The up-and-coming fixtures in October will keep all cricket fans on their toes.
South Africa will host Australia in Durban, Gqeberha and Cape Town until the 31st. India play West Indies through to the 17th and then fly to New Zealand for Tests from the 22nd. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England share a tri-series from the 18th.
Because of this, October is going to have cricket playing during lunchtime, mid-afternoon, and even late evening. Though they come from different parts of the world, each of these cricket streams shares something in common: a commentator.
What the Commentator Brings to the Game
A stellar effort from Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis in the second ODI against England 👏
— ICC (@ICC) September 25, 2026
Scorecard 📲 https://t.co/4gYbaIot3J pic.twitter.com/dEPmeFLcXH
The streaming part of cricket, and any sport, in fact, has never been better. Ball tracking and ultra-motion replays are just a few examples.
Despite this, there’s one thing that fans appreciate more than all of these streaming features. It’s the live commentator.
Just look at Test Match Special. It started back in 1957 and made a promise to describe every ball bowled, and it’s still doing it on Radio 5 Sports Extra.
It has outlasted every single visual upgrade, but why? Because it does three things that a camera cannot.
First, it sets the pace, as it speeds up and down based on excitement. It also supplies context, like the last time the bowler took a wicket or how many runs the last batter had in their previous match. You then have emotion, which no graphic can supply.
These are things cameras can’t portray. It’s impossible, and that’s what a commentator brings, and it cannot be replicated by technology.
Other Industries Agree
Live broadcasting outside of sports also agrees that commentators are essential.
Just take a look at Twitch and its popularity. Often, it’s one person talking over a game for hours.
Live shopping is a similar concept and is considered mainstream retail in Asia. It has a single presenter and dozens upon dozens of products.
Online casinos have found that the same approach works. A UK casino can now stream Bellagio and MGM Grand Baccarat. Again, one game, one presenter, nothing else.
There’s a clear pattern with commentators. We like them, and like them a lot. Otherwise, cricket and these other industries wouldn’t be thriving.
Technology & Commentary Advancements
Technology upgrades didn’t replace the voice; instead, they gave it more to talk about.
Hawk-Eye was a television gimmick before the ICC adopted it for the Decision Review System in 2009. However, this technology upgrade simply gave the commentator a new job: explaining the review, the projection, and everything else around it.
UltraEdge, another technology they used for the Decision Review System in cricket, did the very same thing. The commentator can now discuss whether or not the ball hit the bat, even if it didn’t look like it did.
Every technology advancement in visuals, fairness, and so forth, got a huge upgrade. And though the commentator upgraded with them, the role itself remained the same.
