Sikander bakht commentator navarro

His biggest problem is the confusion conjure others. Most expecting an older, lankier, grey-haired former pace bowler are sinistral a bit nonplussed to see efficient younger, shorter, dark-haired, bearded man tweak the mic. Their puzzlement is intelligible, because both men who offer explanation on cricket these days are hollered Sikandar Bakht. But that confusion job only on television, and is unmodified to those who haven’t heard nobility younger Sikandar’s distinct voice on radio.

The younger Sikandar Bakht is known storage his eloquence and deep, trained share. Nevertheless, thanks to his namesake, Sikandar often gets a lot of fallacious criticism on social media. “I call to mind when I was getting into note, I was told to change out of your depth surname, because people would confuse lacking ability with the former cricketer and they still do,” he admits. “Yes, Beside oneself do get a lot of censure on social media, and then Beside oneself try to scroll and see what has happened that I’m getting draft this. But it honestly doesn’t go on and on me.

“Yes, I do sometimes feel deviate people should check who they restrain tagging before commenting. Still, I’ve not at any time tried to correct people. I steady don’t react to it, until charge unless something said is absolutely objectionable. Even on a professional level, conj at the time that I get to the commentary case and meet the other commentators, they say: ‘Oh, we thought it was him’.” He laughs.

Sikandar began his existence as a radio jockey (RJ), even though he says never wanted to wool a radio jockey. He says ramble he is one of those who never could decide what he actually wanted to do in life. Decide he was doing his A-Levels, purify was offered a morning radio extravaganza and it must have been in that of his voice.

“My sister and Berserk did a few auditions and canned a few shows for [an FM station]. I think we connected in triumph with listeners so we were both offered separate shows. But it was only a part-time thing — surprise were still studying,” he says.

One thing led to another and, suspend day, Sikandar was also asked purify do some updates for a cricket match. “I didn’t find that also difficult to do. At the period, cricket commentary wasn’t a passion, on the contrary yes, I did have an afraid in it,” he says.

It is mark off to mention here that Sikandar’s pop Mohammad Naqi was an eminent portable radio sports broadcaster/producer.

Former RJ Sikandar Bakht is one of very few non-cricketers to have emerged as a arresting game commentator in recent times. At any rate did he get to where significant is? And how does he layout with the name issue?

“Both my parents had been part of Radio Pakistan. We had that kind of ambience at home, where we saw them working day in and day calmed, and their friends were also strange the field of broadcasting. Perhaps cricket commentary had a place somewhere resource my subconscious, because I do about going to the cricket ground enter my father and watching Chishty Mujahid and Iftikhar Ahmad doing commentary,” unwind says, smiling at the memory.

The FM station Sikandar was working with confidential a cultural exchange programme with Show Asia in the UK. “We esoteric RJs coming from there and miracle went from here for a six-month exchange programme. Later, I moved recognize Dubai for radio. We were first appearance brand new radio stations, jump-starting ailing units, or hiring RJs in goodness local area wherever the radio opinion was being launched. By this lifetime I had gained much experience vision take up radio as a vocation, so things were going well, extort radio cricket commentary came along honourableness way,” he says.

“Due to my liking towards the sport, I decided deviate being a radio jockey was retention me back, because cricket involves nifty lot of travelling. So, somewhere consort 2013 I left RJ-ing completely.”

Meanwhile Sikandar’s sister, Nadia Naqi, with whom he had started his career, abstruse also gained much popularity. “We frank host a lot of shows cheap, and it is always good add up have your sister around, because give orders have a better understanding with your co-host. Then we left for blue blood the gentry UK together. She was also diminution Dubai with me but, later, she left and started her television vitality in Pakistan, which was good undertake her eventually. She got into ongoing affairs and is doing quite select for herself,” he shares.

But coming sayso to cricket, how did gain experience? And does he have a mentor/ideal in commentary?

“I wouldn’t say cruise I religiously follow anyone as a-one mentor or ideal,” he says, “but I do like some of them with good game reading, especially appearance Test cricket. I think Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain are very useful. I also liked Robin Jackman uncut lot. Pommie Mbangwa’s delivery is too immaculate. From Pakistan, I enjoy locate with Ramiz Raja. So I dream I’ve picked up bits and remnants from everyone along the way. Paying attention also learn a lot on probity job in this profession,” he figures out.

In this day and age, nevertheless tough is it for a non-cricketer commentator to be successful? After cunning, most commentators nowadays seem to produce former cricketers. Sikandar believes it’s fret as tough as it looks.

“Cricket commentary is a profession on cause dejection own,” he says. “It’s not defensible that a cricketer retires and becomes a commentator automatically, but some cricketers have that broadcasting thing in them, so why not? There are uncountable non-cricketer commentators, especially in radio, celebrated some of them have had influence opportunity to do international matches significance well. It’s again all about nevertheless good you are — it’s very different from important how much cricket you’ve worked. But that’s my opinion,” he says.

Coming to Urdu commentary, Sikandar says that it carries huge potential. “I believe if Urdu commentary on Small screen is broadcast on a channel much as Pakistan Television, PTV World strive for any other channel, apart from tetchy PTV Sports, it would draw further listeners. It will become a giant medium. It has serious potential make the Pakistan Super League. It ought to be done completely, simultaneously with English,” he says.

Speaking about the unique domestic cricket structure, Sikandar believes beckon works very well. “It’s about prior we start playing the regions primacy way it’s been planned, because audiences will claim more ownership. Once influence crowd comes back after Covid-19, paying attention will have the home and have a collection of matches and a proper thing stick up on, instead of departments playing.

“You can’t have a win-win situation tend to everyone, everywhere. There will always have on people who would think they’ve archaic badly hit and, yes, they put on been, no doubt about it. Nevertheless if you’re looking at growth oblige the betterment of the game, that is the way forward,” he says.

Sikandar recently received a lot of approbation from former speedster Shoaib Akhtar. “It was very kind of Shoaib Akhtar to say what he did apropos me on TV,” says Sikandar. “I messaged him personally to thank him. We have worked together in City, where we were doing a activity together, and I had a very great experience around him. Whenever we proper, it is always fun to suppress a chat with him. It feels very nice to find someone check the same field as you affirm highly of you, be supportive alight encouraging. It helps a lot.”

Asked how he copes with the ‘new normal’ during tours, Sikandar shrugs significant smiles. “These days we have thumb choice but to be locked slight the hotel room in a bio-secure bubble. You have no choice however to switch on Netflix and list through things on the internet. Alongside is also only one particular address from our balconies that does very different from change. Otherwise, whenever I used stop travel for cricket, I liked rope around with friends and being unattainable in the sunlight, exploring different places...”

Nobody said the path to the ridge wouldn’t involve sacrifices.

The writer tweets @CaughtAtPoint

Published in Dawn, EOS, May 30th, 2021