‘Optimum talking’, commitment to job: learning from Ian Chappell

I was privileged and blessed that such a man was my mentor as a TV commentator, I idolised him and was humbled that he became my mentor as cricket commentator, writes Sanjay Manjrekar as Chappell ends his 45-year career behind the mic.

A batsman reached his hundred and I reached for the mic to react to the landmark. Ian Chappell, who was sitting next to me in the commentary box, touched my arm. “Don’t say anything now, let the player have his moment.”

File image of Ian Chappell.(File)

So, for a few seconds there is no commentary, the player’s images fill the screen and the only sound heard is of the crowd’s cheering and applauding reaching a crescendo. It was perfect television!

This is what Chappell brought to cricket coverage.

‘Optimum talking’ over action to make the viewing experience for the fans absolutely pleasurable—no wonder that for over 45 years Chappell was an indispensable element of any cricket coverage.

I was privileged and blessed that such a man was my mentor as a TV commentator. In the Initial years, I worked a lot with Chappell for various TV channels. He was the person I idolised and was humbled that he became my mentor and guide in my second profession as cricket commentator.

Even with advancing age, his commitment to his job and his producers on live coverage was unbelievable.

Numerous times I have seen, when he is done for the day, finished his stints of commentary as per the roster and is free to open his laptop to write his article of the day. He is doing just that when a young producer suddenly realises that he needs a commentator to go to the ground and do a quick interview with a player.

The only option for him is Ian.

But Chappell is sitting there hunched intently over his laptop typing furiously, so the young producer is wary of disturbing the big man. But the poor fellow has no choice so he tiptoes to Ian and says “Ian, we need you to go down to the ground and do a quick interview, is that okay?”

“Sure mate.”

That is his instantaneous response and has been forever. He shuts his laptop, gets on his feet, leaves the commentary box to take the stairs to go down to the ground. For Ian, it did not matter if the producer was a 25-year-old rookie or a renowned 60-year-old. He believed that as long as the broadcast is on, it was his job to be readily available for the producer.

In one of my earlier days as commentator when I didn’t know Chappell as well, I saw on the commentary roster that we had both finished our stints for the day. We were in Bangalore and I was worried about the traffic we were going to hit, so I asked the producer if it was okay I left and if Ian could join me.

The producer said that’s fine. I went up to Ian and said let’s go now or we could be stuck in traffic for hours, the producer is okay with it. But Chappell being who he was, stayed put.

He said he will not leave the commentary box now, for you never know when you would be needed. This is something he had learnt from his years in broadcasting. He then said “and you shouldn’t too.”

So I waited, and since that day I have always waited till the last ball is bowled and the coverage goes off air. And now when somebody comes to me with an offer to leave early, I quote Chappell every time and stay back.

They don’t make people or professionals like him anymore. And this is understandable; they just grew up in a different culture. He called a spade a spade. Once I remember him being critical in commentary of a big, star player. This made quite a stir in the media. The player in his newspaper column the next day lashed back at Chappell.

I asked Ian how he was going to handle the situation.

He said “simple. Every time I see the player on the ground, I will keep looking in his direction and when he’s ready to talk I will give him my reasons for the comments I made.” The next day I kept my ears peeled even more on his commentary—it did not change one bit.

Chappell held Richie Benaud in the highest regard. Benaud’s gospel of commentary was—put your brain in gear before you pick up the mic. Precisely what Chappell did every day in broadcasting. I have often seen him sit in silence with the mic because he felt there was nothing worthwhile to talk about.

Chappell is one of the greatest players to have played the game, arguably the best captain ever too. With his stature as player, for him to just turn up and give his opinion on the match would have been more than enough for any TV producer.

But Chappell had this software in his laptop that gave him statistics of every match played and of every player in the world. He spent hours reading the data so as to be updated on the facts of the game. Producers needed to be on their A game when Chappell was around as he would quietly nudge them about a wrong fact.

Wish I can be a fly on the wall as he sits down to watch cricket now. I guess his family will be the only audience listening to his commentary with the game on. Which in a way is a pity, no?

Love you Chappelli! Have one more serving of that gajar halva you love so much for all us Indian fans of you, will you?