April 10, 2015 10:28 am
As John Arlott was to cricket commentary on radio, so was Richie Benaud to cricket commentary on TV.
But before he became the gold standard for former cricketers aspiring to make their mark in TV commentary, he was a world class spin bowling exponent who then created a new standard for the “thinking” captain. As a leg-spin exponent he was my schoolboy hero and role model.
As a TV commentator he set a standard for the model that Grieg and Boycott and Shastri have followed but have not quite matched. No non-cricketer TV commentator comes anywhere close to his under-stated but remarkably effective style. Almost laconic he exuded cricket erudition. Gavasker and Boycott had the erudition, but one had an axe to grind and the other played politics. Sidhu does not even count.
John Arlott and Richie Benaud were in a class of their own and I loved listening to them.
Richie Benaud 1930 – 2015.
RIP.
Posted by ktwop
Categories: Cricket
Tags: John Arlott, Richie Benaud
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