Bill Frindall died today. If Test Match Special always had the character of a senior common room, with all the accumulated antipathy seething away 'neath the brittle surface of the bonhomie, Frindall played the head of the geography department who had been passed over for the deputy headship but nonetheless remained loyal.
His role was twofold: to keep the score and to suggest that it was about to rain. Now that the room temperature of sports coverage is so high and hysterical, we shall never again see anyone quite so pessimistic given access to a mike.
Legionnaire's Disease, contracted in Dubai. Close your eyes and imagine John Arlott saying something about that.
ReplyDeleteHe managed to work for the BBC since 1966 without prank-calling Andrew Sachs, too.
Bill also had a mighty stat in his enormous brain for literally any cricketing eventuality which may occur. He was a superstar without ever intending to be.
ReplyDeleteIn a worls where so many self-obsessed nincompoops are so richly celebrated, surely the BW should have been Sir BW. Genius (in the proper meaning of the phrase).
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