There was plenty of talk leading into the Sydney Test about Glenn Maxwell's omission from the one-day side, but it's the sudden absence of Gerard Whateley from the ABC commentary team that has been the biggest shock.

Whateley's departure from the ABC for Melbourne's sports radio station SEN blindsided many in the industry, not least his colleagues. But did the national broadcaster leave itself vulnerable to having arguably its biggest and most decorated name poached?

Veteran sports caller Gerard Whateley has left the ABC for a Melbourne sports radio station.

There have been several theories floated as to why Whateley left. Some say it's for the extra money available from commercial radio, others say it's for lifestyle, or could it be the ABC underestimated the market interest in their star caller and left its run too late? One thing we can be certain of is the ABC did not want him to leave.

"He was a very valued member of the team," ABC Radio's head of spoken content Judith Whelan told The Tonk.