Richie Benaud to work from home for India - Aussies Series

Not coming to office and ‘working from home’ is a concept popular in some, especially IT & ITES sector.  On the contrary, ‘work-at-home’ scheme is a get-rich-quick scam in which a victim is lured by an offer to be employed at home, very often doing some simple task in a minimal amount of time with a large amount of income that far exceeds the market rate for the type of work. The true purpose of such an offer is for the perpetrator to extort money from the victim, either by charging a fee to join the scheme, or requiring the victim to invest in products whose resale value is misrepresented.

This man retired 50 years ago – but is still popular, overwhelmingly sought that he is now ‘allowed to work from home’ ....  Mr Gyngell was quoted as once saying, 'In the Nine family, he sits at the head of the table.'   

He is a famous Cricketer ..... his bowling reached a new level on the return leg of Australia's overseas tour, when they stopped in the Indian subcontinent in 1956-57 en route back to Australia. In a one-off Test against Pakistan in Karachi, he scored 56 and took 1/36 as Australia fell to defeat. He claimed his Test innings best of 7/72 in the first innings of the First Test in Madras, allowing Australia to build a large lead and win by an innings. It was his first five-wicket haul in a Test innings. After taking four wickets in the drawn Second Test in Bombay, he bowled Australia to victory in the Third Test in Calcutta, sealing the series 2-0. He took 6/52 and 5/53, his best-ever match analysis, ending the series with 113 runs at 18.83 and 24 wickets at 17.66.  He captained that 1961 tour (remember the 1^st tied Test) .......

After the 1956 England tour, he stayed behind in London to take a BBC presenter training course. He took up a journalism position with the News of the World, beginning as a police roundsman before becoming a sports columnist. In 1960 he made his first radio commentary in the United Kingdom at the BBC, after which he moved into television. After retiring from playing in 1964, he turned to full-time cricket journalism and commentary, dividing his time between Britain (where he worked for the BBC for many years before joining Channel 4 in 1999), and Australia (for the Nine Network).  The idea for what became his trademark, wearing a cream jacket during live commentary, came from Channel 9 owner Kerry Packer, who suggested the look to help him stand out from the rest of the commentary team.

The man is Richie Benaud whose popularity is comparable to Sir Don Bradman.  He played in 63 tests scored 2201 runs and took 249 test wickets.  Benaud blended thoughtful leg spin bowling with lower-order batting aggression. Along with fellow bowling all-rounder Alan Davidson, he helped restore Australia to the top of world cricket in the late 1950s and early 1960s – and captained Aussies from 1958 to 1964.   

Yesterday, Benaud was not at the Sydney Cricket Ground when he was the first of 15 broadcasters and reporters revealed as the inaugural inductees into the ground's Media Hall of Honour. Alongside Nine stablemate Ray Warren, the legendary Norman May and respected author Ian Heads, Benaud is one of only four living inductees. His wife, Daphne, accepted the honour on his behalf.

Now comes the news that Australia's voice of cricket Richie Benaud has been offered the chance to commentate on Test matches from his home this year if he is not well enough to get to the grounds, according to broadcaster Channel Nine. The 83-year-old former Australia captain has been absent from the commentary box since crashing his Sunbeam Alpine, a sporty two seat open car of 1963 into a low wall as he drove to his home in the Sydney beachside suburb of Coogee last October. Channel Nine chief executive David Gyngell said his desire to have Benaud on board for the four-Test series against India later this year meant the offer to broadcast from home was a serious option. Gyngell is quoted as stating that he would prefer Richie calling at the ground but if that were not to happen, he will be calling it from home. 

While Benaud's ill-health meant he missed the last Ashes series, he was represented at the Sydney Test by dozens of fans dressed up in silver wigs and beige suits waving oversize Channel Nine microphones. Richie is so important that Channel Nine boss David Gyngell has asked the ailing but resilient voice of cricket to call Australia's series against India from his Coogee home.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

27^th Aug 2014.