Tony Greig. Photo / Getty Images
Former England captain and cricket commentator Tony Greig has died after suffering a heart attack. He was 66.
Greig had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer but he suffered a heart attack at his home yesterday morning and died at about 1.45pm (AEDT).
The Sydney-based, South Africa-born Greig was diagnosed
with bronchitis in May but the condition lingered and in October tests revealed a small lesion on his right lung. On his return to Australia from the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, further testing revealed he had lung cancer.
An abrasive character who loved stirring up Aussie crowds during the 1974-75 Ashes series, Greig played 58 tests and boasted a handy all-round record of 3599 runs at 40.43 and 141 wickets at 32.20. He was a key figure in recruiting international players for Kerry Packer's anti-establishment World Series Cricket which began in 1977, the year Greig played his last test for England.
In the 1980s, Greig became a high-profile member of the Nine Network's cricket commentary team. He left earlier this summer when he became too unwell.
