South Africa cricket legend Mike Procter dies at 77

South Africa cricket legend and former nationwide coach Mike Procter died on Saturday on the age of 77, his spouse advised AFP.

“He suffered a complication throughout surgical procedure, grew to become unconscious and by no means awakened,” Maryna Procter stated.

Procter was an impressive all-rounder who grew to become South Africa’s first coach within the post-apartheid period and had a controversial stint as an Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) match referee.

On Monday his household revealed that he had suffered a “cardiac incident” whereas recovering in a hospital intensive care unit following routine surgical procedure.

Procter was being handled in a hospital close to his hometown, the coastal metropolis of Durban.

Procter’s worldwide taking part in profession with South Africa was minimize brief in 1970 when his nation was banished from world cricket due to its apartheid authorities.

Earlier than the ban, South Africa received six of the seven Checks during which he performed, all towards Australia.

Procter was famend primarily as a fearsome quick bowler, taking 41 wickets at a mean of 15.02 runs in his seven Checks.

However he was additionally a flamboyant batsman, and equalled a world batting report when he hit six first-class centuries in successive innings.

Submit-democracy, South Africa returned to worldwide cricket, Procter grew to become coach of the worldwide facet and led them to the semi-finals of the 1992 World Cup.

Procter performed first-class cricket for 16 years, together with 14 seasons with English county Gloucestershire, 5 of them as captain, the place he achieved legendary standing.

David Graveney, a former Gloucestershire team-mate of Procter, stated the South African “was a unbelievable participant and fairly rightly considered the most effective all-rounders that has ever represented Gloucestershire”.

He added: “I do not assume folks realise that when Mike performed he was taking part in by way of nice ache in his knee, however that did not cease him from performing on the degree he did. He was simply the most effective gamers I ever performed with.

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“The section ‘Proctershire’ was very apt for Mike. He put within the greatest performances within the greatest video games.”

In South Africa, he performed most of his cricket for Natal, the province the place he was born.

His six successive centuries had been made for the then Rhodesia between 1970 and 1971, culminating in a career-best 254 towards Western Province.

He scored 21,082 runs in first-class cricket at a mean of 36.92, hitting 47 centuries, and took 1,357 wickets at a mean of 19.07 runs.

He leaves behind his spouse and two youngsters.

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