'Voice of cricket' Richie Benaud was video-game icon too

NEW DELHI: Even in the virtual world, Richie Benaud made cricket more exciting and interesting. Benaud - who passed away on Friday - may have been revered for his cricket commentary but for those Indians born in or after the late 1980s, he was the voice of early cricket gaming.
While previous generations revered Benaud for his cricketing prowess and role as a commentator, these late bloomers were introduced to him through cricket video games.
Richie's stint as a video-game commentator started with EA Sports Cricket 97. Dressed in a sharp white suit, an old man with white hair and wrinkled skin, with a mic in front of him, would come to life on the desktop. This was the time when computers and gaming CDs were relatively new in the country. CDs would get stuck, and often Benaud would be left repeating, "One more wicket and a rare hat-trick will be his...a rare hat-trick will be his." Pushing the restart button would mean depriving the player of a hat-trick!
After Cricket 97, Richie went on to lend his voice to its many sequels, including Cricket 99, 2000, 2002, 2004 and Cricket 2007, the last game in the series. His insights and expert opinions gave a real-life feel to the experience. Richie would often also share funny or interesting stories about players across generations, often regaling gamers with tales about Shane Warne's leg spin.
His words at the end of each innings in a video game would be, "And that, is the end of the innings." With Benaud's memorable innings having come to an end, cricket video games have lost their voice.
Greg says he deserved the berating Richie gave him
Former batsman Greg Chappell has admitted he deserved the berating he got from Richie Benaud during the February 1, 1981 tie between New Zealand and Australia - following the underarm incident - which many believe tarnished the image of the sport.
Speaking after Benaud's passing on Friday, Chappell said: "Yes, he was (right), as he generally was. He didn't miss too many things on the cricket field or off it. What I got that day I deserved."
Benaud had said: "I think it was a disgraceful performance from a captain who got his sums wrong today and it should never be permitted to happen again."
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