‘Worst possible scenario’: Channel Seven forced into commentary shake-up before first Test

Australian Test greats Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer are prioritising their IPL commitments over their commentary roles with Channel Seven for the first Test in Perth, and Australia will be without an important coach.

Seven has confirmed it will be without star commentators Ponting and Langer for all but the first day of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener so the pair can attend the IPL’s mega player auction in Saudi Arabia. Ponting described the situation as “the worst possible case scenario”.

Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer will only call one day of the first Test. Credit: Getty Images

In the latest example of India’s influence over world cricket, Cricket Australia confirmed bowling coach Daniel Vettori would miss the game entirely. All three are head coaches of franchises in the world’s richest Twenty20 competition.

That international cricket’s latest club versus country battle has emerged in one of the game’s biggest Test series raises further questions over who really controls the sport. In this instance, CA and Seven, which is in a $1.5 billion TV deal with Foxtel, have lost out to powerful cricket authorities in India.

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