Cricket world stops to remember Benaud

Richie Benaud’s passing has brought an outpouring of emotion from around the cricket world.

While Benaud spent his summers as the voice of Australian cricket, his winter months were spent in England entertaining cricket fans with his work for the BBC and Channel Four.

Former colleagues, broadcasters and the UK press paid tribute to the commentary legend, while cricket greats including Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara have also posted messages of condolence.

In a column for the BBC, Jonathan Agnew shared his memories of Benaud.

“Richie Benaud was the doyen of cricket commentators. He was quite simply peerless. Nobody else had his authority, popularity and skill,” Angew wrote.

“If you speak to any broadcaster from any sport, they will point to Richie as the standard-bearer.

“He was the face of my childhood and for millions of others. He was cricket on the TV in England. He was our Richie - and that is the ultimate compliment for an Australian.”

Image Id: ~/media/980E344C68774259B7CD82549B378955Fans hold a Richie Benaud banner at Lord's in 2005 // Getty Images

Agnew recalled working with Benaud at the 1999 World Cup.

“He was my rock. As a radio commentator, I was a novice on TV and anxious about presenting with him. 

"My first programme was a shambles. I missed the countdown to zero in my ear from the producer and was still talking as the show ended.

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“The next time, Richie simply asked me how long I needed for my final comments. I added them up to seven seconds. Every time we were on air from then onwards, he stopped talking at eight seconds and let me sign off on the button.

“He was so good that he could edit his own comments down in his head to the precise second.”

Image Id: ~/media/D4193D9FEAEC4D0FA51639DD8B08EAB6Richie Benaud and Mark Nicholas at Lord's in 1999 // Getty Images

BBC and Star Sports commentator Harsha Bhogle said there was not a commentator who “watched and heard Richie Benaud and didn't wish he could be as good”.

“As a player, captain and broadcaster, Richie Benaud cared for our game. He gave it a lot and leaves behind an astonishing legacy,” Bhogle said on social media.

“Like Neville Cardus, Richie Benaud defined an era. He was, in fact, the era.”

More: Tributes flow after death of Richie Benaud

Veteran Telegraph reporter and former Wisden editor Scyld Berry said Benaud was “Mr Cricket”.

 “As long as cricket is played, Richie Benaud will be ranked as one of its finest captains and one of its finest television commentators,” Berry wrote.

“In both careers he was not simply quietly observant, informed and shrewd but the quintessence of these qualities."

BBC sport writer Marc Higginson also expressed England's sadness at losing Benaud.

"The silver-haired, smooth-talking Benaud was not only the doyen of cricket commentary and the face of our summer, he was also regarded as one of the most respected sports commentators of all time," Higginson said.

"In short, we loved your Richie. Or was he our Richie?

"You had him in our winter and he came over for our summer. A fair deal, I suppose."