Clive Rice death anniversary: Cricketers who lost their battle with cancer

Clive Rice death anniversary: Cricketers who lost their battle with cancer

It's first death anniversary of South Africa's first captain of the post-isolation era Clive Rice. The former Proteas skipper and all-rounder passed away on the morning of July 28, 2015 after battling the Big C.

Let's look at some of the famous cricketers who have fought hard but lost their battle with cancer.

CLIVE RICE

Former South African cricket captain Clive Rice. Pic: mid-day archive

Clive Rice, South Africa's first cricket captain in the post-apartheid era, passed away after losing his battle with septicaemia -- a potentially life threatening infection in which large amounts of bacteria are present in the blood.

The former cricketer was suffering from a brain tumour. Rice was the first post-apartheid captain of South Africa and one of the stars of Nottinghamshire County side in the 1970s and 1980s.

Rice, who had been suffering from a brain tumour, played most of his cricket during South Africa's 20-year isolation
from the international game. He was selected for a 1971-72 tour of Australia, which was cancelled because of opposition to the South African government's policy of apartheid.

When South Africa returned to the international fold in November 1991, Rice was appointed captain of a team which played three one-day internationals (ODIs) in India.

The British daily 'The Telegraph' in its obit called him 'Best cricketer who never played a Test'. The obit goes on to mention that Rice could have been bracketed with the four great all-rounders of the 1980s - Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan and Kapil Dev - if politics had allowed.

FRED TRUEMAN

Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman died on July 1, 2006, aged 75 after a battle with lung cancer.

The Yorkshire and England fast bowler, who has died of lung cancer aged 75, was arguably one of the greatest fast bowlers to have played the game and undeniably the most colourful cricketer to come out of England.
He was diagnosed with lung cancer.

He played his first Test match at the age of 21 and established him as a national sporting hero in the 1950s and '60s. Over 13 years he played only 67 times for England and took more Test wickets, 307, and at a considerably lower average, 21.57, than any English bowler till then. Nicknamed "Fiery Fred", his finest hour came at The Oval in 1964 when he became the first man to take 300 Test wickets.

SIR RICHIE BENAUD

Australia's Richie Benaud in 1960s. PIC/GETTY IMAGES

Legendary cricket commentator and great leg-spinner Richie Benaud died in a Sydney hospice at the age of 84 on April 10, 2015.

Benaud was an all-time great all-rounder cricketer, a crafty leg-spinner who captured 248 wickets in 63 Tests, an attacking lower-order batsman who hit one of the fastest Test centuries, a brilliant gully fielder with amazing reflexes and a crowd puller wherever he played.

He was the first cricketer to achieve the Test double of 2000 runs and 200 wickets and, as an all-rounder, ranks as one of the greatest.

MARTIN CROWE

New Zealand's Martin Crowe during his 115-run knock in the third Test against England at Old Trafford in 1994. Pic/Getty Images

Former New Zealand cricket captain Martin Crowe has died of lymphoma aged 53 on March 3, 2016.

Crowe was first diagnosed with aggressive follicular lymphoma in 2012 and after chemotherapy, he was thought to be in remission. But Crowe announced in September 2014 that the cancer, which he called "my friend and tough taskmaster," had returned.

Crowe played 77 tests and 143 one-day internationals for New Zealand in a 13-year career. He scored 5,444 test runs at an average of 45.36 with 17 centuries.

Crowe has the second highest individual score in Tests by a New Zealand batsman with 299, Brendon McCullum is first. During the 1992 World Cup, Crowe was the leading run scorer as well as Player-Of-The-Series. Crowe was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985.

MALCOLM MARSHALL

Malcolm Marshall made the 1983 Kanpur Test memorable for West Indies

Malcolm Marshall died from colon cancer in Barbados on November 4, 1999, aged 41.

Marshall was one of the greatest West Indies fast bowler of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He along with his West Indian contemporaries -- Joel Garner, Curtly Ambrose, Colin Croft, formed a formidable quartet of fast bowlers. He took 376 Test wickets at the remarkable average of 20.94, the lowest bowling average of any bowler to take more than 200 Test wickets.

Marshall played for the West Indies from 1976 to 1991 and held the record as its leading wicket taker until Courtney Walsh passed the mark in November 1998.

His achieved his bowling success despite being, by the standards of other fast bowlers, a short man - he stood at 5 feet 11 inches.

He was nicknamed "Whispering Death" by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease.

MIKE DENNESS

Mike Denniss

Mike Denness died of cancer on April 19, 2013.

He was the only Scotsman ever to captain England, leading the team in 19 of his 28 Tests between 1969 and 1975. He also played 12 one-day internationals and went onto become an ICC match referee.

During his time as an ICC match referee his controversial decision to sanction six Indian players in Port Elizabeth during the 2001-2002 tour prompted the Indian and South African boards to ban Denness from officiating in the next match. The ICC responded by withdrawing Test status from the game.

His reign has England captain was marred by a strained relationship with Geoff Boycott, then one of the team's star performers.

During the 1974-75 tour of Australia, Denness dropped himself for the fourth Test after making just 65 runs in his first six innings. But he returned to hit 188 in the Melbourne Test which, at the time, was the highest score by an England captain in Australia.

TONY GREIG

Tony Greig

Former England captain and commentator Tony Greig, who was suffering from lung cancer, died at the age of 66 on December 29, 2012.

Greig, a right-handed middle-order batsman and medium-fast seamer, passed away at his home in Sydney after suffering a heart attack.

South African-born Greig played 58 Tests for England between 1972 and 1977, scoring 3,599 runs with eight centuries at 40.43 and captured 141 wickets at 32.20. He captained England in 14 Tests. He also played 22 one-day internationals for England.

Greig was instrumental in the formation of late Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer's breakaway World Series Cricket contest staged from 1977-79 which sent shockwaves through the sport.

The best performance of Greig's captaincy career came in 1976-77, when England toured India for a five-Test series.

The team had not won there for 15 years but went on to score one of their most convincing triumphs when they clinched the first three Tests by huge margins.

Greig turned into a successful commentator following the end of his playing career in 1977 and was forthright with his views. He was one of the most bitter critics of BCCI's opposition to the Decision Review System.

DAVID SHEPHERD

David Shepherd

David Shepherd died on October 27, 2009, after a long battle with cancer at the age of 68.

He was a genial man but was hard-hitting when it came to batting for Gloucester. Once, he hit the ball so hard it knocked out a spectator reading a newspaper in the crowd.

He scored a hundred on his county debut.

Shepherd was to be given special dispensation by the ICC to umpire in an England Test at Lord's as his final match, but he turned down the opportunity in order to maintain the neutral umpiring policy.

There is a statue dedicated to him near Lord's Cricket Ground in London.

Shepherd officiated in 172 ODIs, including three consecutive World Cup finals, and 92 Tests between 1983 and 2005. He was famous for his his 'jig' when scores reached 111 or a multiple thereof. Shepherd was appointed a first-class umpire in 1981, and made his international debut at the 1983 World Cup.