Ian Chappell commentary retirement: Australian cricket legend Ian Chappell has decided to end his 45-year-long stunning commentary career. The 78-year-old former Australia skipper is globally known for his intelligent views on the game and his straightforward manner of telling about them. Chappell became a part of a distinctive voices team that backgrounded broadcasts of Australian cricket for more than three decades, alongside Richie Benaud, Bill Lawry and Tony Greig. Follow Cricket News updates with InsideSport.IN
“I remember the day when I knew I’d had enough of playing cricket. I looked at the clock and it was five past 11 on a day of play and I thought, ‘S**t, if you’re clock-watching at that time, I have to go,’ ESPNcricinfo quoted Ian Chappell as saying.”So when it comes to commentary, I’ve been thinking about it. I had a minor stroke a few years back and I got off lucky. But it just makes everything harder. And I just thought with all the travel and, you know, walking upstairs and things like that, it’s all just going to get harder” he added.
“Then I read what Rabbits [legendary rugby league commentator Ray Warren] said with retirement and it really struck home when I read the bit where he said, ‘you’re always one sentence closer to making a mistake,” Chappell further added.Before entering the commentary box he represented Australia in 75 Test matches – 30 of them as captain.
Ian Chappell commentary retirement: Former Australia captain Ian Chappell calls time on commentary career after 45 years
“Kerry [Packer, the media mogul who owned Channel Nine] wanted to sack me a couple of times,” Chappell said. “He used to get the s***s about one-day cricket, because that was his baby. And I might have said something about one-day cricket. With Kerry it was just like a storm – you’d let it blow over till the next one came,” he added.
Talking about what would he like to be remembered as a commentator, Chappell replied: “It’s up to other people to decide what they think of me and some will think I’ve been all right. Some will think I’ve been a pr**k. That doesn’t bother me one bit.”
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