ONE of the best things about our building in Dubai is that you can see any international cricket live. The events that we're not showing in India are always shown on one of the channels we produce for the Middle East or North America.

It makes us uniquely positioned to look at the different styles of presentation and commentary from cricket broadcasters worldwide.

There are plenty of things in common. Our cricket director Gavin Scovell is off to do the IPL and has worked with Sky UK, Sky New Zealand, ESPN, Nimbus and TWI. The same is true of many of the specialists in our crew, yet the style and content of each channel remains distinct.

The South African based Supersport is understandably widely, if illegally, viewed throughout the Middle East and Pakistan. It provides a great service, it simply shows all the sport that matters and its style reflects the country's sporting attitude - uncomplicated and to the point. The match coverage from South African cricket is paid for by the cricket board and provided by Octagon SA, who have to cope with the same racial integration issues that occasionally trip up the team selection.

Sky New Zealand's cricket is absolutely overshadowed by the amount of money and attention they spend on Rugby Union. Despite that apparent lack of resource, the quality of the production is remarkably high with the commentary unfailingly of a high standard. Main presenter Ian Smith is an unfortunate absentee from some of the big cricket events as he's now got a "proper job" as a television host that rules him out for the international tours.

Sky Uk have led the way ever since David Hill left his ground breaking spell with Channel 9 for Sky in the early nineties. The top two management at Sky Sports, Barney Francis and Rik Dovey both have strong roots in cricket production, so no suprise that Sky continue to set great store by their cricket standards. Their international coverage is based on 30 cameras in HD including four super motion cameras, and their commentary team has been revitalised in recent years with Atherton, Hussain and the magnificent David Lloyd leading the way. The blimp cameras that are used so well for aerial analysis are promised at the IPL this season and should be a great addition.

The ICC coverage and Champions League productions come under ESPN/Star Sports. They hit the heights of 34 cameras at the Champions League, including the wire cam above the pitch, that is normal at major European football occasions but still runs the risk of upsetting the batsmen in cricket.

TWI are paid by the West Indies board and by the IPL to produce their coverage, continuing their tradition of taking on and defeating the biggest logistical challenges. By necessity, they follow the demands of their clients, which is why you see the focus on the commercial requirements of the IPL (and its organisers!).