Richard Benaud has passed away aged 84 in his sleep overnight in Sydney.
He who saw Sir Donald Bradman at his pomp, who witnessed the very best of Sachin Tendulkar, Benaud witnessed, heard, and inspired four generations of cricket lovers.
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From the daring and tenacious leg spinner to the wise and understated commentator and writer, Benaud brought cricket to the masses.
Further tributes will follow, but this is a small note of thanks to the man who lead Australia so astutely.
He never lost a Test series as captain. He proceeded as a warrior for Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket, and brought a seismic change to the way cricket was seen and heard on our television and radio sets.
The understated and nuanced delivery, in contrast to his loud co-commentators Bill Lawry and the late Tony Greig was the stuff of legend – no better immortalised and magnified than the 12th Man Billy Birmingham himself.
He would see the likes of Bradman, Worrell, Lloyd, Gavaskar, Imran Khan, Warne, the Waughs and Botham. He would not show favour to anyone, and called it how he saw it.
I, like many cricket fans, say goodbye to Richie Benaud. We never knew him, but we felt like he did. He was referenced as a first-name in any household with an eye on the cricket.
That sums up his impact on the game – a 80+ year love story with cricket.
Vale Richard Benaud 1930 – 2015.
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