Commentator Isa Guha on Kane, Smithy, and cricket's packed ...

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Former England seamer Isa Guha is one of the best cricket commentators in the world.

Isa Guha has established herself as one of the leading commentators in world cricket.

The former England seam bowler, who played internationally from 2001-2011, won a Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2009, beating New Zealand in the final, and was part of their title-winning 2009 T20 World Cup squad too.

She moved into cricket broadcasting and is a forthright voice on the game, commentating around the world – including for Australia’s Fox Sports.

Guha speaks to Brendon Egan about all things cricket.

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Fox commentators Adam Gilchrist, Isa Guha, and Mark Waugh interview Australia’s David Warner during last week’s first test against Pakistan.

How do you deal with the pro Aussie banter in the commentary box?

We were feeling a bit outnumbered, so we actually got a few overseas commentators in this year. I’ve always enjoyed the Australian banter and I’ve been coming here for years now. It does almost feel like a bit of a second home. I really love it. It’s difficult when England are playing and they’re getting absolutely demolished and you’re trying to talk them up when they probably have no hope. It’s always good to try and bring the Aussies down a peg or two.

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Isa Guha speaks to King Charles at the British Asian Trust Dinner at Buckingham Palace in 2019.

Is Ian Smith as grumpy as he seems?

He’s definitely not grumpy. I feel very lucky to be able to work with Smithy. He is just one of the all-time greats of commentary. He’s played the game, but he just has a way of drawing people into a moment and I love being able to sit alongside him and learn from him because he is one of the best.

What’s Kerry ‘Skull’ O'Keeffe really like?

He is a national treasure here in Australia. He puts in the hard yards, he does a lot of research and he does prepare for those funny moments as well. When you’re in commentary with him, you have to be on guard for whatever he might say and roll with it. He is a real character and we feel very lucky to have him in the commentary box.

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Isa Guha has immense respect for the great Kane Williamson.

What impresses you most about Kane Williamson? Where will he rate when he eventually retires?

He’s already a great of New Zealand cricket and he absolutely will be a great of the global game. I love his pragmatism, but also just his humble nature. There are so many different characters in the game and he goes about everything with tremendous class and poise and he doesn’t seem to get too flustered or fazed by anything. That’s a credit to him as a human. Everyone around the world has a huge amount of respect for Kane Williamson, not just for what he’s done on the field, but what he’s done off it and the culture he’s created in New Zealand cricket and the idea you can be humble and still be competitive is pretty cool.

Can Rachin Ravindra be cricket’s next big superstar?

[He’s got a] huge amount of talent. That would have given him a huge amount of confidence to be able to do well in India [at the World Cup] and everyone have eyes on him. The testament to those that can become great is their sustainability, their ability to adapt, and improve year-on-year. He’s definitely got the potential, but it does take a lot of hard work to be one of the greats of the game.

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Australia celebrate after beating England in the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup final in Christchurch.

How do you view the state of women’s international cricket?

We’ve had a lot of progression since my time playing with professionalism, equity and pay, and there’s a lot of support structures out there. I think cricket associations do a tremendous amount to try and support and drive the women’s game, which is great. The danger is always that the heavily invested teams, they pull away from the pack, so you want to continue to see that level of competition.

How does cricket tackle the heavily congested international schedule alongside T20 franchise leagues?

I think the game has to be really careful about losing its value through the amount of cricket that’s being played – tours immediately after the World Cup. People just aren’t as interested in bilateral series, it’s not just as impactful any more, because there’s so much cricket being played and people need a break. What I would like to make sure is that we don’t always lock cricket into men and women because I’d say the women want to play more and the men probably want to play less. It’s levelling up a bit and making sure there’s value placed on series and matches that are being played.

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Fox Cricket presenters Isa Guha and the late great Shane Warne share a laugh at the SCG in 2019.

How challenging was it in your early days as a women’s cricket commentator amongst men?

There would have been a few raised eyebrows to me in the early days, a female in the commentary box – there weren’t many of us around. Over time it’s transitioned and that’s credit to the broadcasters for wanting to get behind it, to colleagues I’ve had along the journey who’ve wanted to support and given me the space to be able to thrive. For me, I say it quite a lot, my turning point was when I met Shane Warne and he would ask me questions about the game and would respect my opinion and that’s when I knew I had his respect and so I felt I had everyone else’s.

Where do you sit on Angelo Mathews’ controversial timed out dismissal at the World Cup?

I think cricket doesn’t help itself sometimes. I think common sense should prevail in that situation and he should have been allowed to resume. Laws are always up for interpretation and that’s where you get these grey areas, but I’d love for common sense to prevail in these situations.

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England pace bowler Lauren Filer is a rising star of women’s international cricket.

Who’s the most exciting men’s and women’s cricketer in the world under the age of 25?

Sorry, I’m going to have to go with two English players here, Harry Brook and Lauren Filer. Lauren Filer comes out of the West Country in England and she bowls at good pace. I thought she was brilliant in the Ashes. What the women’s game needs is probably a few more out-and-out quick bowlers and she is one of them. Harry Brook, he is just electrifying when he gets going.

What have you and husband Richard got planned for Christmas ahead of the Boxing Day test?

We don’t actually know yet. We’re normally spending time with [fellow commentator] Mel Jones, but we’re going to be in Melbourne this year. We haven’t sorted our plans yet. We might just go and have a picnic by the river. I don’t actually know what the other commentators are up to. I might get in touch with Smithy and see what he’s up to for Christmas.

AT A GLANCE (All matches on Sky Sport)

Pakistan tour of Australia (men)

Test 2: 26-30 December (Melbourne) Test 3: 3-7 January (Sydney)

West Indies tour of Australia (men)

2x tests between 17-29 January 3x ODIs between 2-6 February 3x T20s between 9-13 February

KFC Big Bash League

Australia’s domestic T20 competition runs from December 7- January 24 when the champion will be crowned in the final.

India tour of South Africa

Tour takes place from December 10 –January 7. 3x ODIs and 2x tests.