Nine asks Richie to commentate from home

[bombersfan4000]

Nine asks Richie to commentate from home


The voice of cricket, Richie Benaud, could become the ultimate armchair critic this summer, with Channel Nine asking the 83-year-old to commentate matches from his Sydney home.

Benaud's health has been a cause for concern ever since he was hospitalised last year after he crashed his treasured 1963 Sunbeam Alpine near his house in the beachside suburb of Coogee.

It has raised concerns about Benaud's ability to call matches at the ground this summer, but Channel Nine boss David Gyngell has come up with a novel alternative to keep the commentary legend involved.

"If he's not up to calling from the ground this summer, I'd like him to call from home," Gyngell said.

"That's what I've put to him.

"He'd be the ultimate armchair caller from the couch, wouldn't he? I'd prefer to have him calling at the ground, but I would say that will be difficult.

"If I have my way, he will be calling it from his home but it is completely his decision."

Benaud did not call a ball of last summer's Ashes series due to his ailing health, but Fairfax is quoting sources close to the former Test skipper who say his mind remains as "sharp as a whip".

On Tuesday, Benaud was one of the 15 inaugural broadcasters and reporters inducted into the Sydney Cricket Ground's Media Hall of Honour.

With Benaud unable to attend, his wife Daphne accepted the honour on his behalf.

http://www.cricket.com.au/news-list...ud-may-commentate-loungeroom-australia-summer

having grown up listing to richie calling the cricket as long as i can remember richie has been the face & voice of channel 9 cricket.
but are channel 9 holding on to the past & needing to face reality that let the poor bloke have some retirement before his time ends

 

[Pera]

are channel 9 holding on to the past & needing to face reality that let the poor bloke have some retirement before his time ends

Im sure he wouldnt do it if he didnt want to. He does it because he loves it.

I cant see anything possibly wrong with it.

 

[The_Reaper]

Anything is better than the current lot.

They should try and make Michael Vaughan a permanent fixture though.

 

[Torz]

#bringbackBT

 

[Klim]

Marvellous.

 

[BawwseTV]

Channel 9 won't be the same without Richie, Lawry and the late Tony Greig. Time to move on now through the likes of Nicholas, Brayshaw, Taylor and Warne. They should also go after Michael Vaughan and Bumble too.

 

[Klim]

Channel 9 won't be the same without Richie, Lawry and the late Tony Greig. Time to move on now through the likes of Nicholas, Brayshaw, Taylor and Warne. They should also go after Michael Vaughan and Bumble too.

Sky Sports already has them. I like how they pop in for 15 mins and have good chat.

 

[BawwseTV]

Sky Sports already has them. I like how they pop in for 15 mins and have good chat.

Wouldn't of thought that would matter. Warney works for Sky Sports as well as 9. Hopefully they can work something out.

 

[Zach Package]

I can't be the only one picturing a robot donning a cream jacket with Richie beaming in via skype

 

[philreich]

Maybe channel 9 should open their cheque book, and try and entice Kerry O'Keefe out of retirement. Skull was solid gold on the ABC: it's a shame we won't hear him this summer.

 

[The_Reaper]

Maybe channel 9 should open their cheque book, and try and entice Kerry O'Keefe out of retirement. Skull was solid gold on the ABC: it's a shame we won't hear him this summer.

I can't imagine him working with Healy and Slater

 

[philreich]

I can't imagine him working with Healy and Slater

Yeah true. I just loved Skull's one liners: my favourite was his Phil Hughes joke during the Test series against NZ. Kerry, referring to the fact that Hughes was caught by Guptill in all 4 innings of the series, said, "If Hughes were to nick himself shaving, Guptill would be there to catch the blood."

 

[woofles]

Maybe channel 9 should open their cheque book, and try and entice Kerry O'Keefe out of retirement. Skull was solid gold on the ABC: it's a shame we won't hear him this summer.

I always thought Kerry was a made for radio commentator, wouldn't have got away with half of what he did on TV. He's been my favourite by a country mile but radio and the ABC were a perfect medium for him, I'd often be tuning in to hear Kerry with the cricket as a sideshow!

 

[Black Diamond]

I can't imagine him working with Healy and Slater

And he probably wouldn't work with Ian Chappell.

 

[ManWithNoName]

If Richie WANTS to do it, sure.

But if he wants to enjoy retirement, then the man has earnt it.

 

[ioppolo]

I would love Michael Holding down here just once, just for one whole summer.

 

[Super Hans]

I dream of a world where Bumble, Holding and Vaughan are regulars on channel 9.

 

[drummond2fevola]

I generally stream the cricket from my PC, I don't remember seeing Vaughan on Sky at all.

Bumble, Athers, Botham, Strauss, Gower, Holding, Warne

 

[ManWithNoName]

I generally stream the cricket from my PC, I don't remember seeing Vaughan on Sky at all.

Bumble, Athers, Botham, Strauss, Gower, Holding, Warne

Vaughan's on Test Match Special. He's great.

 

[JUBJUB]

and next Gyngell will have him calling from his coffin.

Sorry but this is just dumb.Perhaps he should just retire.

 

[The Speaker]

What would he be doing? A quick end-of-session summary?

 

[Cleavy]

go the whole hog and have a bogan commentary party at Richie's house.

 

[swans95]

I generally stream the cricket from my PC, I don't remember seeing Vaughan on Sky at all.

Bumble, Athers, Botham, Strauss, Gower, Holding, Warne

Vaughan only usually does domestic cricket for Sky. Heard him on Finals Day last Saturday.

 

[dumb]

why bother? taylor or warnie or slater enjoy filling in with their stupid 2/222 richie impressions. chappelli needs to kick the s**t out of some of the younger ones.

 

[eth-dog]

He's better than Chappell, Healy and Slater so I won't disagree with it