Ganguly & Bishop among commentators for ICC U19 Cricket World Cup
The list of commentators who will call the shots during the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup 2018 has been announced, featuring legends of the game and some of the finest cricket broadcasters from around the globe. Here's who you can look forward to guiding you through the event over the coming weeks.
Sourav Ganguly(above)
The former India captain and the current president of the Cricket Association of Bengal has over three decades of combined experience as a cricketer, commentator, and administrator. Regarded as one of the great modern-day captains, Ganguly has 7,212 Test runs and 11,363 ODI runs to his name.
Tom Moody
Former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody is a successful coach and has been a part of the Australian cricket team's support staff in the past. He was also the coach of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Moody scored 1,211 runs and picked up 52 wickets from 76 ODIs. He was also a part of Australia's World Cup-winning team in 1999.
Ian Bishop
A renowned commentator and the man who called the winning moments of the ICC World Twenty20 2016 when Carlos Brathwaite hit Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes to win the West Indies the title - do you remember the name? An extremely effective Windies fast bowler in his prime, Bishop played 43 Test matches and picked up 161 wickets. He also has 118 wickets from 84 ODIs.
Simon Doull
Another fast bowler, this time from the host country New Zealand, Doull has also carved a niche for himself with his style of commentary. A regular voice behind the microphone when New Zealand play, 'Doully' as he is nicknamed, took 98 Test wickets from 32 games and 36 ODI wickets from 42 appearances.
Danny Morrison
Known for his unique style and witty abbreviations, Danny Morrison is a popular name in commentary boxes all over the world. While his listeners get the most of him during the IPL and other franchise T20 leagues around the globe, his addition to the panel for the ICC U19 CWC should bring a different flavour to this tournament. Morrison is a former New Zealand fast bowler who has 160 Test wickets and 126 ODI wickets to his name.
HD Ackerman
HD Ackerman is a former Test batsman and a commentator who has been calling the game for many years in South Africa. While he played only four Test matches for South Africa, Ackerman has a commendable record of over 14,000 first-class runs from 220 matches.
Anjum Chopra
A former captain of India Women, she was part of the side that made it to the final of the Women's World Cup in 2005. She is the second-highest run-scorer for India in Women's ODIs with 2,856 runs, behind only current captain Mithali Raj. Chopra was also part of the commentary panel for the ICC Women's World Cup 2017.
Rob Key
Former England batsman Rob Key is one of the three former England cricketers to be calling the tournament. Key played 15 Tests, scoring 771 runs. He has a stellar first-class record of 19,419 runs from 299 games.
Nick Knight
Former England opening batsman Knight played 100 ODIs, scoring 3,637 runs as well as 719 runs in 17 Tests. Post retirement he has taken up a broadcasting career as a commentator and presenter of cricket in the UK.
Mark Butcher
The third Englishman on the panel is Mark Butcher, who played 71 Tests and scored 4,288 runs. Butcher also scored 17,870 first-class runs, playing predominantly for Surrey. Post-retirement, Butcher too has taken up the microphone.
Grant Elliott
The youngest member of the team is the recently retired Grant Elliott, former New Zealand all-rounder, who was part of the Blackcaps squad the last time an ICC tournament was organised in the country - the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Elliot played five Tests and 83 One Day Internationals.
Chris Harris
Another Blackcaps all-rounder. An effective medium-pace bowler and a left-hand bat who could hit the long ball, Harris played three World Cups for New Zealand - in 1996, 1999, and 2003. He scored 4,379 runs and picked up 203 wickets from 250 One Day Internationals.
Alan Wilkins
Renowned journalist and commentator Alan Wilkins, who has decades' worth of experience covering sport, is the only member of the commentary panel who hasn't played international cricket. A favourite of many cricket fans around the world, Wilkins was also part of the commentary panel chosen for the previous edition of the ICC U19 CWC in 2016.
Russel Arnold
Bringing a view from Sri Lanka is Russel Arnold, the former all-rounder who played 44 Tests and 180 ODIs. He has 1,821 Test runs and 3,950 ODI runs - in addition to 40 ODI wickets - to his name.
The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2018 is set to be the most widely available edition in history thanks to expanded digital syndication of live coverage. Find out more here.