Kerry Packer dies

[Rabz]

Kerry Packer, australia's richest man and also the person who single handedly changed the game of cricket for good has died this morning, aged 68.

Kerry Packer dies aged 68
Cricinfo report

Kerry Packer, the man responsible for World Series Cricket and the explosion of the one-day game, has died in Sydney aged 68. Packer, a media mogul billionaire, was behind the damaging split from the Australian Cricket Board in the late 1970s in a fight over television broadcasting rights and when peace was achieved his Channel 9 coverage led the way in innovation.

A minute's silence was held before the start of the second day of the Australia-South Africa Test and Cricket Australia said he was one of the most "influential men in its history". Creagh O'Connor, the Cricket Australia chairman, said Packer stood alongside Sir Donald Bradman as one of the giants of the game.

"That cricket is today taken as granted as a natural part of the Australian way of life is in no small measure due to his influence," he said. "The so-called Packer revolution' left a lasting legacy in the way the game is played, administered and presented to the public via the influential Channel 9 telecast. One-day international cricket is now an international phenomena as a result of Kerry Packer."

In the 1980s Packer was also influential in preventing players from taking part in rebel tours to South Africa and he signed up young players such as Steve Waugh on lucrative contracts with his company PBL. Shane Warne was another on his books until he was sacked last year for his off-field indiscretions and he was comforted by his team-mates during the minute's silence.

Packer, who had a kidney transplant in 2000, had a history of serious illnesses and suffered severe health problems over the past couple of years. A statement from Channel 9 said he died "peacefully at home with his family at his bedside" on Boxing Day.
© Cricinfo

To us, millions of cricket fans round the world, he should be remembered for his contribution to the game of cricket.
Without his contribution and effort, i wonder what would be the state of world cricket now. Even though he was a great businessman and ripped an excellent opportunity, still his efforts resulted in a great benefit for the game itself.

May his soul rest in peace.

[battye]

RIP

[cricket_zenith]

yea heard of it......its indeed pretty sad.