You've probably heard a lot about Australia captain-turned-journalist/commentator Richie Benaud. Now, read about his brother John -- a former batsman and selector, who picked Shane Warne in 1992

Former Australia batsman John Benaud went from editor-in-chief of Sydney Sun (defunct newspaper) to a member of the selection panel that picked spin legend Shane Warne. He still considers his decision to retain Warne after the leggie's forgettable debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here against India in 1991-92 as the wisest move of his cricketing life. SUNDAY MiD DAY spoke to John, the brother of legendary Australian cricketing personality, Richie in Sydney recently.
Excerpts from an interview:


John Benaud and Australian cricket legend Richie Benaud

What drove you towards journalism? Do you miss being a journalist?
It was a natural progression for me. I started playing cricket at the age of 10. After finishing school, I went straight to the newspaper industry. I started out as a copy boy. It was little strange when people used to constantly ask me about my brother (Richie) - how he was in real life and so on. I just wanted to focus on my career as a journalist. I do miss writing a lot. I wrote for a lot of Indian magazines too.

Could you talk us through your time as Australia selector?
I came in 1989 to take Greg Chappell's place on the panel. Bob Simpson, who was coach at the time, was also on the panel. It was probably a very good time to be a selector. The team had began its rebuilding process, had just won a World Cup. Allan Border was finally becoming a highly successful captain. We had some young players that were coming through. The Waughs were developing, (Tim) Alderman was at his peak, Craig McDermott was becoming a top-class bowler.