10th April 2015 was possibly the saddest day for the world of Cricket
in my memory with the passing away of Richie Benaud- a cricketer par
excellence, a commentator in a class of his own , a true gentleman and a
superb human being. He was the Bob Hope of cricket - loved and adored
by all, no one had a bad word to say about him. He loved cricket and
having been involved with the game for over six decades, was able to
adjust himself almost nonchalantly to the changes and ups and downs of
the game.
Although
his main recognition came as a broadcaster, he also stands out as an
exceptional cricketer in the record books being the first cricketer to
score 2000 runs and take 200 wickets. He was an extremely useful
all-rounder, bringing wrist style leg spin bowling into fashion. He
excelled as a captain never having lost a series and winning the Ashes
three times bringing a distinctive style of aggression into the game not
hitherto heard of. However, he came into his own behind the microphone
and created a style of commentary which could not be imitated. His
tremendous knowledge, deep insight into the game and choice of words
made his commentary a unique experience and an enjoyment for the
listeners which was so abstract it could not be put into words.Even his
silence spoke volumes. He certainly knew when to speak and when not to.
He never had to use words like 'you know', 'I mean' , 'tragedy' and
'disaster' and so on. We never heard him describe a shot by a batsman as
a 'great cricket shot' so frequently mentioned by other commentators.
After all it is cricket and not football !! When one of his fellow
commentators described a dropped catch as a
