This is the first Ashes series on Australian soil since the start of the COVID pandemic, and Australia and New Zealand are the countries that probably have the strictest of guidelines as far as the quarantine is concerned. Generally, whenever the Ashes takes place in Australia, the UK broadcasters send their own set of commentators, and they commentate on the world feed alongside the commentators who are already hired by the Australian broadcasters.
However, the situation this time around is a little different. Commentators and players are required to undergo a two-week quarantine in Australia before getting on with their job, and that’s why the UK broadcaster BT Sports decided not to send their own commentators initially.
The plan was to simply broadcast the world feed from the Australian broadcaster Fox Sports. However, the twist in the tale now is that Fox Sports have hired former England captain Michael Vaughan as well, who is a centre of debate these days in England because of controversial reasons.
Vaughan has been named in the Azeem Rafiq controversy which has rocked England cricket recently. That’s one of the reasons why BBC has already dropped Vaughan from their broadcasting team for the Ashes, and now BT Sports also have reservations about Vaughan commentating on their feed. If they broadcast the direct feed from Fox Sports, they will have to broadcast Vaughan’s commentary at some point, which they don’t want.
BT Sports might have a “hybrid broadcast” of the Ashes
BT Sports are now planning to go about it in a hybrid manner where they might broadcast the commentary of Fox Sports when Michael Vaughan is not on air, but whenever Vaughan is on air, they might broadcast their own commentary from their pundits in the studio.
Apart from Vaughan, the other renowned England cricketer that Fox Sports have hired for Ashes 2021-22 is Isa Guha, who has worked with Fox Sports previously as well. Isa has commentated even in the Big Bash League (BBL) in the past.
Some of the other famous commentators in the Fox Sports feed, which will be going the world over, will be the former Australian captain Allan Border and the former Australian superstars Mark Waugh, Brett Lee, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist.
Here is the full list of English commentators for Ashes 2021-22 –
Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Isa Gua, Mark Waugh, Mike Hussey, Brett Lee, Kerry O’Keeffe, Mark Howard, Michael Vaughan, Kath Loughnan and Allan Border
