Richie Benaud OBE

Former broadcaster and Australian cricket captain

Richie Benaud is the doyen of cricket and revered for his knowledge and understanding of the game. A guru to Ian Chappell and Shane Warne among others, he is perhaps the most influential cricketer and cricket personality since the Second World War.

Richie Benaud retired from broadcasting in 2009 having begun his career in journalism in 1960 with BBC Radio. He moved across to BBC Television three years later. Richie Banaud worked with Channel Nine in Australia from 1977 until his retirement and with Channel Four television in the UK from 1999 until 2005. Richie was a journalist with the Sun (Sydney) from 1956 - 1969 and has been the cricket writer for News of the World since 1960.

Richie Benaud has the expertise that comes from being captain of his country in 28 of his 63 Tests and the first cricketer to reach the double of 2,000 Test runs and 200 wickets. As a broadcaster, he is renowned for his easy-on-the-ear voice dispensing common sense, wry humour and knowledge. As a journalist, Richie is renowned for being terse, direct and commonsensical. His wise head was sought by Kerry Packer in the formation of World Series Cricket in 1977, conferring respectability on the breakaway professional circuit.

Richie Benaud played for NSW from 1948-64 and Australia from 1952-64. In 1963 Richie became the  first cricketer to complete the 'double' of 2,000 runs and 200 wickets in Test cricket.  In 1961 he was the first Australian (1961) to complete the 'double' of 2,000 runs and 200 wickets in Sheffield Shield cricket.   Richie Benaud is one of just ten Australian cricketers to have scored 10,000 runs and taken 500 wickets in first-class cricket, 23 first-class centuries, 56 times 5 wickets in an innings, 9 times 10 wickets in a match, 254 catches.

Richie Benaud captained Australia to tour England in 1953, 1956, 1961, Pakistan in 1956-57, 1959-60, and India 1956-57, 1959-60. He toured with Australia to South Africa (1957-58) and West Indies 1955.

As the charismatic Australian captain, he repossessed the Ashes, which his teams then successfully defended twice. As a right hand bat, legspinner, he was full of baits and traps, and he batted and fielded with verve. Yet it was his presence, as much as anything, which summoned the best from players: cool but communicative, he impressed as one to whom no event was unexpected, no contingency unplanned for.

Richie Benaud was awarded the OBE 1962 and in 1962 was recognised as One of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year.

Richie Benaud has authored several books, including: Way of Cricket (1961); A Tale of Two Tests (1962); Spin me a Spinner (1963); The New Champions (1965); Willow Patterns (1969); Benaud on Reflection (1984); The Appeal of Cricket (1995); Anything but......an Autobiography (1998); and  My Spin on Cricket (2005).