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Tony Greig RIP

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Slats did overseas before C9 picked him up right? I remember him doing some series on Foxtel - India vs. Australia in 2004 I believe.

Edit: gfy Spikey. Your short posts are an unfair advantage.
 

Spikey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Finding out Richie knows how to use at least email was a feel good discovery of the year
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Bill Lawry:

"He walked in and said 'you're the Australian captain that lost 4-0 in South Africa aren't you?' And he beamed. And I said 'yeah, and you're the guy who gave up the captaincy of England for money'. I think from that moment on we were great friends because there was always a bit of banter. He won most times because his knowledge of cricket was far better than mine. He's a little bit like Ian Chappell, he was a bit of a cricket vegetable. He remembered almost everything that happened, and I'm a bit more airy-fairy than those two."

Yes you are Bill :laugh: Still a gun though.
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
The year was 1973. It was the first Test of the 72-73 series against England at Brabourne Stadium Bombay. Young Viswanath scored his second Test century having scored one on debut the previous season against Lawry's Australians.

As soon as Vishy reached his hundred, Greig, vice captain of the England side, picked up the diminutive Vishy in his arms like a baby and the stadium erupted.

They just loved Tony Greig.
 

Attachments

Teja.

Global Moderator
The year was 1973. It was the first Test of the 72-73 series against England at Brabourne Stadium Bombay. Young Viswanath scored his second Test century having scored one on debut the previous season against Lawry's Australians.

As soon as Vishy reached his hundred, Greig, vice captain of the England side, picked up the diminutive Vishy in his arms like a baby and the stadium erupted.

They just loved Tony Greig.
:laugh:!

I just visualized Punter picking up Kohli after the latter tonned up in Adelaide.
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
There is quite a bit of writing about Tony Greig in my library, not all of it complimentary, which makes for fascinating reading. Here are bits and pieces.

Not very sportsmanlike and the attitude of a mercenary

Tony Greig bears a fair amount of responsibility for the decline on sportsmanship in the English game. He was the first England player I remember indulging in gamesmanship . He stood very close in at bat-pad position and would appeal for everything. He was the same as a bowler - the object was to pressurise the umpires into making mistakes. When he batted he would stand there and wait for the decision even if he had knocked the cover off the ball. Very South African, whatever his English qualification.

The English lads who played under him thought Greigy was great value and I am afraid that his gamesmanship rubbed off on some of them. When I returned to the England scene after a gap of two and a half years, I noticed how much harder they all played and that included dubious appeals and the verbals if necessary. I hadn't forgotten how Greig had tricked out Eddie Barlow in a John Player league match a year earlier. Eddie played the ball to square leg and set off for a single; Greig went straight across the pitch and ran into Barlow; Eddie couldn't get past him and was run out by a row from square leg.

I wrote in my captain's report that the England skipper had been guilty of I gentlemanly conduct, that he had barged into Eddie deliberately. I thought it was a disgraceful action and told him so. Unfortunately Greig was no strangers to such tricks and his influence soon spread. If the England captain could stand at square leg bad-mouthing off a batsman, why shouldn't the rest follow suit. And what's wrong with pointing to the pavilion after dismissing someone?

Tony Greig's disrespect for the traditions of cricket meant that he was right up Kerry Packer's street and the current captain of England was soon hooked on the idea of WSC. He wouldn't have had the dilemma that Keith Fletcher did in 1982 about the South African offer. Greigy was always one to accommodate the highest bidder.


- England wicket keeper Bob Taylor

Impulsive and headstrong : determined and spirited

Tact and moderation are not words that spring to mind at the mention of his name, and in his early days with England there were signals from high places about his impulsive and occasionally over combative attitude . Wisden noted (on Tony Lewis tour of the sub continent and the West Indies) that his "aggressive band embarrassing mannerisms " and " the doubts caused by his explosiveness when the desire to succeed seemed to overwhelm his judgement" Wisden went on "he was good in creating pressure on others but not always so good in controlling it in himself."

I stood by him ... because malice was never the cause of his impulsiveness and I saw in him a dynamism, which if put to proper use, would be of inestimable value to England. I also thought that he was too intelligent not to learn as he went along.Two of his splendid qualities were his spirit and his determination. The tougher the situation the the stronger his response and added to his considerable ability and flair for the big occasion, a talent for leadership emerged. To me he appeared fully aware of his duty to preserve the best traditions of the game.

What I did not appreciate was the depth of his personal ambition. This was the impulsive, headstrong side of his nature. He found it hard to resist the showman in him at times and played to the gallery. ... he began to point to the pavilion when an opponent was dismissed ... signalling a four when he hit Lillee to the boundary . But the moment I told him to cut the provocative gestures he did so which showed he could take orders - the pre- requisite to giving them.


- Alec Bedser chairman of the committee that appointed him captain

Sharp/devious mind, ruthless streak, instinctive

With tall rangy good looks of the hero of a Western, Tony had presence, an all-round ability and a sharp, sometimes devious, mind. Although he led from the front with the infectious verve of a gay cavalier , he was not always too fussy about how his objectives were achieved. Despite his charm, He had a ruthless streak which was specially noticeable when Ian Chappell was the opposing captain. No prisoners were to be taken.

Tony was inclined to rely on instinct and this led to him making several mistakes both on and off the field which, with a moment's thought, could ave been avoided.
- "grovel" was not the word to use when he announced what he intended to make the Windies do
- his decision to replace Willis after just two overs with the new ball, during which he had removed Gordon Greenidge, with Underwood, doesn't make sense even in retrospect. On that featherbed it could only be termed a tactical and psychological blunder.

Sometimes his ideas worked brilliantly, but inevitably some were failures.


- Trevor Bailey, former England all rounder and cricket writer of renown

..... To be continued
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
He is ludicrously under-rated as a player. His first series as an England player was the first Ashes series that I followed, so he made a huge impression on me. His twin fifties on debut, made on a lively Old Trafford pitch were vital in setting up the win, and it soon became apparent that he was streets ahead of most of his England team-mates. Three of his test hundreds are up with the finest made for England since I started watching the game - Brisbane in 1974/75, Leeds in 1976 and Calcutta in 1976/77, and there several other fine knocks as well. His test batting average of 40+ did not happen by accident, and most of his runs came in tough situations. You would struggle to find many series against easy opponents. His captaincy was far more important than his record of 3 wins in 14 tests would suggest. The three drawn tests against Aus in 1975 compares very favourably with what had happened under Denness and with what Aus would then do against WI. Yes his pre-series comments about WI were stupid, but I do not believe that they affected the result one iota, despite what some have said. And his series win in India was brilliant - one of the finest during my time - and it went a long way to creating the fine side that Brearley was lucky to inherit in 1977.

The hypocrisy of the English establishment over Packer still stinks, especially when compared to those who took the rand in the 1980's. Ultimately, Greig's biggest sin was not knowing 'his place'. The reality is that English cricket owed him a huge amount 35 years ago.
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The grovel comment was just one of the many examples of his opening his mouth before engaging his brain - and just to demonstrate that at the end of the series he went over to the West Indian fans and grovelled in mock submission - if it hadn't suited some in the establishment to have a stick to beat him with the following year it would all have been forgotten - certainly I've never met a West Indian of that generation who had a problem with him
 

stumpski

International Captain
Although you nommed him in the 'Infamous' thread Fred - which I can see why btw - interesting that most of you remember him as a commentator but the English (and over-40s) recall him mainly as a player. I only caught him at the end of his England career but I can well imagine what a breath of fresh air he would have been in the rather middle-aged England dressing-room of 1972, Illingworth, D'Oliveira, MJK and all.
 

GotSpin

Hall of Fame Member
RIP Tony. One of the voices of summer. I used to coach Rugby and Cricket at the same school his son attended and on the few occasions I met him he was always very friendly. Was a intimidating figure mind you.
 

SeamUp

International Coach
My old man played Nuffield (now Coke Week u19 cricket) against him. Huge competitor from a young age, even then. Our schooling system is probably big behind that with the rivalries created and tough cricket most Saturday mornings. Still went back to Queens College when he went back to visit family in South Africa.

For those who missed Channel 9's brilliant tribute to him. Here it is -

Benaud remembers Tony Greig - YouTube
 
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