Clarke's way of paying tribute to Greig

January 03, 2013 03:49 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 04:59 am IST - Sydney

Australia's Michael Clarke reaches to catch a ball from Sri Lanka's Lahiru Thirimanne during the third cricket test match in Sydney, Australia on Thursday.

Australia's Michael Clarke reaches to catch a ball from Sri Lanka's Lahiru Thirimanne during the third cricket test match in Sydney, Australia on Thursday.

In a tribute to late cricketer-turned-commentator Tony Greig, who passed away after suffering from a heart attack last week, Australian captain Michael Clarke wore his signature neckerchief while leading his team onto the field in the second Test against Sri Lanka which started in Sydney on Thursday.

Besides, Greig’s trademark hat sat on the stumps in the Sydney Cricket Ground before the start of play.

The players wore black armbands as a mark of respect to the South African-born former England captain who was battling lung cancer at the time of his death on Saturday, aged 66.

“He was an inspiration to cricket,” said Clarke, who was presented the neckerchief by Grieg’s son Tom before the start of play.

“The game owes Greigy a hell of a lot. If not for the great Kerry Packer and Tony Greig, the game wouldn’t be where it is today,” he added, referring to the rebel World Series Cricket which revolutionised the game.

The players observed a minute’s silence, while Greig’s fellow commentators paid rich tributes to him.

“He was so strong in every way, a man I always liked to have on my side,” said Benaud.

“...we will get on with it as he would have wished. And at the end of the day we will raise a glass to our gifted colleague and friend forever.”

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell remembered Greig as a courageous person. “He was combative but he was not about to take advantage of you,” said Chappell.

Thousands of fans, who turned up on Thursday, wore Greig-style sun hats to pay tribute to him. Greig’s other son Mark was also in attendance at the SCG.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.