New Zealand cricketing great Richard Hadlee has undergone surgery for bowel cancer but is expected to make a full recovery, his wife Dianne said Wednesday. "Last month, Richard had a routine, three-year colonoscopy, and we discovered that he has bowel cancer," she said in a statement.

"He has since had an operation to remove the tumour. This operation went extremely well and he has made an excellent recovery from surgery." Dianne Hadlee said that as a safeguard, the 66-year-old fast bowling legend would soon commence chemotherapy treatment and "it is expected that, in time, he will have a full recovery".