Richie Benaud 1930-2015

[Skater]

I know there have been a couple of posts in the General Cricket Discussion thread but I feel Richie Benaud was so important to the game that he deserves his own thread.

The undisputed voice of cricket, former Australia captain and owner of one of the great cricket brains has passed away aged 84.

BBC Sport - Richie Benaud: Australia cricket legend & commentator dies at 84

As a leg spinner he took 248 Test wickets and scored 2,201 Test runs in an international career that lasted for 12 years. Even before retiring, he had started commentating for the BBC and would spend over 50 years in the commentary box.

For people on this website, some will remember him as the commentator on EA Sports's otherwise terrible cricket games.

He showed how principled he was when he stopped commentating on English cricket after the 2005 Ashes because the rights had been sold to Sky and he refused to work for pay TV.

RIP to a true gentleman of cricket.

 

[blockerdave]

Truly was the voice of cricket to me growing up; that BBC commentary box with Benaud, Lewis, Bannister, Boycott, Gower and Illingworth was unequivocally great and Benaud stood above them all.

The economy of phrase, and confidence in the viewer to let moments pass without comment was unparalleled. When he spoke it was invariably insightful and his wry humour was a world away from the matey banter/in-jokes that infects the channel 9 commentary now and far more pleasant to the listener.

Only Holding, Atherton and Hussain can hold my attention in anything like the same way or are close to as consistently informative. They're still not Benaud though...

Truly sad day for cricket to have lost an all time great.

p.s. love this story about his letter to a young bowler.

 

[swacker]

RIP Richie. Top commentator and all round good bloke.

 

[IceAgeComing]

ritchie was a cool person and we need more people like him

also, now we can burn down channel 9, since there is only two people worth saving left there (Chappell and Lawry, the latter only does Boxing Day now anyway)

e;fb

 

[War]

Not sure which writer said it, but the suggestion that he has been the most important cricket personality since WW2 is apt.

 

[sanjeevaloria]

R.I.P. Richie Benaud
Best Cricket Commentator Of History.

 

[IanG]

Indeed. This is the end of an era. But cricket is richer for him being in the game. One of nature's gentlemen.

 

[ethybubs]

This is the end of an era

He was involved in test cricket for almost half t's existence.