Expert commentators from Pakistan (26 April 1999)

26 April 1999

Expert commentators from Pakistan

Qamar Ahmed

LONDON: Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan and opening batsman Mudassar Nazar will represent Pakistan on rival channels as expert commentators during the forthcoming World Cup. Mudassar Nazar will be a part of the Sky television which will be fronted by David Gower, Ian Botham and Bob Willis, all former England captains. Sky will screen 24 of the 42 World Cup matches live and have signed a host of cricket luminaries to be in their team except from Bangladesh and Scotland. The singing contain the names of Allan Border, Sunil Gavaskar, Michael Holding, Ian Chappell, Martin Crowe, John Emburey, Tony Greig, Allan Lamb, ill Lawry, Mudassar Nazar and Mike Proctor and few more famous names.

Imran Khan will be a part of the BBC team who will cover 18 matches live and will have such illustrious name like Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Richard Hadless, Colin Croft, Barry Richards, the former Pakistan captain Imran Khan, Jeff Thomson, Chris Broad Mike Denness, Roland Butcher, Dermott Reeve and David Lawrence with a number of former Test cricketers and more on the list.

"We have more Knights in our team than Sky do", said a BBC spokesman.

The Panasonic Eye fixed cameras will also be installed square of each crease on each side of the ground to make the TV umpires job easier. The ECB has already struck a deal with the electronic company Panasonic last month to organize the system at the cost of around pound 400,000 hoping that the ICC will contribute.

The technology which was first used in South Africa by United Cricket Board in the international and domestic games is expected to avoid controversies of lien decision, such as run out and stumping. The recent Ashes series in Australia was marred because Michael Slater at 35 looked to have been run out and was left off by the TV umpire at a crucial juncture in the fourth Test because Peter Such had obscured the view and Slater went on the make a century.

In a tough competition like the World Cup any such decision without proper technology may make a lot of difference between winning and losing i a crunch game.

Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)