Experience and outlook matters, needn't have been there done that, writes Alison Mitchell

Each person brings his or her own experiences to the table and that eventually makes for a diverse listening experience in the commentary box. That is what matters and not if the person has actually 'been there, done that', wrote Alison Mitchell in her column for The Telegraph.



“My own belief is that there is a place for a wide range of perspectives when summarising a cricket match and everyone brings their own expertise,” wrote Mitchell, who is a regular commentator on BBC’s Test Match Special. Listeners hear a voice knowing who it is they are listening to, and no one ever tries to be something or someone they are not.



Sir Geoffrey Boycott, commentator and former England player, had suggested through his column for The Telegraph, that only former male cricketers could be ‘experts’ for Test cricket because they’ve been there and done that. He wrote, “to provide expert analysis you need to have experienced the heat of Test cricket and understand what it takes to succeed”.



His comments were called ‘ridiculous’ by Lisa Sthalekar, former Australian allrounder, who said that eventually the sport is the same irrespective of the gender.



Mitchell explained the process of commentary on radio, wherein there is a lead commentator and a summariser. She wrote that the variety in the outlook as well as experience is what makes it interesting to listen to.



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“I have commentated on women’s matches with male summarisers alongside me, who deliver their own take on a form of the game they have never played,” she wrote.



“Their input is no less valid for the fact they haven’t been out in the middle and played the women’s game with its own specific traits. Can they read the game? Do they have knowledge of the players? Can they explain why certain things are happening? Can they communicate and express themselves in an engaging way? Do they ‘get’ the medium and rhythms of radio?”



“Some summarisers are stronger in some areas than others – and that is the same for anyone doing any job. The point is, there will be a mix in the box, based on the different attributes people bring.”



She also went on to give examples of how good Mark Robinson and Matthew Mott have been with their coaching roles, despite not being women cricketers. People are in the job for what they do and not necessarily have to be a case of ‘been there, done that’, she said.