Te reo cricket commentary available for first time at upcoming T20

Former cricketers Maia Lewis, Peter McGlashan and Rebecca Rolls will join Scotty Morrison and Te Aorere Pewhairangi in historic bilingual commentary of the T20 clash between the Black Caps and Sri Lanka on Sunday.

It will be the first time an international cricket commentary is broadcast in both English and te reo Māori in New Zealand.

The bilingual commentary will be carried live on Spark Sport, TVNZ 1, and TVNZ +. Viewers will be able to select the alternative language option on each of the platforms.

In a media release, McGlashan said the commentary option was significant in terms of helping te reo Māori thrive in modern Aotearoa.

“My grandma grew up in a time when Māori were prohibited from speaking their language – it was beaten out of us. So this is something very special to me.

“Te reo Māori is about so much more than just words. It’s the story of a culture that you can’t articulate accurately in any other language. It’s important we keep using it.”

He said the commentary initiative would hopefully help bring more Māori to the game and, with that, produce more role models in and around it.

“It’s just like the language,” he said.

“You can’t speak what you can’t hear. And you can’t be what you can’t see.”

Lewis said she thought the bilingual commentary could help make the sport appear more inclusive to outsiders.

“It’s great for Māori as tangata whenua and I also think it helps in terms of attracting Pasifika to the game - simply by showing a commitment to be inclusive and welcoming.

“I think the goodwill is important. It’s a huge step in the right direction,” she said.

The former White Ferns captain said that she had to learn te reo Māori as a second language and was enjoying the voyage of discovery that followed.

“That played a big part in coming back to my roots. I’m looking forward to sharing that on commentary and telling the story of the game in my own language.”

A video on Lewis’ te reo Māori journey will also be played during the innings break.

Sunday’s T20I coverage will also feature a story on the history of Eden Park, as told by Ngāti Whātua, to be played during the build-up to the start of the game.