"When I was asked to commentate, didn’t hesitate to accept" says Graeme Smith
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Not only does the Champions Trophy only allow top eight champion teams to participate in the tournament but it also seems only champion players are allowed behind the mic to voice their opinion in the high-profile tournament. The star-studded line-up of the commentary team boasts champions good enough to even form an eleven on their own.
Many legends of the game such as Ricky Ponting, Brendon McCullum, Shaun Pollock, Graeme Smith, Shane Warne and Sourav Ganguly would return into the scheme of things post their retirement, but this time dispensing their opinions behind the mic.
These stalwarts of the game would be accompanied by seasoned campaigners in the field of commentary such as Ian Bishop, Athar Ali Khan, Rameez Raja, Michael Slater (Channel 9 Network), Nasser Hussain, Simon Doull and Michael Atherton(Sky Sports Networks) and Sanjay Manjerekar (Star Sports Network).
The most successful captain for the Kangaroos, Ricky Ponting appeared enthused about his participation in the tournament. Ponting expressed his fond memories of the tournament which he won twice during his captaincy career.
Former Champion Players upbeat for the tournament
“As a player, I always looked forward to the Champions Trophy. Winning it on two occasions was a big thrill. This year I’m really looking forward to it being staged in England and being a part of the commentary team.” said Ricky Ponting as quoted by icc-cricket.com. Brendon McCullum was also excited about the idea of working with the likes of Ganguly and Ponting.
“Working with names like Ponting, Ganguly and Smith is going to be great fun and hopefully we can give the viewers a unique insight on the action unfolding out in the middle.” commented the champion Kiwi captain who hung up his boots last year.
For Protean captain Graeme Smith, it was an offer which he could simply not refuse. The former South African opening batsman too was looking forward to the experience along with Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara. The left-hander stated that he was upbeat for the exploits of the Champions Trophy.
“I was very excited when I was asked to commentate at this year’s Champions Trophy and didn’t hesitate to accept. The Champions Trophy is a great tournament where every team has a chance to do well. I am sure there will be a few surprises and many memorable performances, so there’s a lot to look forward to!” recited Graeme Smith.
“The Champions Trophy is a special tournament which I loved playing in and am honoured to have enjoyed success in. Now, as a commentator, I am very much looking forward to being part of the tournament and watching the best players in the world go head to head.” stated Sangakkara.
For the cricket fans, it would be one of a kind experience to pay heed to these stalwarts in an entirely different avatar. Shane Warne recently uploaded a selfie with the elite panel of commentators featuring in the ICC Champions Trophy starting tomorrow. He tweeted by saying,”The commentary team for the #ICC champions trophy starting tmrw here in London at the Oval. Which two teams make the final ? I think it will be India & Australia”
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