by Catherine Hanley
Thursday, February 28, 2002

Useless. Pathetic. Disgraceful, even. Yes, I've been watching the first Test between South Africa and Australia. And no, I'm not talking about the South African performance.

What has got me so riled is the behaviour of a number of the commentators (male, inevitably), who are being paid to regale us with their words of wit and wisdom, or, in this case, woeful and well-worn clichés.

I write, of course, of the comments we seem to get during every Test, aimed at unsuspecting and generally female spectators. As usual, during the breaks in play the cameramen at the ground amused themselves by focusing on men in fancy dress and women in revealing outfits, but what was particularly objectionable in this case was the accompanying remarks by commentators who should know better.

It's one thing to aim jibes at people in fancy dress: anyone who arrives at a cricket match in a Santa suit or a nun's habit has clearly gone with the express intention of making themselves look ridiculous enough to get on TV. It's another thing to expose young women to intrusive, often lewd and sometimes downright offensive comments.

Before anyone reaches for the phone to call their lawyer, I'd better come up with some concrete examples, and there were several to be had at the Wanderers ground last week.

One poor woman who happened to be reading a book (pardonable, given the quality of the South African play) was pictured and ridiculed time and time again by several of the commentators, so much so that she eventually resorted to ducking under her seat when the camera focused on her for the umpteenth time.

Two other incidents stand out, and the culprit in both cases was Ravi Shastri. As we were treated to a shot of the bar at Castle Corner, complete with attractive young patrons, he remarked that he would be going down there later "not for a drink, but for some other refreshment".

Later the cameras caught a young woman applying suncream to a male back, at which he quipped "that's handy". And just in case we had failed to grasp his meaning, he elaborated: "I'm not talking about the suncream but the person applying it." Well, that's cleared that up then.

I have never met Ravi Shastri and am therefore totally unqualified to comment on his general behaviour, but there is no doubt that in these specific instances he was wrong to say what he did. Comments like these, particularly coming from such a distinguished ex-player - and he is by no means the only guilty party - are exactly the type of thing which everyone should be trying to stamp out of cricket. It's difficult enough to be taken seriously as a bona fide cricket fan without unwarranted offence such as this.

To Mr Shastri and all his fellow commentators I offer the following advice, straight from my grandmother. If you can't say anything sensible, don't say anything at all.

Catherine Hanley is a university lecturer, a keen cricketer and a regular contributor to Wisden.com. She was born in Tasmania and now lives in Sheffield, England.

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