Cricket broadcasters are on the air in St. John's — and bringing the memory of Bob Cole with them
Cole's success and connection to his home province is inspiring young broadcasters
Although the late Bob Cole wasn't the voice of cricket in the same way he was for hockey, a group of broadcasters in St. John's are honouring him as they start their own journey.
Cricket is a growing sport in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the governing body began live broadcasts last year.
A 10-person crew has come together as the Bob Cole's Broadcast Brigade — a tribute to the St. John's-born Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster who died in April at 90.
"You truly understand the value of someone when they are not in between us, so that's why I wanted to give tribute to such a legendary figure," Cricket Newfoundland and Labrador marketing co-ordinator Abdullah Khalid told CBC News.
Broadcast team member Chris Lansdell, who has been involved in cricket for over 20 years, said he'd see Cole's name on the media booth at the Mary Brown's Centre during his work with the Newfoundland Rogues and considered Cole's lasting impact on the sports world as an inspiration.
"Living in Newfoundland and wanting to be part of something on the national level … it gives me that goal to drive for. Knowing that where I live doesn't necessarily become an obstacle," he said.
A key part of Cole's commentary was his ability to put viewers inside the arenas while watching on television, he said.
Lansdell said that's something he hopes to bring to his broadcasts, especially as cricket continues to grow in the region.
"With cricket in Canada, and in Newfoundland especially, it's a bit of an uphill battle. It isn't a sport that has a huge place on the national stage," he said.
"This is a really good year to be doing it. Canada will be playing in the World Cup in a couple of months … and we have teams from the eastern provinces coming to Newfoundland at the end of June. So this is a good time to have a little bit of extra exposure for cricket here in this province."
What started with just two cricket clubs playing in St. John's in 2010 has now grown to nine clubs with more than 350 members, Khalid said.
Much of that growth has happened over the past four years, Lansdell added.
"It's heartwarming that people are able to move here and find a piece of their home life."
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
