Intro:

Former Australia cricket captain and television commentator Richie Benaud has died at the age of 84, Cricket Australia confirmed on Friday.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Ian Chappell, Former Australian Cricketer and Cricket Commentator:

"It's a big loss. He'll be widely-missed and sorely-missed. He was, he was a lot of things. Apart from being a very good cricketer and an excellent commentator, he was a gentleman. And I got lucky when I was very young he, for some reason or another, maybe it was because I bowled a few leg breaks and he thought that I could bowl better than I thought I could bowl, but he took a shine to me and he was very helpful both with the cricket captaincy and then later on with my working life. But that was Richie, he was always quite willing to give his time. He wasn't the sort o person who gave advice, but if you ask for some advice or a suggestion, he was always willing to pass something on."

SOUNDBITE: (English) John Howard, Former Australian Prime Minister:

"Not only for Australian cricket but for cricket around the world, this is a moment in time. It's hard to think of anybody in past decades apart from Don Bradman who's been more immediately identifiable with the name of cricket and thought of in those terms at the time of his death. Richie Benaud was a remarkably-successful Australian captain, he brought a particular spirit of enthusiasm to that responsibility. I think he may well have been the person who brought about the habit of players running up to congratulate one of their teammates who'd taken remarkable catch or a very important wicket."