BCCI.TV
Lisa and her love for the microphone
20 Apr, 2015
Lisa and her love for the microphone
20 Apr, 2015
There are still a good couple of hours to go for the game in Visakhapatnam, but Lisa Sthalekar is in the confines of the Pepsi IPL commentary box busy taking notes and jotting down pointers on a small sheet of paper. She is slated to do the toss with one of the two captains of the day and later ‘voice’ her opinion for the next forty overs of the match. Sthalekar is one of the four female commentators on the IPL commentary panel, a kind of first, in an initiative by the BCCI to give the tournament a whole new dimension.
The former Australia all-rounder is a natural when it comes to cricket on the field, but her brand new journey off it is a fun filled one and ‘quite an experience’ as she politely puts it. Her observations of the game behind the microphone are astute, her views - free flowing; yet she claims to be a little ‘sponge’ that is trying to soak up as much as possible when it comes to off-field nuances and TV production nitty-gritties. In a free-flowing chat with iplt20.com, Lisa Sthalekar speaks about her very first commentary stint; an experience that she looks to cherish and savour for a long time.
First and foremost, how exciting is it to be a part of the IPL commentary team?
I am really excited. When I got the email and the confirmation that I was going to be a part of it, it was a bit like a dream come true to be able to commentate with some of these experts who have been doing it for years. To be involved with the IPL and the whole hype with it, it is great.
Were you surprised with the call up? What were your reactions?
I was not expecting this call and it came as a pleasant surprise. It was always a dream of mine to be able to come here and commentate but never did I think it will happen so soon. I gave my family a call and they went like “Seriously, is that what you are going to do?” I said, yes I am going away for five to six weeks to commentate on the IPL. It doesn’t get any better than this.
When was your first IPL experience?
I came here in 2008 for the first IPL game. I was at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium when Brendon McCullum played that innings of 158. I was there with a young Under-19 New South Wales state girls side. We were living in the Chinnaswamy stadium at that time so we got to see the guys train, cheerleaders coming in, etc. and all the hype and at the same time able to watch the first game. That has been my only real experience of the IPL and I was in Dubai last year when I saw one game. But this is an opportunity to really soak it up.
What is it like to have Anjum Chopra, Isa Guha, and Melanie Jones among others on the commentary panel?
We have shared a lot over the years. Mel Jones and myself were teammates. The rest were opposition and many a tour we have spent travelling around the countryside and playing cricket and facing them out in the middle. It is nice for especially Anjum, Isa and Mel, who have been doing it for a lot longer than I have because I only recently retired. I have done a bit of commentary back home but this is the first regular opportunity to commentate on the men’s game on TV. I have done a lot more radio than TV. To get this opportunity for all of us just shows the hard work we have been doing has paid off.
Do the four of you discuss or share opinions after a day’s stint at the commentary box?
Unfortunately we don’t catch each others’ games but we have been sharing some text messages back and forth saying good luck and ‘that sounded really well’. I have been saying that to Mel and Isa because I have heard a lot of their games and said ‘Oh you guys sound great, I am taking notes of how you guys sound so I can sound just as good as you’. We are sharing our views and it is good that we have got that support if we need it. We are all pretty strong individuals as well and we like this challenge.
What kind of homework did you do before coming to the IPL?
There are so many Indian domestic players here that I haven’t seen. So, it is all about firstly talking to previous commentators who have been out here and getting to know what they have seen from those domestic players. I had a chat with Russel Arnold, emailed Alan Wilkins and I know Danny Morrison as well, so I have been picking their brains a lot since I have landed here. I have also been going through the statistics and kept a tab of what the players have done in the last couple of months.
Did you feel a bit of nerves on the first day of your commentary stint?
Yes. Eden Gardens was a place that I had never experienced before. The noise of the crowd was really overwhelming in the first game. Second game, coming to Vizag, it is a bit more silent and you are able to cope with the noise and the whole experience. I am looking forward to going back to Kolkata now that I know what to expect, who I am working with, how the graphics work and the director yelling in my ear and all those sort of things. I am starting to feel a lot more comfortable and confident.
It is a completely different ball game off the field, behind the microphone, isn’t it?
The journey from the pitch to the commentary box is completely different. I challenge anyone who thinks it’s really easy to step into the commentary box and sound great on TV. It seems quite easy but it is not. At the moment I am a sponge trying to pick up and learn as much as I can from these guys who have been doing it for years. The experience is nice because as a past female player I have watched all of these guys play and I have opinions, whether they are right or wrong, it is subjective; but it is nice to be able to share that and hopefully bring a different aspect to the commentary team.
Do you think this initiative to include female commentators will provide a new dimension to the game?
I think it is a great initiative by the BCCI to have the girls involved in the IPL. I know they want to get a different audience involved in cricket and females are a part of that. If our voice and the way that we explain the game assists them in understanding the game, then I think cricket is going to win every day of the week. The numbers and the population will continue to grow. I think the IPL, the three hours, the short format, the entertainment, the Bollywood mixed into it, and maybe female voices present there explaining what’s happening might convince the female audiences to flip the channel and watch a little bit more than what they might have done in the past.
In a way is it a push forward for women’s cricket as well?
I would like to think so, but I guess you will have to wait and see after a period of time whether the numbers will start to increase. Hopefully, females watching the game will hear Isa, Mel, Anjum and myself and go ‘Ok they once played and maybe there is an opportunity for me to play as well. Even though we are not necessarily showcasing women’s cricket here, we are still letting people be aware of the fact that there is a women’s game.
Being from India, Pune to be precise, good to be back on ‘home soil’?
I love being back in India but unfortunately I am not doing games in Pune. I am doing games in Vizag, Hyderabad and Kolkata and with the schedule it is a little bit difficult to fly around elsewhere. I love India and the fact that I am able to come back here during this time is really special. I am soaking it up, loving the food and I am going to try and enjoy every minute of it.
Have you made any good buddies in the commentary panel?
I am getting to know these guys well because we are spending a fair bit of time together. Pommie Mbangwa and I have spent a fair bit of time. It was good to meet Aakash Chopra because I met him over Google Hangout. My father is very jealous of the fact that I am working with Sunil Gavaskar (chuckles).
What do you look to take back from the IPL experience?
This stint is quite new to me. It is just learning how they do it, how the experts do it, how they get through, how they express themselves, how they bring the excitement to the coverage. Getting to know what commentators need to do behind the scenes to make sure what comes across is correct and accurate. Also from the production side of things, how it works, how they come out with all their graphics. I know what happens on the field, I have been there and done that; but from this experience I want to learn and understand as much as I can about off the field side.
