Famous Cricketers No 100 - Richie Benaud

on the proviso that the wicketkeeper asked his captain for permission first. Healy was charmed by this old-fashioned custom. Others have turned to Benaud for advice in other areas of their professional lives. Former golfer Bert Newton sought Benaud out when he was making the transition from sportsman to commentator, while current Test opener Justin Langer recently revealed that he often asks Benaud for advice and ideas about his writing. Another Benaud fan, Colin Miller, paid tribute to his idol in typically eccentric fashion, naming his two dogs “Richie” and “Benaud”. Benaud has also been involved in a new Australian tourism campaign where he talks of “perfect conditions” and “super shots” down under, further proof of his status as one of Australia’s most beloved personalities. Yet for all Benaud’s popular appeal he is in many ways far removed from the inarticulate, beer-swilling Australian sporting hero so entrenched in stereotype. Benaud is as likely to be found at the ballet as the races, a lover of classical music and a fine Chardonnay, a good cook and a man renowned for his unique dress sense. Like Bradman before him, he is both idiosyncratic and iconic. Recently, Cricket Australia established a new ‘Spirit of Cricket’ award named in Benaud’s honour. The award will annually be given to the man and woman who have been judged to have played the game in the best spirit for that season. While this is a fitting award for Benaud, he hardly needs a trophy named after him to keep his name alive. His influence is already such that it is simply impossible to imagine the game without him. Of how many cricketers can that be said ? Now well into his seventh decade, Benaud has shown few signs of slowing down and retiring to the couch with his slippers and pipe. Along with Daphne he endeavours to keep fit and maintains a healthy diet, with pasta dishes a particular favourite. He continues to work on an almost exhausting range of projects. Recently, he released a DVD where he chooses his best XI, something he has long resisted doing. Co-hosted by Mark Nicholas, the program showcases some terrific footage and typically astute commentary from Benaud which makes it well worth picking up, even if this correspondent was a little miffed by the absence of one V.T.Trumper from the final list. He is also the chairman of a newly-established ICC committee which will bestow annual awards on the best players in world cricket. He continues to be in demand as a public speaker and has acted as a host for the recent Alan Border award nights. Benaud is also involved in cricket in France and the United States. These are low-key roles and as he explains, came about more because he knew people involved in these organisations rather than from any particular determination to see cricket developed there. He firmly believes that new nations should not be admitted to the Test arena until they have suitable cricket infrastructure. Given the underwhelming performance of the newest Test nation Bangladesh, this seems to be a wise approach. He is also patron of the Bradman Museum at Bowral, which currently houses the first ball from a day-night international which he pocketed after the match. ‘Always Summer’ – The Future If Benaud, with his grey hair and quaint cream jackets, seems a picture of the benign traditionalist, then looks are deceiving. His encyclopaedic knowledge does not mean he is stuck in the past and he continues to be amazed at the skills of the contemporary players. He will not have a bar of anyone who tries to tell him things were better ‘in his day’ and has often he has defended the modern players from accusations of declining standards of sportsmanship, pointing out that sledging and gamesmanship were not unknown during his playing days, but received less attention as there were less on-field microphones and less tabloid media. He remains open to new innovations and trends in the game, enthusing about the possibility of a limited-overs fixture at Disneyland and describing the popular new Twenty-20 format as a “brilliant concept” which he feels “will continue to be exciting watching”. His solution to the problem of the ball losing its white sheen in one-day games is literally space-age. He has suggested contacting NASA to find out what kind of paint they use on re-entry shuttles and then using this on the balls. 13