In keeping with a 2021-22 Summer of Cricket, the Seven Network has unveiled their commentary team, a line-up including internationally acclaimed icons, on and off the field.
With Test cricket’s greatest rivalry, Australia v. England, set to take centre stage this summer, two of the most celebrated figures in Ashes’ history – England all-rounder Lord Ian Botham and Australia’s all-time leading Test run-scorer, Ricky Ponting – will lead the live and free coverage on Seven.
Lord Botham is not the only globally renowned Englishman joining Seven this season. Also adding a distinctively British flavour to the coverage will be actor, comedian and writer Stephen Fry, 2019 Ashes fast-bowling hero Jofra Archer, ex-Test player and leading commentator David “Bumble” Lloyd, and former star off-spinner Graeme Swann.
Across a summer when a new Big Bash League season will also have fans on the edge of their seats, these big names are just the start of Seven’s on-air line-up.
Returning to the cricket commentary team in 2021-22 are Damien Fleming, Simon Katich, Mel McLaughlin, James Brayshaw, Lisa Sthalekar, Greg Blewett, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Trent Copeland, Tim Lane, Alison Mitchell, Callum Ferguson, Abbey Gelmi, Jason Richardson, Andy Maher, Alister Nicholson, and Erin Holland.
They will be joined by former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and five-time ICC Umpire of the Year Simon Taufel, while current Big Bash stars Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Finch, Andre Russell, and Ashton Agar will be regulars on Seven’s live and free BBL coverage.
BBL 11 will start next Sunday, 5 December, on a day of live and free sport that also includes the Repco Bathurst 1000. Soon after Seven’s coverage of Australian motorsport’s biggest race winds up, reigning BBL champions Sydney Sixers will take on their fiercest rivals, Melbourne Stars, at the SCG from 7.30pm AEDT on Channel Seven and 7mate.
The regular season BBL fixture concludes at the earlier date of 19 January, with the finals series beginning on Friday, 21 January, with the BBL 11 champions crowned in the all-important Final on Friday, 28 January.