LONDON, Jan 31: Cricket statistician Bill Frindall has died aged 69 after suffering from Legionnaires’ disease, the BBC announced on Friday.

Frindall was the longest-serving member of BBC Radio’s Test Match Special programme, having joined in 1966.

Known to listeners in Britain and beyond as the ‘Bearded Wonder’, a nickname given to him by the late BBC commentator Brian Johnston, Frindall covered more than 350 Test matches.

He also wrote several books, including four editions of the Wisden Book of Cricket Records, and since 1986 had edited the Playfair Cricket Annual, a pocket-book guide to the county and international game.

Until Frindall, who liked to point out he was born on the first day of the ‘Timeless Test’ between England and South Africa at Durban in 1939, scorers were largely anonymous figures and BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew, paying tribute, said: “He brought scoring alive.

“This is what Bill will always be remembered for. The weird world of cricket scoring to many people is incredibly dull but Bill made it interesting, he made it lively.”

Meanwhile, International Cricket Council President David Morgan also paid tribute to Frindall.

“The news of Bill’s passing has shocked me and my thoughts and those of everyone at the ICC go out to his wife Debbie, other members of his family and friends.

“Cricket owes Bill a huge debt of thanks because his tireless work has helped create a context for the game we know today.

“Bill was the gold standard of cricket statisticians, someone universally recognised within the game as a master of his art, and a prolific author.”

Frindall was made an MBE in 2004.—Agencies