Richie Benaud has revealed he is undergoing radiation treatment for skin cancer. The revered broadcaster has been absent from his commentary duties since a car accident near his Sydney home in 2013.
“[I’m] coping with it very well, the doctors are pleased,” Benaud told Channel Nine. “I’m going along slowly. The cancers need to be treated.”
Benaud said he was paying the price for a cricket career in which he did not wear a hat or sunscreen. “When I was a kid we never ever wore a cap. I wish I had. You live and learn as you go along,” he said. “I recommend to everyone they wear protection on their heads. Eighty four-year-olds don’t seem to mend as well as they used to.”
Benaud was speaking at an event to launch Nine’s summer of cricket. A spokesperson for the broadcaster said last week that Benaud is likely to return to the commentary box for Australia’s fourth Test against India, which starts on 3 January.
