By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, IANS
Kanpur : Four camera units and a star-studded panel of 14 cricketer-turned-commentators, split into three teams, will cover the Indian Premier league (IPL) starting Friday in Bangalore. The commentators include Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Greg Chappell.
According to an IPL source, Gavaskar and Shastri, who are employed by ESPN-STAR Sports, have been given special permission by the broadcasters to commentate during the lucrative Twenty20 tournament. Incidentally, both are also on the IPL governing council.
Greg Chappell, who was India coach for two years starting 2005 and has also worked as a commentator for Channel Nine in Australia, has also been allowed by the Rajasthan Cricket Academy to commentate. Chappell, a former Australia captain, is currently the head coach of the academy housed in Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Stadium.
TransWorld International is producing the live telecast of the tournament and it has formed four camera units to cover the 59 matches in 45 days. The two semi-finals as well as the final will be played in Mumbai.
IPL commentators’ list:
Group 1: Rameez Raja (Pakistan), Laxman Sivaramakrishnan (India), Robin Jackman (South Africa) and Ravi Shastri (India)
Group 2: Greg Chappell (Australia), Ranjit Fernando (Sri Lanka), Aamer Sohail (Pakistan), Ian Bishop (West Indies, until May 17) and Damien Fleming (Australia, from May 17)
Group 3: Sunil Gavaskar (India), Arun Lal (India), Pommie Mbangwa (Zimbabwe), Tony Cozier (West Indies, until May 17) and Danny Morrison (New Zealand, from May 17)