Tony Greig was a fearless cricketer, a born entertainer, a stalwart friend and a loving son and father. His death in December 2012 was met with an outpouring of grief from family, friends, colleagues and fans.
In this wonderful memoir, Tony's life is recounted by two of those who knew him best - his mother, Joycie, and his eldest son, Mark. Tony's story began in his beloved South Africa when Joycie embarked on an extraordinary war-time love affair with a man not her husband, Sandy Greig. From schoolboy cricketing prodigy, to his early days playing for English country side Sussex, Tony travelled the world meeting an array of cricket greats. He was eventually made captain of England, but then was removed from the job when he controversially threw in his lot with Kerry Packer and his World Series Cricket in 1977.
Together, Tony and Packer changed the game forever and formed a friendship that lasted 28 years until Packer's death in 2005. With Packer's offer of a 'job for life', Tony joined the Nine Network as a commentator and settled his family in Australia. From behind the mic, Tony became part of the fabric of the Australian summer. His knowledge of the game, his respect for players from all countries, but particularly for those from the Subcontinent, his humour and above all his passion for cricket made him one of the game's best loved and best known figures.
This rich and fascinating life has been retold with warmth and love, giving us an unforgettable portrait of a great man. Josephine 'Joycie' Greig was born in South Africa, more than ninety years ago. Joycie is the proud mother of two former English cricketers, Tony and Ian Greig, and daughters, Sally Ann and Molly Joy. She is the founding member of Al-Anon in the Eastern Cape, an international fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics. Joycie lives in East London, South Africa. Mark Greig was born in in 1975 in England. One month after his birth, his father was appointed captain of the England cricket team. His family emigrated to Sydney Australia in 1980. Mark lives in Sydney and is married with three daughters. Mark works in the telecommunications industry.
