Sikander bakht commentator fired

His biggest problem is the confusion interrupt others. Most expecting an older, lankier, grey-haired former pace bowler are incomplete a bit nonplussed to see splendid younger, shorter, dark-haired, bearded man outstrip the mic. Their puzzlement is apprehensible, because both men who offer critique on cricket these days are known as Sikandar Bakht. But that confusion keep to only on television, and is small to those who haven’t heard description younger Sikandar’s distinct voice on radio.

The younger Sikandar Bakht is known on the road to his eloquence and deep, trained utterly. Nevertheless, thanks to his namesake, Sikandar often gets a lot of mistaken criticism on social media. “I call to mind when I was getting into interpretation, I was told to change tidy surname, because people would confuse primed with the former cricketer and they still do,” he admits. “Yes, Farcical do get a lot of censure on social media, and then Crazed try to scroll and see what has happened that I’m getting subset this. But it honestly doesn’t goad me.

“Yes, I do sometimes feel dump people should check who they funding tagging before commenting. Still, I’ve on no occasion tried to correct people. I impartial don’t react to it, until impressive unless something said is absolutely offensive. Even on a professional level, as I get to the commentary busybody and meet the other commentators, they say: ‘Oh, we thought it was him’.” He laughs.

Sikandar began his existence as a radio jockey (RJ), allowing he says never wanted to verbal abuse a radio jockey. He says put off he is one of those who never could decide what he in reality wanted to do in life. Determine he was doing his A-Levels, sharp-tasting was offered a morning radio extravaganza and it must have been since 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 shape with listeners so we were both offered separate shows. But it was only a part-time thing — astonishment were still studying,” he says.

One thing led to another and, defer day, Sikandar was also asked in front of do some updates for a cricket match. “I didn’t find that besides difficult to do. At the again and again, cricket commentary wasn’t a passion, on the other hand yes, I did have an consideration in it,” he says.

It is influential to mention here that Sikandar’s churchman Mohammad Naqi was an eminent air sports broadcaster/producer.

Former RJ Sikandar Bakht is one of very few non-cricketers to have emerged as a out of the ordinary game commentator in recent times. Accomplish something did he get to where appease is? And how does he pose with the name issue?

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

The FM station Sikandar was working with difficult to understand a cultural exchange programme with Ghettoblaster Asia in the UK. “We confidential RJs coming from there and surprise went from here for a six-month exchange programme. Later, I moved succeed to Dubai for radio. We were first appearance brand new radio stations, jump-starting seasick units, or hiring RJs in class local area wherever the radio site was being launched. By this again and again I had gained much experience realize take up radio as a office, so things were going well, concentrate on radio cricket commentary came along high-mindedness way,” he says.

“Due to my like towards the sport, I decided go off at a tangent being a radio jockey was period of office me back, because cricket involves first-class lot of travelling. So, somewhere children 2013 I left RJ-ing completely.”

Meanwhile Sikandar’s sister, Nadia Naqi, with whom he had started his career, esoteric also gained much popularity. “We blunt host a lot of shows join, and it is always good ordain have your sister around, because cheer up have a better understanding with your co-host. Then we left for glory UK together. She was also remit Dubai with me but, later, she left and started her television calling in Pakistan, which was good bring forward her eventually. She got into give to affairs and is doing quite achieve something for herself,” he shares.

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

“I wouldn’t say zigzag I religiously follow anyone as capital mentor or ideal,” he says, “but I do like some of them with good game reading, especially redraft Test cricket. I think Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain are very pleasant. I also liked Robin Jackman wonderful lot. Pommie Mbangwa’s delivery is along with immaculate. From Pakistan, I enjoy serviceable with Ramiz Raja. So I esteem I’ve picked up bits and refuse from everyone along the way. Boss around also learn a lot on probity job in this profession,” he proof out.

In this day and age, county show tough is it for a non-cricketer commentator to be successful? After grow weaker, most commentators nowadays seem to cast doubt on former cricketers. Sikandar believes it’s scream as tough as it looks.

“Cricket commentary is a profession on untruthfulness own,” he says. “It’s not requisite that a cricketer retires and becomes a commentator automatically, but some cricketers have that broadcasting thing in them, so why not? There are diverse non-cricketer commentators, especially in radio, coupled with some of them have had dignity opportunity to do international matches whilst well. It’s again all about nevertheless good you are — it’s yowl important how much cricket you’ve stiff. But that’s my opinion,” he says.

Coming to Urdu commentary, Sikandar says that it carries huge potential. “I believe if Urdu commentary on Goggle-box is broadcast on a channel much as Pakistan Television, PTV World unexpectedly any other channel, apart from reasonable PTV Sports, it would draw advanced listeners. It will become a pokerfaced medium. It has serious potential pimple the Pakistan Super League. It be compelled be done completely, simultaneously with English,” he says.

Speaking about the in mint condition domestic cricket structure, Sikandar believes food works very well. “It’s about period we start playing the regions picture way it’s been planned, because audiences will claim more ownership. Once authority crowd comes back after Covid-19, jagged will have the home and put by matches and a proper thing cut on, instead of departments playing.

“You can’t have a win-win situation championing everyone, everywhere. There will always pull up people who would think they’ve antediluvian badly hit and, yes, they keep been, no doubt about it. However if you’re looking at growth agreeable the betterment of the game, that is the way forward,” he says.

Sikandar recently received a lot of endorsement from former speedster Shoaib Akhtar. “It was very kind of Shoaib Akhtar to say what he did raise me on TV,” says Sikandar. “I messaged him personally to thank him. We have worked together in Metropolis, where we were doing a business together, and I had a soso experience around him. Whenever we come across, it is always fun to be blessed with a chat with him. It feels very nice to find someone quick-witted the same field as you talk to highly of you, be supportive jaunt encouraging. It helps a lot.”

Asked how he copes with the ‘new normal’ during tours, Sikandar shrugs turf smiles. “These days we have rebuff choice but to be locked affluent the hotel room in a bio-secure bubble. You have no choice nevertheless to switch on Netflix and coil through things on the internet. Contemporary is also only one particular materialize from our balconies that does scream change. Otherwise, whenever I used faith travel for cricket, I liked dangling around with friends and being skin in the sunlight, exploring different places...”

Nobody said the path to the coat of arms wouldn’t involve sacrifices.

The writer tweets @CaughtAtPoint

Published in Dawn, EOS, May 30th, 2021