Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
He is a cricket commentator for Test Match Special, known for the 'leg over' incident with Brian Johnson.
On the island
Eight records
Jerusalem, sung by Sean Rouan from the E. C. B. Ashes music album.
Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine.
He sang our song. Have I told you lately that I love you?
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 "Pathétique" (Adagio cantabile)
Daniel Barenboim with Beethoven's sonata No. Eight, the Pathétique, and it was the Adagio cantabile we heard there.
Don't Let the Sun Go Down on MeFavourite
This is my favourite Elton John song.
The keepsakes
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:45How would you describe [Test Match Special]?
We turn up for work every morning, not knowing what's going to happen. And that is the real joy of the job.
Presenter asks
3:14What have been the particular one high, one low that you can remember that have stood out [from 20+ years of commentary]?
Well, winning the Ashes in 2005, the first time that I had seen that, I was part of the squad that won the Ashes in 1985. My nought for 90 played a massive part in that, and I was dropped immediately afterwards. Lowe's, I think about six years before that, when England really plunged to the bottom of the heap. And I remember Nasser Hussain, the new captain, being booed at the Oval by the small crowd that remained to see England being beaten by New Zealand. That was bad.
Presenter asks
22:33What did [Brian Johnston] think it was unprofessional [about the 'leg over' incident]?
He let the side down, that it sounded terrible.
The book
Dominique Lapierre
the book that's had the biggest impact on my life is called The City of Joy... The message really being that even if life is utterly awful, you have nothing. It's still worth living. There is still happiness to be found.
The luxury
I do always take a luxury with me, which is a jar of Marmite. I always take that on tours.
Presenter asks
24:25When you're watching a match and something doesn't seem right [about ball tampering or corruption], what do you say? How do you address it?
Well I think each time that it happens you get more confident about saying or doing something but you can't say someone's cheating. … you're able to say on the air then, look at this, you know, this is this is a bit strange. But what I have done and I'm pleased about this is I went to the International Cricket Council people and said, look, we're watching every ball that's bowled. We can't say it on air, but at least give us a number that we can ring.
Presenter asks
27:44Is [the problem of failed marriages in cricket] because … somebody is choosing this [cricket over family]?
You're choosing your cricket. … my relationship with my kids is is sort of the one sad area really of of my life. You know, divorce is something that I think children feel particularly hard. … what's sad about a lot of divorces, and certainly of my my divorce I think, was that absent fathers, and by those I mean fathers not who've disappeared, but fathers who actually want to play a part in their children's lives but don't live there, they have a pretty tough time.
Presenter asks
31:48You and Geoffrey Boycott — how is that really? There's a bit of argy-bargy now and again between you.
Geoffrey is … we are the odd couple, no doubt about that. But we are really good mates. And I know that he's not good mates with everybody. … we both have great respect for each other. … He's just a bit odd sometimes. Which I don't I don't mind telling him. But um, you know, I dig these bear pits. The great thing is, he comes in, you'll hear him door slams, Get the rubbish off, I'm coming on and I'll have dug this bear trap while he's been out of the room. All the listeners know it's coming. So he sits down beside me, and I'll feed him the line, and whoosh down he goes to great delight.
“I think it was the done thing, that's how they explain it now, in in those days. They must have found it pretty hard. I got on with it. I I didn't find it too bad. And you know, if you liked sport, you liked music and you readily made friends, and actually boarding school w was was was brilliant, but it wasn't very nice being away from home.”
“I'll be very popular then. You know, Mr. So-and-so put me in detention last week, sought him out. So he'll get my match.”
“I don't like losing. I cheat at monopoly. Um even in those days, at sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, with a ball in your hand, you know, you you were dangerous. You were suddenly you were a bit puffed up and you could hurt people.”
“The message really being that even if life is utterly awful, you have nothing. It's still worth living. There is still happiness to be found.”