Richie Benaud battling skin cancer.

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There's a video on YouTube for the channel 9 season launch where Richie is talking about his cancer. He looks absolutely terrible

Just let him retire FFS Nine
 
He's had a tough time of it this past couple of years with the recovery from his accident taking a long time and now this. But as he said himself, you don't get better so easily when your 84. Unfortunately for many in this age bracket it can be one health issue after another. I assume he is not retiring because he wants to continue but one wonders how much longer he can go on and how much he can contribute. The channel 9 team has been decimated by the loss of Tony Greig and the temporary absences of Benaud and Lawry, the end of an era I think. Wishing Richie all the best :)
 
Mr_Smooth said:
There's a video on YouTube for the channel 9 season launch where Richie is talking about his cancer. He looks absolutely terrible

Just let him retire FFS Nine
Click to expand...
218676-42a187d8-687c-11e4-a2ee-db0b93f02857.jpg
 
He looked shocking on the TV tonight and his voice isn't sounding the best. It sounded pretty ordinary on the voice overs for the first 20-20 game. And in his interview tonight his left eye could barely open.

Hopefully he can dig in for a bit but it does seem that he is pretty deep into the final straight. But he's a pretty resilient bugger so you never know.

I would love to hear him commentate again but at the same time I hope it's not detrimental to his health. Channel nine will say they are only going to let him commentate if it's okay for him to do so, and of course Richie would be mates with a lot of the executives there, but at the end of day they are businessmen and richie is one of their most important commodities given the general feeling amongst cricket fans for some of the commentators coming into the box now.
 

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Kram81 said:
Hope he can at least get past 87.

Seriously though I reckon they should at some stage organise him to somehow just get him involved in one last Test if he can get healthy enough as some sort of send off and tribute to the great man.
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I think we should schedule a Test Match each season and call it the Richie Benaud Test. It could be the 5th Test in Sydney, retaining the Jane McGrath Foundation on Day 3 (?). And do it this summer to let Richie know what the cricket public think of him. As a cricket fan in my 50s, the names Richie Benaud (TV) and Alan McGilvray (ABC) meant everything to me.

As a radio caller, McGilvray was perfect for a lad growing up to learn the game. At the start of each over he would give:
1. The score
2. Each batsman's scores & sundries
3. The bowler's name & what he bowled (left arm medium pace, over the wicket)
4. Describe the field

Any time a run was scored, he would update the score. Anytime there was a change in field, he would let us know. Much better than commentators today who yack on about where they had dinner the night before.

Richie has always been the perfect TV cricket commentator. He knows when to speak, what to say, and more importantly, when NOT to speak.

Just a couple of funny stories about Benaud, told by Benaud himself.

When Ian Chappell first arrived on the scene, Benaud was bowling to him and Chappell was belting him around the park. A team mate came up and asked Richie why he had lost his shape. Benaud told him that he was put off by the young batsman grinning at him every time he bowled. He found out later it wasn't a grin, but the famous Chappell grimace. Benaud thought Chappell had been taking the urine out of him. :)

Benaud was in his first season of Sheffield Shield for NSW and they were playing SA at Adelaide Oval. Coincidentally, it also happened to be the first season since Bradman retired. By his own admission, Benaud was rather brash and over confident in his ability but hadn't done much as yet. He was sitting next to Keith Miller in the grandstand, thinking about what it would have been like to bowl to the great man. He turns to Miller and says, "How do you think I would have gone against Bradman? I never got to bowl to him". Miller just kept looking ahead and replied, "Everyone's entitled to a stroke of good luck son, that was yours".

Wishing you well Richie.
 
Mr_Smooth said:


the video i was referring to. looks like he's lost a lot of weight
Click to expand...


You can get 'old' very quickly once you're in the 80+ age bracket. Richie has done well up until now but time certainly seems to be catching up with him. He seemed to be walking well though, is not stooped at all and his mind is still obviously functioning well so he not doing too badly all things considered. How many other people still have an active TV role in their 80s? It's remarkable he's still involved in any capacity when you think about it.
 
Mr_Smooth said:
There's a video on YouTube for the channel 9 season launch where Richie is talking about his cancer. He looks absolutely terrible

Just let him retire FFS Nine
Click to expand...
after he passes away, what are the chances of Channel 9 still dragging Richie around the countryside Weekend at Bernies style!
weekend at bernys.jpg
 
Cancer at 84..... you'd think it would have tough to beat. :(

Best of luck Richie.
 
Been thinking a bit about Richie, he looks like he is really struggling. He has been a companion through our Summers for so many years. I couldn't believe how upset I was about Tony Greig passing, I can only imagine the national outpouring of grief when Richies time comes. Lets hope thats later rather than sooner.
 
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