THE wife of the late great Richie Benaud says the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March that rocked cricket was a lesson “that probably needed to come at some stage.”

Speaking at the SCG on Tuesday for the launch of Fox Cricket, Daphne Benaud also says that the regeneration of the Australian team with fresh blood is a good thing.

Captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were each suspended for a year for their roles in the scandal, while opener Cameron Bancroft was stood down for nine months.

“Well I think it’s been a lesson that probably needed to come at some stage,” Daphne said.

“Perhaps not in the way it came but I think it’s made everyone sit up and take notice and I think that changing of the guard is a good thing to do and I think that we will find everything will slot into place.

“There used to be years where maybe three good players would retire in the same season and then you’re building up and building up and it all happens again — it all comes round full circle.”

Australia is currently playing a two-Test series against Pakistan in the UAE, and have picked three debutants for the opening match of the series — Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head and Aaron Finch — highlighting the changing face of the Test team.

Daphne also said her late husband’s very distinctive style wasn’t particularly imitable but he would be willing to offer advice if it was sought by other up-and-coming commentators.

“Well I think the game has moved on at a pace [since World Series Cricket] and I think it’s wonderful,” she said. “I think the new concept and with some of the old guard that’s still around and with some new faces, I think it will be a very exciting summer.

“Normally he would wait for commentators to ask him for advice. He wouldn’t criticise anybody, but he would give advice if asked for it. He wouldn’t say to somebody: ‘Well that’s not quite right’. He would wait until somebody might say ‘I feel a bit uncomfortable’. And then he might say well ‘perhaps you shouldn’t have said this, phrase it another way.’”

As for what Richie would have wanted to see, Daphne was unequivocal.

“As long as it’s competitive, he would just want to see a good series,” she said. “And the same things with the one day games and women’s cricket, everything. He’d just like to see competitiveness.

“It’s very exciting the whole concept and I think it will be an amazing year.