Bobby Talyarkhan, Father of Indian Cricket Commentary

Bobby Talyarkhan, Father of Indian Cricket Commentary

Ardeshir Furdorji Sohrabji Talyarkhan, popularly known as Bobby Talyarkhan, was a legendary figure in sports journalism and was the pioneer of the Indian Cricket Commentary who brought the Cricket to the doorsteps of millions of Indians through his live cricket commentary on All India Radio. Today, due to Television Network, we can watch the action of the cricket game accompanied comments from the commentary box. Very few must be aware of Radio commentary and also about Bobby Talyarkhan.

From Yogesh Gogwekar

While reading the history of Cricket, it is very surprising to know that first credit commentary started in Australia in 1922 at Sydney Cricket Ground in a Testimonial match for Charles Bannerman who was first centurion of test cricket and first commentator was Lionel Watt. It was first in the game of cricket, commentary was introduced. Latter BBC introduced the commentary in Rugby match between England and Wales and in 1927 and in same year in cricket match between New Zealand and Essex at Leyton.

In India, First cricket commentary was started in 1934 in Mumbai at Esplanade Maidan (Cross Maidan) in Quadrangular match (Triangular version) was playing between Parsi and Muslims. Later Triangular version became Pentangular. Bobby Talyarkhan started doing the commentary from this Match and started broadcasting ball by ball commentaries of the Bombay Quadrangular/Pentangular and even in Ranji matches. His command over English language, a great knowledge about the cricket, polished style of public speaking and ability to create dramatic situation to make cricket more interesting, Cricket has become passion to many Indians. He used to do the commentary alone without any break (except lunch and tea in cricket) and used to refuse to share the microphone with others. He did the same for 14 years till his career gets over with all India radio due to the dispute over sharing the microphone with other commentators but shared his microphone with others during the first match between India and Pakistan in 1954-55.

Today, world most of the cricket commentary is about the comments on former and existing cricketers. There is nothing wrong in it but you can make it out inability of commentators to capture the attention of the huge audience with their description, vocabulary, vision and assessment due to lack of felicity and professionalism. Bobby was one-man army and used to speak throughout the day and giving exact pictures of the ground to the audience whether it is a classicism of Lala Amarnath or imperious stroke of C K Nayadu or of Vijay Merchant.

Unfortunately, we are not having any records whether Bobby Talyarkhan had played any cricket or not  but  there is no doubt about his love for cricket and its characters.  He wrote classic articles about cricket. Other than cricket, he was a horse-racing aficionado.

Ramchandra Guha , a great historian , mentioned in his book that Talyarkhan had spoken up for the Ranji Trophy, which had begun in 1934 but had not yet caught the imagination of cricket spectators who still preferred the Pentangular. But by 1940, the Pentangular had become increasingly mired in communal mindedness, and, as Talyarkhan observed in an article entitled ‘The Future of Indian Cricket,’ communities were ‘afraid of losing, as if defeat meant the loss of cultural and religious worth

We must really thanks to Bobby Talyarkhan who started the commentary for cricket from The Corner of Bombay ( Now Mumbai ) Maidan

Date :14.07.2019