Too much cricket is never enough for Jim Maxwell

ABC cricket commentator Jim Maxwell has been broadcasting for the ABC since 1973. He has covered over 160 Tests and more one dayers than he can count.

He has covered tours to England, India, Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies and has edited the ABC Cricket book since 1988.

Maxwell recently returned home from covering the World Cup in South Africa and within days was packing his bags again for the West Indies,where he will report the upcoming series against the West Indies for ABC Radio.

In the ABC’s ‘Inside the ABC’ newsletter Maxwell told a few stories about his most recent trip:

The number 229 has become synonymous with bad luck for South Africans following their disastrous tie in Durban against Sri Lanka that effectively ended their World Cup campaign. The South Africans thought 229 was the number of runs needed to win on the countback system known as Duckworth/Lewis; they hadn’t read the fine print which stated the score required. So, imagine my surprise when checking into the Balmoral Hotel in Durban two weeks later, the receptionist gave me the key number 229. Was this a local joke? ‘The only other room available is 111,’ I was assured by the leg puller behind the reception desk. That is traditionally the cricketers’ unlucky number, loosely named after Admiral Nelson — one eye, one arm and one opinion.

The BBC told its cricket reporters at the outbreak of the Iraq War that they should avoid words that might upset the listeners — political correctness gone mad, ludicrous censorship. There was to be no talk of ‘attacking shots’ or ‘defensive field placings’ and certainly not ‘he hit that like a tracer bullet’. In a wrap up report one of the BBC commentators referred to India hastening through their overs to ensure they’d complete 25, the cut off point for a result before thunder and lightning stopped the game. Like a latter day John Cleese, a voice came up the line, ‘No, no, no — no thunder, no lightning, not even a storm — just stick to rain.’