Richie Benaud reveals he is being treated for skin cancer

Richie Benaud has revealed he is undergoing radiation treatment for skin cancer. The revered broadcaster has been absent from his commentary duties since a car accident near his Sydney home in 2013.

“[I’m] coping with it very well, the doctors are pleased,” Benaud told Channel Nine. “I’m going along slowly. The cancers need to be treated.”

Benaud said he was paying the price for a cricket career in which he did not wear a hat or sunscreen. “When I was a kid we never ever wore a cap. I wish I had. You live and learn as you go along,” he said. “I recommend to everyone they wear protection on their heads. Eighty-four-year-olds don’t seem to mend as well as they used to.”

Benaud was speaking at an event to launch Nine’s summer of cricket. Benaud confirmed he plans to return to the commentary box. The most probable fixture would be Australia’s fourth Test against India in Sydney, which starts on 3 January.

“Progress is slow,” he said of his recovery from the accident that left him with two broken vertebrae. “I’ve been doing a lot of walking. We are out every morning, doing 40-minute walks every morning and it’s showing beneficial effects.”

Nine’s head of sport, Steve Crawley, said Benaud’s return was dependent on his health.

“We’ll wait and see what he does but it’s definitely not locked in,” Crawley said. “He is having chemo at the moment. We just hope he is going to get well and the doctors keep saying all the right things.

“It’s up to him whether he wants to call, just like it was up to him if he wanted to come today. There is no pressure.”