Cricket world mourns loss of Greig

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

The team ... Tony Greig, Bill Lawry and Ian Chappell. Source:Supplied

The cricketing and wider community pay their respects to former England captain and Australia media personality.

James Packer: "apart from his considerable talents as a cricketer and then a commentator, (Greig) played an absolutely pivotal role in the success of World Series Cricket, which changed the game forever for the better, Tony stood shoulder to shoulder with my father at times when it was not always fashionable. And together with the backing of other key players and supporters, they forged a brave new age for both cricketers and spectators alike. For that alone, every fan of the game is in Tony Greig's debt. But he was much more than that. Our cricket enemy turned our mate - his famous car keys stuck in the pitch to demonstrate its hardness, and his legendary but friendly on-air barneys with the great Bill Lawry."

---

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Richie Benaud: "when he played cricket, he was big and he did big things. And he didn't care about anyone else who was bigger or perhaps might even be faster or anything like that. He would just get in there and fight. Greig and Bill Lawry's playful on-air fisticuffs defined Australia's cricket coverage for three decades and they grew to be great friends."

---

Bill Lawry: "an Englishman with an Australian attitude" - "I missed Tony this summer just in the commentary team and now he's gone forever. My wife and I are absolutely shattered and we really feel for Vivian and his four children today. I have missed him terribly this year, not knowing how sick he was."

---

John Howard: "he would always as a former English captain have a bit of a jab at the Australians. That was all part of the spirit in which the game has always been played. To everyone else, Greig was remembered as combative in every facet of his life and someone who revelled in being the villain both on and off the field."

---

Test captain Michael Clarke: "I was only speaking with Tony a couple of days ago so news of his passing is absolutely devastating. Tony has a long and decorated history with international cricket both as a player and commentator and cricket will be much poorer for his loss. Personally, he has also been a great mentor for me, providing great advice through the good times and the bad. On behalf of the Australian Cricket Team our thoughts, prayers and wishes are with Greig family at this difficult time.''

---

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Former Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee: "Tony was a tough opponent who took on all opposition with aggression and a determination to win. We will not forget the way he stirred the viewers in a similar vein to the way he did to opposition teams.''

---

Greig's wife Vivian: "Our family wants to extend our gratitude for the support and condolences we have received and would ask for privacy at this very sad time.''

---

Former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist on Triple M radio: "Horrible, frightening news. It's just such a shock. The cricketing community in particular will be hit very hard by this.''

---

Channel nine chief executive David Gyngell: "It's a deeply upsetting time for his family and for everyone associated with Tony at Nine, and indeed for many, many others who came to know and love the man. He's not only been part of our family, but he's had a seat at the head of the table.''

---

Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards: "He was a combative on-field rival of Australian cricket but became one of Australian cricket's firmest friends, with his long-running role as a Channel Nine commentator making him an Australian household name.''

Former Australian wicketkeeper Rod Marsh said on ABC: "I don't know as a player whether he was an icon. I think in some ways he'll be remembered more for his commentary in Australia. I don't think that is a bad thing to say about him because he was very special as a commentator. He got the place alive and working, that Channel 9 commentary box. He loved the game and he served the game very well.''

Tim Horan

Glenn McGrath

Matt Prior

Mickey Arthur

Dav Whatmore

Kerry O'Keefe

Moises Henriques

Jason Gillespie

Brian Lara

Billy Birmingham

Brett Lee

Graeme Smith

23.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hussey announces retirement

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Mr Cricket ... Hussey will pull up stumps from internationals at the end of the summer. Source: Chris Crerar / AAP

Michael Hussey has made the shock decision to retire from international cricket.

TEST CAREER

Matches: 78

Innings: 135

Runs: 6183

Highest score: 195

Average: 51.52

50s: 29

100s: 19

ODI CAREER

Matches: 185

Runs: 5442

Highest score: 109*

Average: 48.15

50s: 39

100s: 3

Hussey will play his final Test against Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3. He will also play the one-day international series against Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

The 37-year-old told Cricket Australia his desire to spend more time with his family was his primary motivation for announcing his retirement.

"I was quite excited to tell them (children) that I'm not going to go away and play for Australia any more," Hussey said.

"They were happy, but not as excited as I thought they were going to be. So it was a bit of a shock."

Hussey has scored 6183 runs at 51.52 from 78 Tests. He has also represented Australia in 185 one-day internationals and 38 Twenty20 internationals.

Usman Khawaja is likely to replace Hussey in the Test batting line-up.

Hussey was a central plank in Australia's plans for the forthcoming tour of India and the 10 Ashes Tests to be contested over the next 12 months.

---

Tell us what your favourite memory of Mr Cricket's career is by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page.

---

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

His retirement means Australia will field a new-look top order that includes Phil Hughes, who replaced Ricky Ponting after he too retired after the third Test against South Africa earlier this summer.

Hussey said any Test match is a stressful experience, but admitted next week could be different.

"That's one thing about playing for Australia, there is always a lot of stress and pressure to perform," he said.

"I feel like I can come into this last Test match with no pressure whatsoever.

"I can just really go out there and enjoy it.

"It will be nice to be able to sit back when it's all finished and really reminisce over some fantastic memories and great wins for Australia."

Hussey refused to reveal who he had chosen as his replacement as the team song leader.

"I have made up my mind and I haven't told him officially yet, I want to keep it to myself until I have spoken to him," he said.

23.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Greig's journey like no other'

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Journey ... Tony Greig lived a rich cricketing life, Robert Craddock writes. Source: Adam Ward / AAP

There has never been another cricketing story like Tony Greig's and there never will.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

The son of a Scottish migrant was a South African-born, England-finessed, Australian-residing citizen of the world, a Test captain who loved stirring the pot, a revolutionary who fought the establishment, losing some battles but spectacularly winning others.

At times throughout his colourful life all of nations mentioned above claimed and cursed him but that was the essential flavour of his story as a man who followed in no other man's steps.

In an attempt to intimidate rivals Greig would stand within breathing distance of the batsman and make subtle jibes, making the term silly point as suitable for what he was saying as where he was standing.

He would bait crowds when few of his generation would never have been so bold and found verbal combat stimulating.

In some ways his trademarks - such as the windmill swings of the bat when he came to the crease - were unforgettable, in other ways the footprints he left on cricket have been underplayed.

He was among the first to wear motorcyle helmets for protection, to stand upright in his batting stance and to slice fast men deliberately over slips ... a trailblazer in every sense.

Later in life, with Channel Nine, the playful side of his personality shone through as a commentator who enjoyed playing the contrarian, the man in black.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

The cricket world, though hearing Tony Greig as a commentator for more than three decades with the Nine network, never really heard the best of him. 

His finest work was done as perhaps the best dinner company in cricket, a man whose colourful stories ranged from tales of Bradman to Tendulkar, from Shane Warne's brilliance to Muttiah Muralidaran's family biscuit factory in Sri Lanka, to Kerry Packer's private world.

Some of his greatest battles were ones kept mostly away from public view such as his battle with epilepsy which once saw him collapse at Heathrow Airport after the return of the 1975 Australian tour. 

As an all-rounder Greig was no Sir Garfield Sobers but certainly he was in one of next drawers down.

He was dynamic and, like Sobers, a master of versatility. His Test record of 3599 runs at 40.4 and 141 wickets at 32.2 in 58 Tests may not make the jaw drop but he was robust competitive force in everything he did.

As a player he carried himself like a man who had the key to every lock; his body language radiated the vibe "just watch this'' and he often got wickets through the force of his personality.

Greig arrived in England from South Africa having played just one first class match but such was his exceptional talent he reached 1000 Test runs in just his 14th Test and won Test matches bowling medium pace on some occasions and off-spin on others.

No lesser judge than keeping icon Alan Knott rating Greig's - at his peak - the best off-spinner in the world.
Sometimes Greig's combative nature got the better of him and he lived to regret a throwaway line made against the West Indies in England in 1977 when he said he intended to "make them grovel.''

With their sensitivities over the region's slave ancestry raging, the West Indies never forgave or forgot.

After one dismissal of Greig in that series Viv Richards said: "Who wouldn't want to maybe have one-up on your colonial masters at some point? ... I just wanted to send that message we are all equal. It's pretty simple."

Greig will almost be remembered for his role in quitting English cricket to help Kerry Packer organise the World Series Cricket circus in the late 1970s.

No other cricketer in World Series was closer to Packer than Greig; their mutual admiration knew no bounds. 

One theory has it that Packer and Greig gained their rebellious streak from having domineering fathers who they could never please. 

Greig's once said his father was "exceptionally critical of every move I made" while Packer could never recall his father praising him to his face.
 
Greig was given a brutal working over from the English public and media but his final decision to join Packer was made when he felt shattered by a snub to his daughter.

"I went to pick up my daughter, Samantha, from school," he recalls. "Her best friend had a party the next day. The mother was handing out invitations and my daughter didn't get one. The mother looked at me and said she's not getting one.

"I was gobsmacked. That caused me to phone up and tell Kerry 'I'm out of here'. Within three days, we were out of England."

Greig had cricketing life like no other. It's hard to know where he fits best in his history but one thing is sure - history will never forget him.

23.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Warner, Cowan captaincy options?

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Leadership material ... opening partners David Warner (L) and Ed Cowan. Source: Greg Wood / AAP

Australia coach Mickey Arthur expects Michael Clarke to be fit to play in next week's Sydney Test, but the question remains who would lead the side in Clarke's absence.

Vice-captain Shane Watson has already been ruled out of the January 3-7 third Test against Sri Lanka with a calf-muscle injury.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

All-rounder Watson's latest setback means he'll only play three of a possible six home Tests this summer, which also raises the question is it wise to have such a player as the captain-in-waiting?

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Watson's suggestion that he may consider playing as a batsman only in the future could help solve his injury problems, although that issue won't be clarified until after the third Test.

If something happened to Clarke, as it could have done this week when the skipper scored a magnificent 106 in Melbourne but risked further injury by carrying a hamstring complaint into the match, Australia's leadership stocks would be stretched - especially given the retirement of veteran batsman Michael Hussey at the end of the summer.

"I don't think it will be an issue because I do think Michael will be playing in Sydney but there would need to be some extra discussion around that so there's no firm decision," Arthur said on Saturday.

Cricket Australia's high-performance chief Pat Howard mentioned the names of openers Ed Cowan and David Warner as possible captaincy options.

"Michael Clarke's hamstring is well-documented, so we have planning in place," Howard said.

"There's no obvious answer at the moment. We have a young team in transition, but many people have captained.
"David Warner captained the Sydney Thunder last year, you had Ed Cowan take Australia A away, David Warner captained the Chairman's XI the year before.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

"I can't really speculate (on a stand-in captain) unless I've got that green light from the board.''

Howard says while any suggestion from Watson about playing as a batsman-only will be duly considered, selectors are keen on multi-skilled players.

The inclusion of uncapped Victorian allrounder Glenn Maxwell in place of Watson in a 13-man squad for the Sydney Test could be the answer to Australia's hopes of finding a batsman capable of contributing 10 or 15 overs per innings.

"He brings quite a lot. He can bat for us in the top six or seven," Arthur said.

"We're really keen to develop his offspinners.

"The important thing there is that he replaces an allrounder so we need to be able to get some overs."

23.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hussey Jr, Bailey in for Mr Cricket?

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Cavalry ... Could either Dave Hussey or George Bailey replace Mr Cricket? Source: Brett Costello / AFP

Mike Hussey's retirement from international cricket is set to leave a big hole in Australia's batting lineup, but could also open the door for younger brother David to make his Test debut.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

The senior Hussey announced on Saturday that the New Years Test against Sri Lanka will be the last time he wears the baggy green, and Fox Sports cricket commentator Damien Fleming says selectors don't have to look far to find the 37-year-old's replacement.

"Mike Hussey has been a truly great player for Australia in all forms of cricket, but what about his brother David?', Fleming asked on Fox Sports News.

"This (Hussey's retirement) could open the door for him. He's a great player who can bowl a bit too."

While the likes of Usman Khawaja, and to a lesser extent, Rob Quiney and Glenn Maxwell, appear to be ahead in the pecking order, fellow Fox Sports commentator Greg Blewett said the experience of George Bailey could prove invaluable for the Aussies.

"The India tour will be very interesting. Maybe it opens the door for George Bailey," Blewett said.

Tom Moody agreed, insisting Australia's Twenty20 skipper could provide Michael Clarke with the much-needed deputy currently lacking in the side, with an Ashes series against in-form England on the horizon.

"They're big shoes to fill for Australia. But George Bailey has experience, and an older and mature head to support Michael Clarke for the next few years," Moody said.

Blewett said that while the news of Hussey's retirement probably came as a surprise to Cricket Australia, it leaves plenty of time to bed in Hussey's replacement before the Ashes.

"It's probably knocked the selectors around a little, who thought Michael Hussey would be around for another year at least," Blewett said.

"The timing is probably right for a player like him to go out on the top of his game. He's had a great summer.

"He was under pressure 12 months ago but really turned it around. I like the timing, there is a chance to rebuild."

23.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tomic fights back to down Haas

Fightback ... Bernard Tomic trumps Tommy Haas in Hopman Cup tie. Source: Justin Benson-cooper / News Limited

Bernard Tomic produced two spirited fightbacks to beat Germany's Tommy Haas 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 7-5 in Saturday night's Hopman Cup tie at Perth Arena.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

World No.21 Haas held a 6-1 lead in the first-set tiebreak, but the 34-year-old's fluency deserted him when it mattered most as the Australian reeled off the next seven points to take the vital advantage.

Haas looked to have the rubber in the bag after taking the second set and edging out to a 5-3 lead in the third set.

But Tomic refused to throw in the towel, breaking back to even the scores before putting the heat on Haas as the German attempted to send the match into a deciding tiebreak.

Tomic blew his first two match points by sending his forehand long, but he didn't have to break a sweat on the third attempt, with a Haas double fault handing Tomic the win in 135 minutes.

"It was a very tough first set. It was my first set in a few months,'' Tomic said.

"I don't know how I got out of that tiebreak.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

"I've been training really hard and extremely well. I've been training well so hopefully it will be good preparation for the Australian Open.''

Teenager Ashleigh Barty can win the tie for Australia if she can upset Andrea Petkovic in the women's singles.

Tomic, who reached a career-high ranking of 27 in June, has since slid to 52nd after a poor end to the year in which he made first-round exits at his final three tournaments.

But after embarking on a seven-week training campaign, Tomic insisted he was fresh, hungry, and ready to make amends for his list of on and off-court controversies in 2012.

---

Catch all you tennis news at Fox Sports

---

The early results appear good, with Tomic's willingness to dig in and fight his way out of the first-set tiebreak particularly heartening.

And then when Tomic appeared gone in the third set, he again displayed Hewitt-esque fighting spirit to turn the match his way.

23.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Scorchers end Renegades' run

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Superb ... Alfonso Thomas put on a T20 bowling masterclass. Source: Daniel Wilkins / News Limited

Perth Scorchers rocketed back into KFC T20 Big Bash League finals contention by beating Melbourne Renegades by 51 runs at the WACA Ground on Saturday night.

T20 - WACA Ground

29 December 2012 - Day 1, Session 2

Renegades 1st Innings

A. O'Brien	4	6	0	0	66.67
M. Muralidara...	1	3	0	0	33.33
A. Thomas	3.1	0	8	4	2.53

The Scorchers have won three-straight games since losing the opening two matches at home, while the Renegades have lost for the first time after winning their first four matches.

Renegades captain Aaron Finch won the toss and the Scorchers posted a league-best total of 3-187 thanks to 56 runs from 39 balls by South African import Herschelle Gibbs, 85 from 52 by Shaun Marsh and 40 from 27 by Adam Voges.

---

Relive all the action with our Match Centre, including videos of every boundary and wicket.

---

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Muttiah Muralitharan was the pick of the bowlers for the Renegades, returneing 0-29 from his four overs while Will Sheridan had 1-22.

Needing to chase down the biggest score of the season, the previously-unbeaten Renegades stumbled to 3-24 with Finch out for eight, Marlon Samuels a first ball duck and Daniel Harris seven.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Ben Rohrer did his best to resurrect the innings with a tremendous 52 from 33 balls but, once he fell - caught behind off Jason Behrendorff - the Renegades' chances went out the window and they were all out for 136 with five balls remaining.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Alfonso Thomas was terrific with the ball for the Scorchers with 4-8 from 3.1 overs while Jason Behrendorff picked up three wickets despite conceding 44 runs from his four overs.

He had 24 taken off his third when Rohrer took a particularly liking to his left-arm bowling.

Thomas showed the WACA pitch is perfectly suited to his type of swing bowling, taking 4-8 on the same deck that Melbourne Stars bowler Lasith Malinga exploited to take 6-7 in the last game in Perth, and he loved every minute of his first home match.

"We always knew it was going to be a tough game, but the boys batted well up front and obviously with the new ball we took wickets early, which definitely put us on our way,'' Thomas said.

"We were confident coming back to the WACA. It's obviously a bouncy wicket and that was something we looked to exploit, and it worked for us tonight."

Rohrer gave the Renegades some hope with his 52 in the chase but, in the end, the Melbourne side didn't get close and they are looking to bounce back quickly at home to Adelaide Strikers.

"The wicket was pretty good out there so the start we made was pretty disappointing," Rohrer said.

"The stats are something ridiculous like 90 per cent of the time if you lose three wickets in the first six overs, you lose and we did that tonight and couldn't fight back.

"There was a bit of swing there for both their opening bowlers and they used it well and nicked a few blokes off early which was disappointing, but that happens and we will bounce back in a couple of days time."

23.51 | 0 komentar | Read More