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Nine’s desperate bid to get Richie back on air

Legendary commentator Richie Benaud is so indispensable to Australian cricket that he may be allowed to call matches from home.

Due to health concerns, Nine Network boss David Gyngell has given Benaud the option to work from his lounge room.

“That’s what I’ve put to him,” Gyngell told Fairfax media.

“If he’s not up to calling from the ground this summer, I’d like him to call from home. He’d be the ultimate armchair caller from the couch, wouldn’t he?

“I’d prefer to have him calling at the ground, but I would say that will be difficult. If I have my way, he will be calling it from his home but it is completely his decision.”

The 83-year-old former cricketer is a beloved presence at the Sydney Cricket ground and inspires legions of well-intentioned impersonators every year.

Benaud has been struggling with his health following a car accident in October last year, which left him bedridden with a smashed vertebrae.

On Tuesday, his wife accepted an SCG media hall of fame honour on his behalf.

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