Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud
Personal information
Full name	Richard Benaud
Born	6 October 1930; Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
Died	10 April 2015 (aged 84); Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Nickname	Richie
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm leg spin
Role	All-rounder, commentator
International information
National side	Australia;
Test debut (cap 190)	25 January 1952 v West Indies
Last Test	12 February 1964 v South Africa
Domestic team information
1948–1964	New South Wales
Career statistics
	Source: Cricinfo, 22 December 2007

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE (/ˈbɛnoʊ/; 6 October 1930 – 10 April 2015) was an Australian cricketer. After his retirement from international cricket in 1964, he became a well-known commentator on the game.

Early life

Benaud was born in Penrith, New South Wales. His parents were of French descent. He was raised in Sydney. Benaud studied at Parramatta High School.

Career

Benaud was a Test cricket all-rounder. Along with fellow bowling all-rounder Alan Davidson, he helped Australia to be at the top of world cricket in the late 1950s and early 1960s after a slump in the early 1950s. In 1958 he became Australia's Test captain until his retirement in 1964.

Illness and death

In November 2014, Benaud announced that he was diagnosed with skin cancer, aged 84.^[1] He died in his sleep on 10 April 2015 in Sydney.^[2]^[3] Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott offered a state funeral for Benaud, but his family rejected the offer.^[4]