We knew him
those days only through the radio commentaries whenever India happened to play England. We are
talking of the early seventies when television coverage was restricted to
mostly New Delhi
cricket Tests and there no possibility of any national telecast as there was no
terrestrial network through satellites. Cricket came live to our homes only
after 1982. Therefore we knew little about his towering 6.6 feet all-round
field presence and much lesser about his utterances, antics and entertainment
on the field. But even through radio commentaries he made his presence felt particularly
in 1974 when England
defeated India 3-0 in England with India
getting shot out for 42 in the second innings of the Lords Test, and then again
during 1976-77 England tour
of India known as the John
Lever ‘Vaseline’ Series when India
lost again 3-1. As a great cricketer he
remained etched in our mind since then and his popularity later as a
commentator, when we actually started seeing him, only realized his image for
us.
Anthony William‘Tony’ Greig was South
Africa born and got adopted for the English
national cricket team through his Scottish parentage. He played for England from 1972 to 1977 and captained England from
1975 to 1977. In his brief English career he played 58 Tests (14 as Captain)
scoring 3599 runs at an average of 40.4 with eight centuries. As a bowler who
could bowl both medium pace and off spin Tony Greig captured 141 wickets with 6
five-wicket hauls. Since the one-day cricket World Cup was started only in 1975
he played just 22 one day internationals with 269 runs and 19 wickets.
Tony Greig and
controversy was made for each other. His utterances and antics created big
controversies, but he never failed to entertain the spectators. He was one of
the most popular international cricketers on the Indian cricket fields and
later the most deft, excitable and delightful commentator. His biggest
controversy came when he helped Kerry Packer make the breakaway World Series
Cricket and lost his captaincy and place in the English team. Tony Greig became
an English cricket commentator based in Australia then onwards.
Tony Greig died
in Sydney
yesterday following a heart attack. Only two months back he was diagnosed with
lung cancer and the great cricketer knew his end was near. But the fighter
never gave up his spirit, vitality and jovial nature. He left behind the burden
of sorrow and irreparable loss on his fans and fellow cricketers.
Our tributes to
the great cricketer, the expert commentator and the born entertainer.
