Tony Greig ,I understand was a very likeable character, and always had a soft spot for Sri Lanka.
On one occasion he was the commentator when Sri Lanka was fielding in Adelaide against Australia. The batsman skied a ball into the outfield and Third Man was positioning himself for the catch. The entire team was urging him on with the usual cry, “Alla! Alla!” (which in Sinhala means, “Catch it, Catch it!”) Now Tony Greig who was always very knowledgable on these matters explained to his viewers, “Allah is Urdu for God. They’re urging God to help him hold on to the catch.” Then, after a moment of reflection he realised that these were not Urdu speakers, and apologised for the misinterpretation.
Tony Greig has made a remarkable impact on the art of commentating on cricket. His phrase “in the air” is used daily by Indian cricket commentators when short of words to describe a stroke. Even if the ball is six inches off the ground, they would shout “in the air;” while listeners think it is a patriotic call for arms mistaking it for “India”!!
When it came to Cricket Commentary it didn’t matter whether they were tall or short. They were both good.
Tony Greig ,I understand was a very likeable character, and always had a soft spot for Sri Lanka.
On one occasion he was the commentator when Sri Lanka was fielding in Adelaide against Australia. The batsman skied a ball into the outfield and Third Man was positioning himself for the catch. The entire team was urging him on with the usual cry, “Alla! Alla!” (which in Sinhala means, “Catch it, Catch it!”) Now Tony Greig who was always very knowledgable on these matters explained to his viewers, “Allah is Urdu for God. They’re urging God to help him hold on to the catch.” Then, after a moment of reflection he realised that these were not Urdu speakers, and apologised for the misinterpretation.
Tony Greig has made a remarkable impact on the art of commentating on cricket. His phrase “in the air” is used daily by Indian cricket commentators when short of words to describe a stroke. Even if the ball is six inches off the ground, they would shout “in the air;” while listeners think it is a patriotic call for arms mistaking it for “India”!!