FINALLY the World Cup cricket is over with Australia winning it for the fifth time altogether. Different TV sports channels made special arrangements to telecast the grand event.

Our local TV channel — PTV Sports — also tried its best and went an extra mile in making the mega event more attractive for its viewers. For its programme ‘Game On Hai’, the PTV Sports had a panel of five cricket experts comprising former Test cricketers such Jonty Rhodes and Herschelle Gibbs from South Africa, Damien Martyn from Australia and Mohsin Khan, Saqlain Mushtaq and Bazid Khan from Pakistan.

According to the information available, foreign experts were hired at a whopping fee, besides the two-way airfare and their stay in a five-star hotel.

Mohsin Khan and Saqlain Mushtaq also received a substantial amount for one month and Bazid Khan was paid relatively less per appearance. While watching the show one observed that the format and quality of the programme was not worth the heavy price paid to the participants.

However, despite being the most junior of them Bazid Khan commented more logically and convincingly during the entire World Cup. For the interest of the viewers he took great pains in laying out the details of improving the domestic cricket structure and producing the world class cricketers to compete at the world class level.

Lastly, a word about the host of the show — Dr Nauman Niaz, who also serves PTV as its director sports. One really wonders as how come an administrator of PTV should simultaneously act as the host of his own programme? Has PTV Sports no other anchorperson than Dr Nauman who invariably interrupts his guests at will and starts giving his own comments instead?

Let us hope the PTV Sports improves its standards if it is to compete with other sports channels locally and globally.

Rafat Mahmood Ansari

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play