Is Michael McIntyre set for a stint in The Hundred commentary box?

EXCLUSIVE - HUW TURBERVILL: TV stand-up could call the games alongside Nasser Hussain, Stuart Broad and Isa Guha in the ECB's new tournament

^{Comedian Michael McIntyre}

And now for something completely different, as the Monty Python team used to say.

Everyone knows the ECB’s new tournament is going to be a radical departure (one county even suggested two women should be in each squad), but expect some unexpected faces on commentary duties.

The 100, as it is currently known, is set to start from 2020. It will have new teams, not counties. It looks like having 20 five-ball overs. It could have one bowler bowling two overs in a row. And it could have Michael McIntyre.

The 42-year-old Londoner is one of television’s most popular entertainers. Best known for stand-up, he has also acted and presented. He likes his cricket, and has appeared as a guest on Test Match Special. And the head of Sky cricket, Bryan Henderson is a big fan.

When Henderson met the BBC to discuss the new TV deal from 2020-24, he saw posters of McIntyre at Broadcasting House, and thought, ‘why not?’

“Sky loves big events – Premier League, Cricket World Cups – and this fits the bill,” Henderson told The Cricketer as part of our ‘Blueprint for English Cricket’ special.

^{Could McIntyre soon grace the Sky Sports pod?}

“The 100 can be bold, fresh, vibrant and, crucially, it is different. We like it. It is shorter, faster, and can fit in a three-hour window. Its simplicity is attractive, top-class cricket is core, and it will be amazing to watch, either on TV, digital or attending. The ECB should be lauded for being brave. It’s not It’s a Knockout. Top overseas players are central, along with leading English names like Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy.

“We’re already thinking about how Sky will cover this. It has to be different. I think about it every day. I love the boundary-edge coverage. I never want to go back up into the pavilion when it comes to short-form cricket.

“I know commentary is not going to be all about trigger movements, and equally at the other end of the spectrum, should Michael McIntyre be a commentator? This new competition needs a brave new approach to the coverage – how much is entertainment and how much is cricket I am not sure – but it will be top-class cricket, but presented in a slightly different way. 

“Gender and ethnicity will be vital, and maybe we will bring people in from outside the game. One end of the spectrum is entertainment, one end is elite cricket. Where does the coverage lie along the spectrum? We shall see.

“Wouldn’t it be great to have Michael McIntyre in the pod alongside Stuart Broad, Nasser Hussain and Isa Guha – my mum would certainly watch!”

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