Ex-players attend Benaud’s funeral

SYDNEY: A private funeral and commemoration service attended by ex-players Shane Warne and Ian Chappell was held on Wednesday for former Australia cricket captain and commentator Richie Benaud.

Benaud died last Friday at the age of 84 of complications from skin cancer.

His wife, Daphne, declined a government offer for a state funeral in favour of a smaller service at the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park attended only by family and close friends.

Benaud’s former team-mate, Brian Booth, led the service.

In the memorial booklet, his family described Benaud as “a special person who means so much to each of us in many different ways.”

Later at a commemoration service, Warne and Chappell were joined by former Australia captain Mark Taylor and current Test skipper Michael Clarke.

Benaud, considered one of the most influential cricket identities of the past century, played 63 Tests for Australia but was more well-known for his career in the commentating booth.

Taylor said following Benaud’s death that the celebrated television personality covered all the bases.

“I think that’s what set him apart from a lot of people who came before him and probably after him,” Taylor said. “That he loved playing, he loved competing and he loved commentating and being involved in the game.”

In the hours after Benaud’s death, Warne took to Instagram to post a photo of an introspective Benaud, along with the words: “I’ve known you & Daphne for close to 30 years & to everyone you were a legend on all levels & rightly so too. As a cricketer, commentator & as a person, you were the best there’s ever been.”—AP

Waugh backs Starc to excel at Test level

SYDNEY: Former Australia captain Steve Waugh has backed pace bowler Mitchell Starc to convert his World Cup form into the Test team ahead of series against West Indies and England.

Left-armer Starc was named the player of the World Cup after an outstanding tournament but has yet to cement his place in the test side after 15 matches.

“That’s a big thing for Australia,” Waugh said of Starc’s emergence in comments published by Australian Associated Press. “We’ve got so many bowlers at our disposal that we’re capable of winning every Test match because we can take 20 wickets.

“But I think Starc will go to that next level in Test cricket as well. I think we’ve got the best young group of quicks we may have ever had in Australian cricket.

“And if they all get fit, and guys like Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle are around those young quicks, then we’re going to take 20 wickets.”

Starc and fellow young talent Josh Hazlewood will join experienced hands Mitchell Johnson and Siddle in a formidable pace attack for West Indies and the Ashes series, with seasoned campaigner Harris to join them in England.—Reuters

Gillespie takes up Adelaide job

ADELAIDE: Former Test bowler Jason Gillespie has returned home to coach the Adelaide Strikers in Australia’s domestic Twenty20 league, dashing speculation the Yorkshire mentor might succeed England coach Peter Moores.

The 39-year-old South Australian, who guided Yorkshire to the 2014 England county championship, has signed with the Strikers for the next two ‘Big Bash’ Twenty20 tournaments.

“I would like to place on record my gratitude to Yorkshire County Cricket Club for allowing me to coach in the Big Bash League,” Gillespie said in a statement. “I am looking forward to bringing back some knowledge and experiences to Yorkshire, which will improve our T20 cricket going forward.”

Former Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves’ appointment as England and Wales Cricket Board chairman fuelled speculation that Gillespie might succeed Moores, who has been under fire since England’s meek exit from the World Cup. In his second stint as England coach, Moores has held on to his role and is currently touring the Caribbean where the Test side are playing West Indies.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2015

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