The Greatest Legend in Cricket Commentary

Just came across the news that Richie Benaud is set to retire from cricket commentary after 33 years behind the microphone. I will surely miss him, he is the biggest influence on all cricket commentators and an unbelievably lovely human being. He will be surely missed by cricket fans like me….

From my childhood days, I remember, we used to get up at 5.30 to find India at 50/5 and never doing well, it was only this man who would make it bearable to watch India being torn apart in Australia. We used to marvel at his vocabulary. He doesn’t speak very loudly or too much, he lets the cricket speak for itself, he just broadens your view.

Then he has these wonderful stories to tell you of the cricketers of his age. His stories of the Tied Test Match would totally spell bound us. He is one of the few Australians who is genuinely respected by the English tooo and has an almost non controversial character in cricket. A thorough gentleman always.

Listening to him and Ian Chappell discuss the cricket of old days you get an insight into Test Cricket and that it is actually an intriguingly simple game, yes intriguingly simple. Richie Benaud declares clearly Shane Warne is the greatest spinner ever seen by the world, however he himself was no mean legspinner. He along with Alan Davidson helped restore Australia to the top of World Cricket in the 1950’s.

He again was one of the finest cricket captains in the history of the sport, he will always be remembered for the tied test match and that test series with the West Indies where both Captains Richie Benaud and Frank Worrell encouraged their teams to play attacking cricket. Attacking cricket and not sledging mind you.

.

.

He never used to loose his cool or emotions either on the cricket field or in the media box, however once when Greg Chappell instructed Trevor Chappell to bowl the infamous underarm delivery when NewZealand need four runs of the last ball, Richie got so angry that Australian Cricket was disgraced by Greg Chappell, here is a video that will tell you how angry Richie was then and what he thought of the Australian Captain Greg Chappell and his unsportsmen like tactic…

For the modern world Richie Benaud will always be the commentator the media person par excellence…

Here are some of his customary and memorable quotes :

Good morning everyone

Captaincy is ninety per cent luck and ten per cent skill, but don’t try it without that ten per cent

There were congratulations and high sixes all round

That was a great catch, get yourself a cool beverage son

Simply Marvellous!

What a catch!

…And Glenn McGrath dismissed for two, just ninety-eight runs short of his century.

That was an absolute cracker.”

Stirring moments”

Indeed Richie… Stirring moments with you …