About Tony Greig
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; 1.98 metres) all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. Greig was captain of England from 1975 to 1977, and captained Sussex. His younger brother, Ian, also played Test cricket, while several other members of his extended family played at first-class level. 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. 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. 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, and rebounded on him when the visitors won the series 3–0. Greig became a commentator following the end of his playing career, later emigrating to Australia. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2012; he died in Sydney on 29 December 2012, from an apparent heart attack. All of them noticed Greig's developing abilities which, after a first-class debut for Border in the Currie Cup, led to a trial at Sussex when Greig was 19. After Greig scored 156 in 230 minutes against a strong Lancashire attack in his first game for Sussex, his future direction changed irrevocably.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.