By DANNY BUTTLER
Vale Richie Benaud
Cricketer and cricket commentator
THERE have been few more influential figures in Australian television than the recently departed Richie Benaud.
The Australian cricket captain turned commentator was first an icon of the game and then an icon of broadcasting.
With his understated style and sly wit, he was a man who suited a game that has always prized subtlety and patience.
Anyone who has only listened to him in recent years would wonder what all the fuss was about.
Among the brash and boorish Channel Nine commentary team he was unable to shine as he did in previous decades.
Like a fine whisky swimming in a pot of Coke, Richie was drowned out and lost all relevance.
But when his voice was still strong and the audience hung on his every word, he could be a magic man with the microphone.
Some of his better quotes from the central commentary position included:
* “Captaincy is 90 per cent luck and 10 per cent skill, But don’t try it without that 10 per cent.”
* “The hallmark of a great captain is the ability to win the toss, at the right time.”
* “Put your brain into gear and if you can add to what’s on the screen then do it, otherwise shut up.”
These quotes are among 100 that, in print, can hardly do justice to the delivery that often had the viewer or listener as surprised as a batsman facing one of his leg spinners.
In a game that was the national pastime, but is now just another sport competing in the marketplace, Richie was a figure of true national importance.
Like the hum of cicadas or the buzz of lawnmowers, he was a sound of summer for a couple of generations of Australians.
Rest in peace, Richie. It’s been a grand innings.
– Danny Buttler
