‘Voice of cricket’ Richie Benaud passes away
Former Australia captain and legendary commentator, known as the voice of cricket, Richie Benaud passed away in his sleep, at the age of 84, in his home in Sydney on Thursday.
Benaud, who played in 63 Test matches for Australia, was battling skin cancer for the last few years and his voice, which was synonymous with cricket commentary over the past 49 years, was not heard the last few Australian summers and ofcourse at the World Cup.
He made his name in Australian cricket as a leg-spinner but was also more than handy with the bat in hand, he scored three Test centuries and had a first-class average with the bat of 36.50.
He took 248 wickets in his Test career at an average of 27.48. He also captained Australia, winning the Ashes series in the 1958/59 season. He retired from playing in 1964.
With his playing days behind him, Benaud turned to commentating and since then he has become a household figure in not just Australian cricket but in world cricket.
He used his wit and charm to inspire listeners and undoubtedly was the world's best cricket commentator. He also acted as a mentor to a few Australia cricketers, namely spin bowling legend Shane Warne.
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