One of the less celebrated aspects of Richie Benaud ’ s remarkable career were his regular appearances in that part of the press box which houses the written journalists . Benaud was first and foremost a television broadcaster , a man of unusually wry wit who once responded on air to colleague Chris Broad ’ s malapropism ( ‘ Honestly , you run out of expletives when describing the fielding of Jonty Rhodes ’ ) without skipping a beat : ‘ Which particular one did you have in mind ? ’ But Benaud also penned a regular column for the News of the World , taking his place among the hacks – not all TV men take the trouble – to craft his copy whenever a Test match was going on . Richie Benaud , pictured in January 2013 , has died at the age of 84 after a battle with skin cancer . Benaud was one of cricket 's great personalities and will be remembered for his dry wit and knowledge . Tributes are seen at the statue of Benaud at the Sydney Cricket Ground after his passing . It was said he would regularly file 700 or 800 words , of which maybe 150 or 200 would see the light of day . But , a professional to his core , Benaud kept on filing . He loved cricket , and he loved conveying his love , by visual means or verbal . That much was evident during his playing days . He won 63 Test caps between January 1952 and February 1964 , collecting 248 wickets with his leg-spin ( at a very good average of 27 ) and scoring 2,201 runs at 24 . But it was the style as much as the stats . It was often an understated era , typified by Jim Laker ’ s steadfast refusal to celebrate any of the 19 wickets he took against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956 ( Benaud c Statham b Laker 0 ; Benaud b Laker 18 ) . Benaud did his best to change all that . Sport was fun , emotional and human : if he got a wicket , he ’ d do more than hitch his trousers up , Laker-style . He ’ d whoop and skip and jump : take a look on YouTube at him enjoying Bob Simpson ’ s slip catch at Old Trafford in 1961 , where his leg-breaks spirited Australia to a come-from-behind win . These days players go further than that . But Benaud was their spiritual forefather . He loved not just cricket , but cricketers too . Not everyone was enamoured by his involvement in Kerry Packer ’ s rebellious World Series Cricket in the late 1970s . But WSC eventually forced the Establishment ’ s hand . Cricketers were soon paid a living wage , not the honorariums they had previously endured . Benaud ’ s involvement and influence were central to that . It was as a TV commentator that Benaud came into his own . When Wisden asked him in 2003 to dispense some advice to aspiring broadcasters , he suggested : ‘ Put your brain into gear before opening your mouth. ’ That style – laconic , considered , dry – would become his hallmark , together with an unfailing greeting : ‘ Good morning , everyone. ’ When Benaud welcomed viewers , they were able to relax : the cricket was about to begin . There were times when you might have longed for him to express himself more trenchantly , to air his opinions more clearly . Surely , you wondered , he must have felt strongly about subjects other than the front-foot no-ball law . But it was not his style – and he remained true to himself . ‘ Above all , ’ he told Wisden , ‘ when commentating , don ’ t take yourself too seriously , and have fun. ’ Benaud was Australia captain and the first cricketer to score 2,000 runs and take 200 wickets in Tests . After his playing career , Benaud forged an incredibly successful career as a cricket commentator . Benaud ( right ) in discussion with England 's Michael Vaughan ahead of a Test match in 2004 . That last tip has been cheerfully taken on board by the current generation of Channel Nine commentators in Australia . And if they have been less adept at putting their brains into gear before opening their mouths , then that also reflects the almost impossibly high standards set by Benaud himself . His successors were always going to pale by comparison . Behind it all was a quiet , imposing strength . The first time I met him , Benaud almost broke my fingers with his handshake . As a friend noted : ‘ You don ’ t get to captain Australia with a limp wrist. ’ Good night , everyone .
Richie Benaud has died at 1961 after a short battle with skin cancer . Benaud captained Australia as a player before going into broadcasting . His commentary style became globally synonymous with cricket . CLICK HERE for Benaud tributes as the cricket world mourns his death .