Anything But . . . An Autobiography

Anything But . . . An Autobiography

Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud is arguably the most enduring face in world cricket – his views are certainly among the most respected. For four decades he has been at the centre of the game: first, as a pre-eminent captain, attacking batsman, leg-break bowler and brilliant fieldsman for Australia; and then, for the past three decades, as cricket’s shrewdest television analyst.

‘Anything but . . . An Autobiography’ is the life and distilled wisdom of a man who has been closely involved with the game from its sod-busting days in Depression-ridden Australia, to its floodlit and rainbow-kitted emergence as a multi-media extravaganza. It is the story of the Benauds and the Savilles, pioneers in New South Wales, and their triumph over their circumstances; it is the story of Lou Benaud, who coached his two sons to play cricket for Australia. But it is also the story of Richie Benaud, whose boyhood heroes were Clarrie Grimmett and Don Bradman. As captain of Australia, he never lost a Test series and in 1963 was the first man in the history of the game to do the “double” of 2,000 Test runs and 200 Test wickets.

In 1964 he retired from the pitch and took to the commentary box where, for the BBC and Channel Nine, he has watched more than 300 Tests and 300 Limited-overs Internationals. As a commentator, he is recognised as one of the most respected thinkers on the game, who has influenced many of the changes that have overtaken cricket as we move towards the end of the century.

A polished raconteur, Benaud has some delightful stories to tell of the great players who have been a part of his life on and off the field for the past forty years; he reveals what goes on behind the television cameras, and delivers his valuable insights with the dry, humorous incisiveness that is his hallmark. His opinions about the way cricket is going are firm, but his attitude to the game is always positive, with generous praise and constructive criticism for the modern-day player.

‘Anything But . . . An Autobiography’ is not just the remarkable story of Richie Benaud, but an insight into sporting politics, how the administrators have affected the game and its players, and the media wheeling and dealing behind the scenes. And, above all, it is a book for those who are looking for an affirmation of the future of cricket, by a man who loves the game, but is not blinded by it.