Australian cricket great Ian Chappell has retired from commentary after almost half a century behind the microphone. 

After a legendary 75-Test career as a player, including 30 as captain, Chappell quickly moved into the media landscape. 

Chappell was the last member still in the chair from Channel Nine's famous commentary team including Richie Benaud, Bill Lawry and Tony Greig.

Greig and Benaud have died and 85-year-old Lawry left the commentary box some years back.

Now Chappell, who spent most of his career with Nine's Wide World of Sports before stints with Macquarie and ABC radio coverage in recent summers, is also hanging up the headset.

Chappell told the Sydney Morning Herald he had been thinking about retiring for a while.

"I had a minor stroke a few years back and I got off lucky. But it just makes everything harder," the 78-year-old said.

"And I just thought with all the travel and walking up stairs and things like that, it's all just going to get harder.

"Then I read what Rabbits [recently retired rugby league commentator Ray Warren] said with retirement and it really struck home when I read the bit where he said, 'you're always one sentence closer to making a mistake'."

Chappell commentated with a laconic tone but he became known for his forthright opinions on everything from batting technique to the way the sport was governed, formed over decades in the game.

"It's up to other people to decide what they think of me and some will think I've been all right," he said of his reputation as something of a curmudgeon in his later years.

"Some will think I've been a prick. That doesn't bother me one bit."

Cricket identities from around the world paid tribute to one of the elder statesmen of Australian cricket.