Famous Cricketers No 100 - Richie Benaud

administrators”. His own payment for the consultancy work was never an issue; he decided to join Packer without even hearing what his fee would be. After arriving in first-class, then Test cricket, as an untested young turk, Benaud had toiled manfully to establish himself as a quality player and had then progressed to the captaincy, said to be the second highest position an Australian can hold. Before the advent of World Series cricket, he had become a revered figure, friendly with many influential media and administrative figures and esteemed by the cricket-going public. In the eyes of many, this prestige was lost overnight. But as the game was re-united and the shortened version of the game continued to prosper, opinions on the split mellowed considerably and Benaud has long since returned to his position as a valued elder statesman of the game. He continues to enthuse about the one-day game and his only regret is that he never played it at the highest level. “Marvellous effort” – Benaud’s career in commentary To younger generations, Benaud is best known for his role as head commentator on the Nine network, the BBC and Channel Four. His first season of commentary with the BBC was the 1963 West Indies tour, where he worked as a summariser as the West Indies clinched a historic series victory after the famous draw at Lord’s, where England were left just six runs adrift of the target with a single wicket in hand. The following season an internal memo was circulated, floating the possibility of making Benaud a front-line commentator, showing that any doubts about having an Australian commentate on English cricket were already being eroded by Benaud’s ability. Benaud’s move into commentary box signalled something of a changing of the guard as television commentary moved away from the loquacious likes of John Arlott and Brian Johnston to former players like Benaud and Jim Laker, who adopted a more minimalist style unsuited to their predecessors who had largely employed the same approach which had proven so successful on radio. Benaud’s reserved commentary style and use of silence represents an intruiging departure from his animated displays on the playing field. One wonders whether there was an element of calculation in his vociferous appealing and encouragement. Was his vocal style on the field more a tactic than an expression of his personality ? Or is the change simply evidence of his ease in adjusting to the new role? Another quality he brought to the role, however, his thorough preparation, was a surprise to nobody, as it has been a hallmark of everything he has done. He has never tried to coast on his undoubted charm in commentary and is known for his meticulous research for each fixture. At one stage, he kept a card file featuring statistics and notes on each player for quick reference. His move into this career was far from unplanned as his experience as a journalist, including a stint on the police rounds, taught him valuable lessons in clarity and economy of language. He also took a BBC course on broadcasting while still a Test player and studied the methods of the great commentators, not just on cricket, but on horse racing, tennis and golf. His is a distinctive style – warm and authoritative, reserved but able to convey great enthusiasm, set apart by his polished tones and dry, unexpected flashes of humour. When one unfortunate batsman played the ball into himself during a misguided attempt at a reverse sweep, Benaud commented that he never liked to see a player injured on the field but if it had to happen…The economy of expression he learnt during his time as reporter on the Sydney police rounds also informs his style. Where others babble excitedly, he sums up a situation with a few words. He has topped polls taken amongst both the players as the most popular commentator and if the “Richie for PM” signs seen recently are any indication, then it is a rating shared by the general public. When the BBC lost the rights to broadcast Test cricket and it seemed as though Benaud might no longer commentate on Test matches in England, one paper ran a ‘Save our Richie’ campaign. Such is his authority that a station offering commentary without him would risk looking lightweight. His style is mimicked, usually poorly, by legions of fans, has been employed in video games and is parodied by comedians and on 11