Tony Greig

For the wrestler, see Tony Greig (wrestler).

Tony Greig
Personal information
Full name
Anthony William Greig
Born(1946-10-06)6 October 1946
Queenstown, Cape Province, Union of South Africa
Died29 December 2012(2012-12-29) (aged 66)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
Right-arm off break
RoleAll-rounder
RelationsIan Greig (brother)
Norman Curry (brother-in-law)
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 452)8 June 1972 v Australia
Last Test30 August 1977 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 15)24 August 1972 v Australia
Last ODI6 June 1977 v Australia
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1965/66–1969/70Border
1966–1978Sussex
1970/71–1971/72Eastern Province
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 58 22 350 190
Runs scored 3,599 269 16,660 3,899
Batting average 40.43 16.81 31.19 24.67
100s/50s 8/20 0/0 26/96 3/21
Top score 148 48 226 129
Balls bowled 9,802 916 52,513 8,435
Wickets 141 19 856 244
Bowling average 32.20 32.57 28.85 23.15
5 wickets in innings 6 0 33 3
10 wickets in match 2 0 8 0
Best bowling 8/86 4/45 8/25 6/28
Catches/stumpings 87/– 7/– 345/– 88/–
Source: CricInfo, 28 October 2009

Anthony William Greig (6 October 1946 – 29 December 2012) was a South African-born cricketer and commentator. Greig qualified to play for the England cricket team by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall (6 feet 6 inches or 1.98 metres)[1] all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. Greig was captain of England from 1975 to 1977, and captained Sussex.[2] His younger brother, Ian, also played Test cricket, while several other members of his extended family played at first-class level.[3]

A leading player in English county cricket, Greig is thought by some former players and pundits to have been one of England's leading international all-rounders.[4][5][6] He helped Kerry Packer start World Series Cricket by signing up many of his England colleagues as well as West Indian and Pakistani cricketers, a move which cost him the England captaincy. He is also known for a controversial run-out of Alvin Kallicharran in a Test Match against the West Indies in 1974, and often clashed with Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee on the 1974–75 Ashes Tour in Australia.[2] His statement in the lead-up to the 1976 tour of England by the West Indies that he intended "to make them grovel" was met with severe criticism.

Greig became a commentator following the end of his playing career, later emigrating to Australia. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2012,[7] and died in Sydney, on 29 December 2012, from an apparent heart attack.[8]

  1. ^ "Tony Greig". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  2. ^ a b Bateman, Colin (1993). If The Cap Fits. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 82–83. ISBN 978-1-869833-21-3.
  3. ^ Tony Greig profile at CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  4. ^ Greg Chappell: "He wouldn't have made it as a bowler or batsman, but his determination made him a top all-rounder", Tossell, p. 93.
  5. ^ Derek Underwood "... you never hear of him mentioned as being a top-quality cricketer, but he was." Tossell, p. 98.
  6. ^ John Snow "... he was as good an all-rounder as Freddie Flintoff, if not better." Tossell, p. 98.
  7. ^ "Tony Greig diagnosed with lung cancer". Wisden India. 20 October 2012. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference newsau was invoked but never defined (see the help page).