Tony Greig facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Anthony William Greig
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| Born | 6 October 1946 Queenstown, Cape Province, Union of South Africa |
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| Died | 29 December 2012 (aged 66) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium Right-arm off break |
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| Role | All-rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Ian Greig (brother) Norman Curry (brother-in-law) |
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| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 452) | 8 June 1972 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 30 August 1977 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 15) | 24 August 1972 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 6 June 1977 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1965/66–1969/70 | Border | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1966–1978 | Sussex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1970/71–1971/72 | Eastern Province | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricInfo, 28 October 2009
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Anthony William Greig (born 6 October 1946 – died 29 December 2012) was a famous South African-born cricketer and commentator. He played for the England cricket team because his father was Scottish. Tony Greig was a very tall player, standing 6 feet 6 inches. He was an all-rounder, meaning he was good at both batting and bowling. He bowled both medium-pace and off-spin.
Greig was the captain of England from 1975 to 1977. He also led the Sussex team. Many people think he was one of England's best all-rounders. He helped start World Series Cricket, which was a new cricket competition. This decision meant he lost his role as England captain. After his playing career, Greig became a well-known cricket commentator. He moved to Australia later in his life.
Contents
Tony Greig's Early Life and Cricket Start
Tony Greig was born in Queenstown, Union of South Africa. His father was from Scotland and worked for the RAF. Tony went to Queen's College in Queenstown. Many former Sussex cricket players coached at his school. They noticed Tony's great talent for cricket.
Tony played his first professional cricket game for the Border when he was 19. He then got a chance to try out for the Sussex team in England. His father helped him decide between going to university or playing cricket. Tony's father told him to go to England for one year to see what he could do.
Becoming a Star Player
Tony Greig scored 156 runs in his first game for Sussex. This amazing start changed his future plans. He decided to stay in England and focus on cricket. Tony set a goal to play for the England Test team within six years. He also played cricket in South Africa during the winter seasons for a few years.
Becoming England's Captain
In 1974, Tony Greig played well against India and Pakistan. He scored a century (100 runs) against India. This helped him get ready for the Ashes tour in Australia. During this tour, England faced fast bowlers Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee. Most English batsmen struggled, but Greig scored 110 runs in the first game.
Leading England in the World Cup
Greig played in the first Cricket World Cup in England in 1975. His team lost to Australia in the semi-final. Even though he was good at one-day cricket, he didn't have a huge performance in the 22 One Day International (ODI) games he played for England.
After the World Cup, Australia stayed to play four Ashes Test matches. England lost the first match. The captain, Mike Denness, was replaced, and Tony Greig became the new captain. People expected him to play boldly against the strong Australian team.
Greig's Captaincy and Commercial Success
Tony Greig quickly made a difference as captain. In his first match as captain, he scored 96 runs. England played well, and the series was exciting. One match at Leeds was stopped because vandals damaged the pitch. Greig agreed to end the match, which meant England lost the Ashes.
Greig was known for wanting to use his fame as a sportsman. He signed many endorsement deals and appeared in commercials in Australia. He even had a famous catchphrase for a breakfast cereal: "It's just like a cricket bat with holes!"
The "Grovel" Comment Controversy
When Tony Greig returned to England, he caused a big stir before the 1976 series against the West Indies. He made a controversial comment on television about the West Indies players. He said he intended "to make them grovel."
This word caused a lot of anger, especially for people with slave ancestry. The West Indian fast bowlers were very motivated when Greig came to bat. They bowled very fast and short balls at him. Greig tried a new batting style to deal with these fast balls. He held his bat high, which helped against short balls but made him vulnerable to full-pitch deliveries.
Despite the controversy, Greig showed his sense of humor. In the last match, he pretended to crawl on his hands and knees in front of the crowd. This made the fans, who had booed him earlier, cheer and laugh.
Success in India
Tony Greig's best time as captain was in 1976–77 when England toured India. England had not won a Test series there for 15 years. India had great spin bowlers and huge crowds. Greig used his past experience in India to connect with the fans. For example, he would pretend to be "dead" when loud firecrackers went off.
England won the first three Tests by large margins. Greig felt that scoring 103 runs on a difficult pitch in Calcutta, in front of 100,000 fans, was the best moment of his career. He scored 342 runs and took ten wickets in the series.
The Centenary Test and World Series Cricket
In March 1977, Greig's team went to Australia for a special match. It was the Centenary Test, celebrating 100 years of Australia vs. England Test matches. The game was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Greig made sure his team played positively. Australia won by 45 runs, which was the same margin as the very first Test match.
Soon after, it was revealed that Greig had signed a contract with Kerry Packer, an Australian TV owner. Packer wanted to start a new cricket series called World Series Cricket. Greig helped Packer sign many English and foreign players. This news became public and caused a huge uproar. Many people were angry because Greig was England's captain while helping to set up a rival cricket series.
Losing the Captaincy
Because of the controversy, Tony Greig was removed as England captain. However, he still played in the team under the new captain, Mike Brearley. Crowds often booed him during matches that summer. His Test career ended quietly on 30 August 1977.
Greig continued to work for World Series Cricket (WSC). He was involved in a legal case to allow WSC players to play in Test matches. WSC won the case. However, the intense schedule of World Series Cricket meant Greig's playing career ended early. His last match was in 1979.
Living with Epilepsy
Tony Greig had his first epileptic seizure when he was 14. He managed his condition with medicine and by making sure he got enough sleep. For most of his career, few people knew about his epilepsy. He often felt a warning sign before a seizure. In 1971–72, he collapsed during a match, but it was said to be heat stroke. His condition became public during the World Series Cricket controversy.
Tony Greig's Later Career as a Commentator
After his playing career, Tony Greig became a cricket commentator for Nine Network in Australia. He was known for being fair, witty, and very excited about the game. Fans loved his pitch reports, where he would use a car key or pen to show how the pitch was behaving.
Greig also commentated for other channels in the United Kingdom and South Africa. He hosted a podcast where he shared his strong opinions on cricket. He once said, "Give your hand to cricket and it will take you on the most fantastic journey, a lifetime journey both on and off the field." This shows how much he loved the sport.
He also served on the board of Epilepsy Action Australia for many years. In 2011, he became a brand ambassador for Sri Lanka Tourism.
Speaking Out on Cricket Issues
In 2012, Greig gave a speech where he criticized the BCCI. He felt they were misusing their power and money. He asked them to "embrace the spirit of cricket" and make decisions that were best for all of world cricket, not just India.
Tony Greig is still remembered fondly by Sri Lankan cricket fans. He often promoted Sri Lanka as a tourist spot during his commentary.
Tony Greig's Health and Passing
In May 2012, Tony Greig started having bad coughing fits. Doctors first thought it was bronchitis. After more tests, they found a small, harmful spot in his right lung. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2012. He had an operation in November. He sadly passed away in Sydney on 29 December 2012, at the age of 66, after a suspected heart attack.
Images for kids
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Tony Greig as a cricket commentator.
