For the most part, we are really looking forward to the upcoming Ashes series despite the inevitable sleep deprivation caused by watching the action through the night from Europe and then having to spend the day in the office.
But the thought of having to put up with the Channel 9 Cheerleading Commentary team is not one we are relishing and chief amongst them is our nomination for the worst commentator in cricket broadcasting history - Bill Lawry.
Lawry is the most biased and one-eyed commentator we have ever had the misfortune of hearing. His stock phrase of the "crowd lovin' it" grates and his failure to recognise that there is another team on the pitch as well as the Australians is beyond annoying. Granted some of the English commentators like Ian Botham are pretty bad, but Lawry really takes the biscuit in our opinion.
Lawry's enthusiasm for the crowd is in stark contrast to the fact that as a player he used to bore them to sleep with his batting. Indeed, he was once described as "a corpse with pads on" by the acclaimed journalist Ian Wooldridge on account of his ultra-defensive style. Even if he was a decent player with a test average of 47 from his 67 tests, it sounds like he was as painful to watch as a player as he is to listen to as a commentator.
For assaulting the ear drums of cricket watchers for nearly thirty years, Bill Lawry is a Reverse Sweep zero. Rest assured, that whilst we are watching the Ashes in the early hours the sound on the television will be turned down whilst either Test Match Special or Test Match Sofa is on the radio.
Where next?
10 things about the Ashes NOT to look forward to
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