Tony Greig - from history teacher... to Test cricketer

By A.C De Silva

Death of a loved cricketer.... The history of sport is lettered with the skeletons of promising youngsters who never developed their potential. Anthony William Greig - the ace cricket commentator who 'passed away' recently, is certainly not one of them. Greig had the potential, the drive and the never-say-die spirit to become a somebody in life.

But he wouldn't have become a cricketer, wouldn't have entertained the multitude and surely wouldn't have written a lot on cricket, had not destiny guided him firmly to become a star player.

It will be somewhat of a surprise to come to know that he never even thought of becoming a Test cricketer, he merely wanted to become a history teacher. Though he was an outdoor-type - who showed promise in tennis, rugby and cricket, his heart was set on teaching history, his favourite subject. His headmaster approved of his choice, so did his father.

A great trier

Destiny didn't. It littered his path with a series of coincidences which helped the young man to overcome the minus factors in life - his nationality, his background and his volatile personality.

It was as a 23-year-old with a broad South African accent, taking a place in the England side which many believed that he was not entitled to.

It was the English authorities who had elected to give Tony Greig a chance, and by doing so they earned his admiration.

It would have been very easy for them to ignore him and avoid that risk of inflating the anti-South Africa balloon. But the authorities struck by the relay acknowledged that he was eligible through residence and the birthplace of his father, and decided that he was worth a try, knowing even as they pencilled his name (for England vs Rest of the World, 1970) that it was a controversial selection.

"My first day was my most successful. Brought on as 'second change' to follow John Snow, David Brown and Basil D'Oliveira, I quickly had Rohan Kanhai caught by Keith Fletcher at slip.

'Dolly' picked-up Graeme Pollock for just two, but the initiative seemed to be step away again as Barry Richards and Clive Lloyd shared a half-century stand and took the score to 106 for 3.

Greig's victory story began with the capture of Richards' wicket - caught down the leg side by Alan Knott. Then 20 runs later, Greig was celebrating the treasured wicket of Gary Sobers, who had dragged a wide ball on to his stumps, and at the same score, Greig added Farokh Engineer to his bag. The World was 126 for 6 and Greig had four wickets.

England went on to win the match by eight wickets. He scored only 14 runs. However, he had a haul of seven wickets in all - Richards and Sobers again, and Eddie Basrow, making his second innings trio.

Tinge of Irony

There was a tinge of irony to his cricket career. Greig came from a country that sold people as black and white; black as unwanted, white stood for everything good. But it was a black, a famous black man at that, who introduced Greig to the highest level of international cricket.

"Meet the 5ft 91/2 inch blond bombshell from South Africa." This was how Sir Gary Sobers recommended Greig's name to the Rest of World XI team for the series against Australia.

Greig the Test cricketer, of course, needs no introduction to Indians. Who can forget his personality."

Greig captained Sussex, England and World XI as the "best all-rounder" of his time and what he achieved in those capacities is well-known to the followers of the game. What is not well-known, however, is the secret he kept hidden behind a sunny exterior for 20 years.

The man who splintered the cricket world, acting as the key agent of TV tycoon Kerry Packer was an epileptic. An in the first of the excerpts from his book, Greig explains how he coped - and continued - with the melody. And extraordinary, yet inspiring story. It was a story about an illness which could alienate Tony from the sporting world.

Throughout the years between the discovery of the condition and the end of his school-days, Greig shied away from any conservation on the subject.

Greig accepted that he had to live with this problem, but it made it no easier for him to discuss it. He was not allowed to do a wide range of things because of the danger involved. He had to stop cycling. If he wanted to swim, he had to be consistently be in adult company.

A silent sufferer

So, Greig had a dangerous illness. But his life had to go on and he wanted to live it the way he wanted. Greig had a problem. He accepted it and had to live with the problem and he was not followed to a whole range of things because of the danger involved. He had to stop riding a bicycle. If he wanted to swim, he had to be consistently in adult company. There was to be no playing or walking near the edge of a cliff.

He came to know he had a dangerous illness. But Greig told to himself that life had to go on!

Epilepsy is incurable. It can be controlled, but never eliminated. He never paid much attention to there illness. He simply formulated his own pattern of treatment - which revolves around sleeping whenever he feels giddy. He is a person who can generally sleep anywhere and at any time of day.

Whenever possible he says that he likes to put a nap during the afternoon, and even matches he says that he even stretches out on a couch or even on the floor of the dressing-room in the early part of his career.

Back in South Africa

In the 1970-'71 season he had arrived back in South Africa after opening his England career with three matches against the Rest of the World.

It was the Aussie Cup season and he was playing against Transvaal and the match was to be played on the famous Wanderers ground in Johannesburg. Greig's team lost the toss and he was in the field and he felt dizzy, but he kept his mouth shut about it all and found himself on.

Peter Pollock was in peak bowling form and, within his opening few overs he had induced two edges and Greig caught them both at slip without the slightest trouble, but those catches were to be Grieg's contribution to the contest.

A few minutes later his debut was over. Greig threw back his head, turned two helpless circles and stumped to the Ground.

The drama of the moment was concealed by official reports that Greig had suffered a sunstroke, but Greig says that he cannot believe that - it was simply taken in by the 8,000 crowd on the ground.

Thank God for everything

Eastern Province in fact, was close to a double tragedy. Peter Pollock had the presence of mind to put his hand into Greig's mouth to release Greig's tongue.

In the commotion that took place, Greig very nearly bit off Pollock's bowling.

"But my thinking on the problem is perfectly straight forward. I have had a tremendous life, an enormous amount t of enjoyment and considerable personal achievement, despite being an epileptic.God has granted me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change and to live with my condition.

Epilepsy does not mean the end of the world. If, because of my own experience, I have been able to get that message across to other sufferers, then I am grateful and, as long as I stay grateful, I can stay contented and I can cope.