Harsha out of the box: Telling people what they didnt see on TV

There was a time when match reports in India were 2,000 words long. In England,Cardus had a whole newspaper at his liberty, Bhogle says,before going on to illustrate how responsibilities of a cricket writer have increased significantly with the word-limit being drastically reduced. With just 400 to 500 words at his expense,a writer has to choose his words as wisely as a batsman chooses his shots. Words are a writers wand and his weapon.

The TV revolution,which has taken cricket coverage to incredible new horizons in the last 15 years,has been one of the most stringent tests for cricket writing. Compared to the one-end,one-camera-angle coverage during the 70s and the 80s,television today not only brings every aspect of the cricket to viewers at home,it virtually takes them to the centre of the action.

But Bhogle,who has made a mark both as a broadcaster and as a writer,insists that the respect for the written word will never diminish. Ive always believed that the emergence of this intense TV coverage would turn reporters into genuine cricket writers. A writer has the advantage of telling people what they didnt see on TV,while commentary is very spontaneous, says Bhogle,who considers former England skipper Michael Atherton to be cricket writings newest find.

The best writers,he believes,are those who can describe the important events in the match while providing a true feel of the action. I generally end up being more opinionated in my columns rather than during commentary, he says.

Former cricketer turned commentator,Sanjay Manjrekar,who also writes columns regularly,agrees with Bhogle and insists that the written word ends up leaving a more long-lasting impact. A smart comment on air can make an impact for a fleeting moment,but it is the writers opinion that really ends up mattering more generally, he says.

Manjrekar is,in fact,for even more opinionated writing,and believes that Bhogle with his vast experience can be a pioneer in that regard. He can push it to the next level by dealing with issues that other professional writers refrain from because they havent played the game. Having been an widely travelled,ardent student of the game for a long time is as good as having played it, says Manjrekar.

Even as recently as the early 90s,the match report was principally based around the aesthetics of the game the position of the batsmans left-elbow while he played a cover-drive or where his toe was pointing when he attempted a forward-defense. But with the high-profile celebrity status that the present-day players end up achieving,the focus and demands of cricket writing have changed completely. With issues such as match-fixing and doping having surfaced over the last decade,issue-based articles have become more important.

The key,Bhogle says,it to strike the right balance. Though you tend to be more opinionated while writing on issues,I personally love to describe events on the field. For example,one of my favourite columns in this book is on Inzamam-ul-Haq. I think he was one of the greatest characters to write about. I also love writing about what Sachin Tendulkar does on the field.

Often described as the voice of Indian cricket,Bhogle says the sobriquet always leaves him humbled. Im an emotional person and Im touched every time someone says that. Ive always idolized Tony Cozier. I remember reading about him as a youngster,and he was called the voice of West Indian cricket. I wondered how great it would be if one day I can be called the voice of Indian cricket.