Ian Smith's commentary has been the antidote to cliche and claptrap... let's have more of him please

SAM MORSHEAD: Eloquent but never so flowery as to risk inclusion in Pseud's Corner, passionate about the performance of his native country without being blinkered... it is a pleasure to have Smith as our host

^{Kiwi commentator Ian Smith}

Is there a better TV commentator in world cricket than Ian Smith?

After the loudhaler approach of the Channel Nine team in Australia, and the bombastic mix of self-congratulation and verbal diarrhea that defined large parts of the Ashes on BT Sport, the general tempo and tone of the commentary in New Zealand has been highly therapeutic.

Michael Atherton and David Lloyd have added intelligent insight from a touring perspective, complementing a homegrown line-up which is comfortable in letting the pictures tell their own stories.

Doing away with hyperbole - with the exception of the bizarre moment in Auckland when media employee Mark Richardson popped out the brain fart that was “I hate the media” - the Kiwi voiceovers have been calm, considered and constructive.

And at the heart of it all has been Smith; a gentle-voiced giant of the commentary world.

Able to pick out intricate detail in an instant and methodically explain his point to the viewer, Smith is the absolute antithesis to the macho nonsense that pained so many ears earlier in the winter.

^{Smith gets the make-up treatment}

Eloquent but never so flowery as to risk inclusion in Pseud's Corner, passionate about the performance of his native country without being blinkered as a result and equipped with a repertoire of anecdotes which can perk interest even when the game is limping along at a crawl; Smith’s is the example that all other television commentators should be taught to follow.

Calling a game of cricket is such a subtle art and the Kiwi is blessed with a natural understanding of when to speak, what to say and how crucial it is to at times keep one’s counsel - increasingly rare in the modern game.

Smith is no stranger to English viewers, of course - he has spent the odd summer with Sky and Channel Four in the past - but during this short bolt-on to England’s dismal trip to Australia, a reminder has been served of how enjoyable it is to watch a game of cricket with the 61-year-old as our host.

Rain breaks pass much quicker when the soundtrack includes Smith regaling his audience with the tale of how he first came across Kane Williamson as a teenager in schools cricket or describing the astronomic cost of hiring out Eden Park.

Sky have a tried-and-tested squad in place for their summer coverage but the broadcaster could do much, much worse than look to the former New Zealand wicketkeeper for a full-time role - if he’d be interested.

In today’s T20 world, loudness and largesse have become the voices of the game. Smith offers the antidote to the cliches and the claptrap.

Let’s have more of him, please.