KARACHI: Australian cricketer-turned commentator Ian Chappell bid farewell to a commentary career of 45 years.
The former captain of Australia, who is well-known for his sharp observations of the game and his outspoken style of expressing them, confirmed to the Sydney Morning Herald that he has been "contemplating" the decision for some time.
"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'.
"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," Chappell said.
"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 joined a group of unique voices that accompanied Channel Nine's broadcasts of Australian cricket for more than three decades, including Richie Benaud, Bill Lawry, and Tony Greig.
It must be noted here that Chappell represented Australia in 91 international matches and scored 6018 runs.