Richie Benaud named Sport Australia Hall of Fame Legend

Benaud, a former Australia captain who became one of the most loved voices of cricket after his playing days, will be the 40th Legend of Australian Sport and the third cricketer to be bestowed the prestigious annual honour.

The decision, announced on Saturday, 6 October, will be made official at the 34th Sport Australia Hall of Fame induction and awards gala dinner in Melbourne on 11 October.

An inaugural member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985, Benaud was in line to receive the honour in 2008, but had requested that it be postponed until he retired from his work within the media. He passed away in 2015 after a battle with cancer.

Don Bradman (1993) and Keith Miller (2004) are the other cricketers who had been inducted as ‘Legends’.

Daphne Benaud, his widow, said her husband would be proud to be in such exalted company. “Knowing he is up alongside those two would have made him extremely thrilled and honoured because he had such respect for both of them,” she said.

Benaud, who never lost a series as captain and was the first to the Test double of 2000 runs and 200 wickets, was described in the announcement as “a daring captain, a charming personality and a marvellous commentator … [who] traversed generations to become one of the most influential figures in cricket history.”

Paying tribute to the leg-spinning all-rounder, who had 11,719 first-class runs, including 23 centuries, and 945 wickets, John Bertrand, the Hall of Fame chairman, said Benaud “transcended the sport of cricket”.

“He was the oracle of the game. A champion of the game, [he] captained Australia 28 times over 63 Tests [and] went on to become our most trusted and influential cricket broadcaster over a career spanning an incredible 48 years. He was the man.”

Selection committee chairman Rob de Castella added, “Our Sport Australia Hall of Fame Legends are very, very special. They must stand out and shine above the best of the best.

“This year, we have the opportunity to elevate Richie Benaud to this esteemed position in Australian sporting history. Richie was a household name and an icon of sport, with humility, talent, class and amazing insight which he shared with the world, leaving a legacy that continues to teach and inspire generations.”