Rohit Sharma lashed out at the quality of Indian commentary and cricket journalism, claiming that it is more focused on creating controversy and adding masala rather than discussing about the game. Rohit believes that the current state of Indian commentary is very disappointing.
Rohit, who announced his Test retirement on May 7, compared Indian commentators with Indians. He believes that there is a huge difference in quality between commentary in India and in other cricketing nations. He also blamed the broadcasters of focusing on a single star player and repeatedly discussing his personal life, rather than appreciating and analysing the game itself.
"You guys are focused on creating controversy, on blowing up news. The quality of journalism has gone down. Earlier, conversations would revolve around cricket. Now, it's all about getting views, likes, and making more people read your articles. Very little is written or spoken about the game itself. Tactics, analysis - it's all missing," Rohit told on a YouTube show as quoted by IndiaToday.
"When there's a match on, we watch it on TV. But listen to how commentators speak these days. When we go to Australia, we hear their commentary and the difference in quality is vast. Here, it's so disappointing - and I'm being very honest. It seems like they just want to single out a player and keep talking about him or her. It's very disappointing.
"There are so many people who want to know about the game. Why do they need masala? They are true cricket lovers. I know there's this belief nowadays that fans want masala, but there are also those who want to understand the game. For instance, they want to know why someone's form has dipped, what he's doing wrong. They want that insight. Don't talk about personal stuff. Yes, you have a platform to speak, but that doesn't mean you can say anything. Respect the players," he added.
Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from Tests ahead of the upcoming red-ball series against England. India are scheduled to travel to England for the five-Test match series, which is scheduled to start from June 20.