Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud... synonymous with Australia's summer of cricket as well as Ashes radio every four years mid winter... Superb learner transitioning from successful attacking Captain to the Media. Great exponent of letting silence tell the story, adding colour to the coverage rather than verbosity.

   I will curse the radio/TV sound delay even more fervently next summer!! An advocate for the players, for level headed appropriate critique or silence amidst hysteria.

   Adaptable for professionalism, shorter forms, appropriately critical of underarm, siding with the game without getting carried away about the 'Gen Y' attitude or the thickness of new timber bats.        

   Able to tell an anecdote without it dominating the coverage. Indeed exactly the kind of older bloke you need around in a time of constant change and transition.

   My fav. blooper is still his State Game One Dayer commentary the day the temporary lights stands were operational at Adelaide Oval. He was exuberant about the utility they added to an historic oval proclaiming them an unique engineering marvel apparently "30 minutes to full erection"... followed by ten long seconds of silence, with audible giggling from the back of the commentary box. Marvellous effort that!!