More than 300 Australian cricket fans gathered at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday, dressed as the late legendary commentator Richie Benaud. The group, known as The Richies, wore wigs and cream jackets to honour Benaud, who died in 2015 at the age of 84.
The fans are calling for 'Richie Day' to be officially recognised at the annual Sydney Test, which is currently being played between Australia and Pakistan. Benaud, who played 53 Test matches for Australia, became a popular broadcaster after his playing career.
Michael Hennessy, co-founder of The Richies, expressed his delight at seeing 311 Benaud lookalikes at the ground. 'He had the most influence on Australian cricket since Don Bradman, so I think it would be great to honour Richie with his own day,' he told the BBC.
Hennessy said anyone over 18 could join the club, provided they adhered to a strict dress code of cream, bone, white, off-white or beige. 'There's a strict dress code and a behavioural code to try and honour Richie in the right way. Our bottom line is: what would Richie do?' he said.
The group now plans to focus on the 2017-18 Ashes series. 'It'd be good for the Aussies to have something to rival the Barmy Army,' Hennessy said. 'They've done a great job over the years of cheering on the English team. Win, lose or draw, they're cheering.'
