“Morning, everyone” – Benaud’s traditional greeting at the start of a morning’s Test cricket.
“Marvellous” – his adjective of choice to describe something that he admired … which, given his positive outlook, was many things.
“Gatting has absolutely no idea what has happened to it ... he still doesn’t know!” – on Shane Warne’s Ball of the Century in 1993.
“The key thing was to learn the value of economy with words and to never insult the viewer by telling them what they can already see” – on commentary.
“And Glenn McGrath dismissed for two, just 98 runs short of his century” – on the Australian bowler, famous for his ineptitude with the bat.
“Don’t bother looking for that, let alone chasing it. That’s gone straight into the confectionary stall and out again” – on one of Ian Botham’s murderous shots in his rearguard innings at Headingley, 1981.
“Put your brain into gear and if you can add to what’s on the screen then do it, otherwise shut up” – on what to say and, more importantly, what not to say behind the microphone.
“What I want most from being a television commentator is to be able to feel that, when I say something, I am talking to friends” – on his relationship with the audience.
“Captaincy is 90% luck and 10% skill. But don’t try it without that 10%” – on leadership.
“A disgraceful performance from a captain who got his sums wrong. It should never be permitted to happen again. One of the worst things I have ever seen done on a cricket field” – after Australia captain Greg Chappell ordered his brother, Trevor, to bowl the final ball of a one-day international, with New Zealand needing six to tie, underarm.
“There was a slight interruption there for athletics” – subtly referring to a streaker.
“He’s not quite got hold of that one. If he had, it would have gone for nine” – on a Justin Langer pull for six.
