Cricket commentator Jack Bannister dies aged 85

Tributes have been paid to former Warwickshire bowler and cricket commentator Jack Bannister, who has died aged 85.

The radio station Talksport, where Wolverhampton-born Bannister worked after a spell broadcasting at the BBC, announced he had passed away on Friday night.

The former England player and coach David Lloyd, currently a commentator on Sky Sports told Press Association Sport: “It’s a really sad day. He was a true friend.

“He was a wonderful friend of Richie Benaud too, they were always in correspondence with each other. He was one of the most knowledgable blokes I have ever met in cricket, a wonderful man, a great golf partner and we’ll miss him very much.

“Jack was a true man of cricket, one of the very best. He was great, great fun. When he was in his prime everybody knew him and everybody had a good word for him.”

Bannister was a personal favourite of mine, and the voice of the Natwest Trophy. He, much like Benaud, Holding and Lloyd, could make reading the phone book a riveting affair. 

Jonathan Agnew posted the most wonderful video of him being stitched up in an on air interview with Fred Trueman and Bannister back in 1993. Unbeknownst to Aggers, both Trueman and Bannister had instructed to be uncooperative and dismissive throughout the interview. Impressively, both managed to keep a straight face and kept the act going for the entire 10-minute segment.

It's always sad when a well known person in sport dies but with cricket it seems to affect the sport more than the others.

Maybe that's because it's not played in as many countries or doesn't have the same following that the bigger sports does.

Either way, Bannister is another cricket legend that will be missed dearly by many people across the world.

pwarbi did you see him bowl when you were a young lad