‘You’ve got to be absolutely mad to whip up emotions’: Ramiz Raja on commentary, BPL and his playing days

One of the biggest surprises during this season's Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) was the inclusion of the legendary Pakistani commentator Ramiz Raja in the commentary panel from the Chattogram phase. 

The Business Standard caught up with the man widely considered as the voice of Pakistan cricket, to talk about his playing career, his commentary and on the BPL, in an exclusive interview. 

The BPL this season has been better than expected, with more people turning up to games and some big foreign cricketers like Andre Russell, Keshav Maharaj and Babar Azam coming to play here.

Ramiz feels that the league is doing well overall, but also pointed out how the local players can improve. 

"It's a left-armers' league I'd say. There are so many left-armers here. The PSL is renowned as a bowling league, for instance, because there are so many fast bowlers. It's good that the BPL has continued to grow and it's important for the foreign players to buy into this product."

"It's good to see some of the finest players playing here from overseas. From that perspective, I think the league is growing," he said. 

He wants to see the local bowlers giving the ball more air and flight to deceive the batters instead of skidding the ball through: "From local talent, I would want more energy from the batsmen and I want to see the left-armers flighting the ball, like (Keshav) Maharaj or Moeen Ali for example, and not go completely flat. I guess the trend in T20 is to not get hit for a six, but the idea also has to be to pitch it in an area where you lure the batters and get them out."

Ramiz said the biggest reason behind him coming to commentate in the BPL, even though the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has started, is the cricket-loving fans in Bangladesh.  

"I heard a great deal about the BPL that it's a well-paid league, and there's a lot of interest among the fans. Well, I'm here because of the fans in all seriousness. Because the support from the fans is one part that has remained constant over the years for Bangladesh," he added. 

While Ramiz has been commentating for over two decades, his biggest career highlight on the mic came right here in Bangladesh. 

"It was in Bangladesh where Shahid Afridi hit R Ashwin for a six in the Asia Cup final to win it for Pakistan. I had anticipated it was going to be an aerial shot so I was ready as well. Everything happened as I hoped it would, so everything was in sync, so it was a great moment for me in commentary and the biggest highlight I'd say." 

Despite being an elegant leg-side player,  Raja's batting numbers never reflected the talent that he possessed and he explained why. 

"You have to pitch in according to the dynamics of the team. And under Imran (Khan), the message was that we were out there to win the match. So we were given very clear roles. And the role was not to get a 50 or a 100, but it was about dominance and making a statement," he said. 

"In those days, an average of 40 was considered herculean, because of the bowlers you had to face. Gordon Greenidge had an average of 40 and so too did Viv Richards," he added. 

"We were able to beat everyone we faced at that time as well. We beat England in England, India in India and the Test series against the West Indies is considered the best three-match Test series in the world ever. We played in an era when bowlers could bowl six bouncers in an over," he explained.

One of Ramiz's finest moments came when he took the last catch off the bowling of his captain Imran Khan and Pakistan won their maiden and only ODI World Cup in 1992, and he spoke about what went through his mind then. 

"We had fought hard and somebody had to lose for us to qualify for the semifinal. So it was a very, very difficult run to the final. You couldn't drop a catch off of Imran's bowling, because he would remind you of it for the rest of your life. That was the pressure, but it was a very easy catch," he explained. 

Controversies and Pakistan cricket have gone hand in hand for a long time, but Ramiz has always been a stand-up guy, not afraid to speak against the team or board if he felt they were in the wrong. He spoke about how that has helped him gain credibility in the commentary box as well. 

"Any sport forces you to look at the world in black and white because that's how we progressed as cricketers. If you didn't score runs, you were made the 12th man. So I feel in commentary, unless you have credibility, no one will listen to you and the listeners are aware of that," he said. 

"If I go out there and force an agenda I will lose my credibility. So you have got to be as honest as possible and I think that connects with the viewers. You have got to call a spade a spade, and I think in this day and age, the youth is becoming more empowered and they want to listen to the hard truths. I think I fit the bill for them."

The former Pakistan Cricket Board President revealed who his favourite commentator to commentate with and player to play with was: "My favourite guy to commentate was Ian Chappel because he would allow you the space to speak. When I was new in commentary because English is not my mother tongue, I was often second-guessing myself and he would allow me to construct my sentences and gave me extra time to speak on the mic, so I'll always be grateful for that." 

"My favourite player to play with was Saeed Anwar. When he was coming up the ranks and I saw all the shots he had, I knew I couldn't match his talent."    

While cricket has changed over the years with the rise in T20s, cricket commentary has also seen change and evolution, and the 61-year-old detailed how he keeps up with the ever-evolving game. 

"There's more madness in the sub-continent, so you've got to shout and you've got to be absolutely mad at times to whip up the emotions, which is great actually. Because as a commentator you're looking for certain moments that can get the best out of you."  

He explains how T20 cricket has its benefits for commentators: "In T20 cricket, you get that a lot and you get that fix. The last ball can be hit for a six and you have many moments of dramatic fielding for you to go high pitched. But the vocals take a battering and I have to gargle and take care of my throat all the time." 

But for him, the key is to ask questions and learn from the format he's never played.

"I didn't play T20 cricket so I'm learning all the time and asking questions. And as a commentator, it's important to ask questions. As a commentator, I do not shy away from that," he concluded.