To watch cricket at the ground or on TV? It's complicated

Where is cricket best enjoyed? Live at the stadium or on a screen many miles away? What do these experiences teach us and what really are we watching when we take in a game? The 81allout crew discuss. 

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Talking Points:

• The challenges (and privilege required) to access a cricket ground
• The ordeal of watching a game in an Indian stadium
• The improved quality of television coverage that takes you close to the action
• The complications of a televised game that is carefully directed and packaged
• The distractions during a broadcast: advertisements, crowd shots, sponsor logos
• Experiencing the conditions at the ground and understanding flight and length
• The appreciation to be gained from watching the entire field of play
• The democratic nature of TV - and how it introduces the game to new fans
• The influence of commentary on one's interpretation of the game

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview)

Ashoka (@ABVan)

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Related:

• ‘A TV producer needs to catch the pulse of where the game is going’ – Ajesh Ramachandran - 81allout podcast
• ‘In some ways, a TV director plays God’ – Hemant Buch - 81allout podcast
• What about the fans? BCCI could have avoided the Dharamsala mess - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo
• Why do spectators get a raw deal - Gideon Haigh - ESPNcricinfo
• Fly Lara Fly - Rahul Bhattacharya - The Cricket Monthly
• A handy rule to have in sports - Osman Samiuddin - The National