As this chapter of the Cricket World Cup drew to a close on Saturday, there was at least one section that admitted to being relieved that India made an exit as early as it did. These were people who grew up listening to their cricket on All India Radio and who were subjected this time to commentary by “graduates” and some “cricket buffs”, stepping into the shoes of the legendary Raj Singh Dungarpur, King Vizzy (Maharaja of Vijayanagaram), Beri Sarvadhikari, Pearson Surita and Anand Setalvad.

What made matters worse was that a broke AIR couldn’t even afford the money to send these cricket buffs to the West Indies to cover the tournament. Which meant that these commentators — no experts, not even former players of any level — covered the tournament while sitting, like their listeners, in front of their television sets.

Disgusted with the incessant chatter on mostly non-cricket issues, “spiced up” with informal lingo, an AIR old-timer called it “easily a tragedy only second to India’s embarrassing early ouster from the tournament”.

Few expected AIR’s coverage of the World Cup to end this way. The broadcaster has many faithful admirers who still remember its crisp ball-by-ball documentary, taking cricket to every household at a time when there was no television and no one had heard of “cricket specials”, forget Mandira Bedi and noodle straps.

Even Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, defending Prasar Bharati’s decision to make sharing of telecast rights of games with the public broadcaster mandatory some time ago, had said: “It was not the private TV channels or corporate advertisements that made this country cricket-crazy, but AIR commentary which was heard in every Indian household.”

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