Exclusive: Legendary commentator Bill Lawry ready to call stumps on colourful career

AUSTRALIA’S favourite cricket commentator, Bill Lawry, is poised to announce his retirement from television broadcasting.

AUSTRALIA’S favourite cricket commentator, Bill Lawry, is poised to announce his retirement from television broadcasting.

Lawry’s voice and commentary have been synonymous with cricket coverage for all Australians for generations, and his influence was recognised by the two new major players following cricket’s new $1.2 billion deal.

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Former Australian captain Bill Lawry is set to retire from cricket commentating.

The man famous for the lines “got him, yes” or “it’s all happening” had been approached by Fox Sports and Channel 7.

It was rumoured that Foxtel wanted to bring Lawry on board in a part-time role to call the Boxing Day Test – as he’d done in recent years for Channel 9 having cut back on his duties.

But he’s knocked them back.

The legendary commentator brought many matches to life in a unique manner.

Lawry, who turned 81 in February, called the cricket on Channel 9 for almost 40 years. He also enjoyed a hugely successful playing career, in which he captained Australia and played 67 Tests, scored 5234 runs and hit 13 centuries.

He was a famously resolute defensive player who was once described as “the corpse with pads on” – but that changed in the commentary box, where his infectious enthusiasm shone through.

The retirement will signal the end of an era for cricket in Australia.

In recent seasons, he cut back to cover just the Boxing Day and Sydney Test matches.

Now he is going one step further and says it’s finally time to call stumps completely.

Cricket won’t be the same without him.

Originally published as Exclusive: Legendary commentator Bill Lawry ready to call stumps on colourful career