Although a great allrounder, it was the art of captaincy that was Richie Benaud's greatest contribution to cricket. Born in 1930, his greatest individual feat was to be the first player to score more than 2000 runs and take more than 200 wickets in Test cricket.

 

But it was his inspiring leadership from 1958 to 1964 and labyrinthine tactical brain that made Australia the team to beat. A dignified man off the field he was a Machiavellian figure on it, laying traps to rumble even the best opposing batsmen.

 

He skippered the Aussies, and played a leading personal role in the historic first tied Test with West Indies. Benaud never missed a trick although unlike his successors he relied on man management and tactical genius, rather than crude methods such as sledging. Retirement has seen him become a prolific journalist both at home but also a perennial fixture in Britain during the English summer.

The mind is as sharp as ever. An avid surfer of the internet he is a keen advocate of technological innovation, embracing inventions such as the snick machine that improve television coverage. He is not afraid to use TV to speak out against what he considers cheating in the game. When BBC cameras caught a Pakistani bowler apparently gauging a ball with his fingernails Benaud cried out "I say, steady on." The videotape of that commentary was used as evidence in a subsequent court case.