Cricket: Isa Guha gives Triple M commentary knowledge and experience

AMONG the Triple M cricket commentary is Isa Guha, a voice that offers insight and in-depth analysis but can relax and have a laugh too.

Experienced English broadcaster Isa Guha is part of the Triple M cricket commentary team. Pic Peter Wallis

TRIPLE M are taking a non-traditional approach to their first foray into cricket coverage with Kerry O’Keeffe heading up a team consisting of former players, comedians and even musicians adding a touch a local charm.

Among them, though, is a different voice. One that offers insight and in-depth analysis, but can relax and have a laugh too.

Isa Guha was on her way to Australia for a holiday this summer and put the feelers out for some work during our cricket season.

She’s loving what she signed up for, which is completely different to anything she’s done.

“I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve been on TV shows in India where you have an entertainment show that wraps around a Twenty20 match and you have fun in the studio and talk maybe 20 per cent cricket, 80 per cent anything else,” Guha explained.

Kerry O’Keeffe is heading up the Triple M team.

“Here we’re getting the balance right of making sure we’re giving the information of everything that’s happening out on the field, we’re talking about the important points but we’re also having a lot of fun with that because we’ve got comedians in but also the actual commentators and analysts that we have, such as Skull [O’Keeffe], who’s just really good fun anyway and great to be around and can see the funny side of things.”

Having worked for the BBC, Sky, Star Sports and ESPN, to name a few, it’s no wonder Triple M were keen to get her on board.

Guha is a complete package. She’s a talented broadcaster who has worked all around the world. She was the first woman to commentate on men’s Twenty20 when she covered the Caribbean Premier League, which led to work on the India-England Test series with Star Sports, and she has covered the Indian Premier League.

But she has playing cred. A medium-pace fast bowler, Guha made her Test debut in 2002 at the age of 17 and represented England for a decade — which included 113 caps, two World Cup wins, 15 ODI series, seven T20 series and three Ashes.

“Isa was a talented cricketer and is an excellent broadcaster, after hearing her on BSkyB we thought she would be a great addition,” said Triple M’s head of content Mike Fitzpatrick.

“It’s nice to have a different voice on the Triple M commentary team and given she’s played for her country at the highest level, she’s more qualified to comment on cricket than Mark Howard and James Brayshaw!”

Guha celebrates taking the wicket of Lisa Sthalekar during a women's Ashes Test at Bradman Oval at Bowral.

Guha, who is working on the Pakistan series, is a confessed “optimist” about the future of Test cricket and loves that administrators are willing to innovate with concepts like day/night matches, but she is most impressed by the level of interest women’s cricket is now attracting.

She witnessed the recent launch of the WBBL season and said these types of competitions along with increased professionalism is having an effect worldwide.

“I was blown away by the amount of support that it’s generating not just from sponsors but from the TV coverage,” Guha said.

“The girls are rewarding us with their skills on show. Their skills have evolved so much over the past few years ... I’ve never seen some of these girls playing these shots.

“On the global stage it’s not just England and Australia always competing, now we’ve got the West Indies, who went on to win the World T20, having an impact.

“We’re seeing competition as well. The ECB just announced two-year contracts for women in England so it’s just another step forward and that’s probably a knock on effect of what’s happening here in Australia because the girls are getting so much support.”