Tony Greig Diagnosed With Lung Cancer

Tony Greig Diagnosed With Lung Cancer

Tony Greig (right) has turned himself into a respected commentator since his retirement from professional cricket.

©REUTERS/Action Images

Former England captain Tony Greig has been diagnosed with lung cancer and will undergo a biopsy in the coming days to gauge the extent of the illness and the treatment required.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Greig was initially diagnosed with bronchitis in May but became concerned when the condition did not improve. Earlier this month, he was again assessed and found to have a small lesion on the base of his right lung. Following this he had a significant amount of fluid removed and tests revealed that he has lung cancer.

Greig, who was born in South Africa in 1946, played 58 Test matches for England and is now a respected commentator, mainly in Australia. Renowned for his gritty determination and his willingness to challenge the status quo, particularly during the Packer affair in the late 1970s, the 66 year-old said of his diagnosis, “I have had a few scrapes in my life and this is another one. Vivian (his wife) and I are going to put the boxing gloves on and fight this like we've never fought anything before."

Greig is the second former international captain to be diagnosed with cancer in the past week following former New Zealand skipper Martin Crowe’s diagnosis of grade two follicular lymphoma. At the time, Crowe was also upbeat about his prospects, saying, “It is very treatable. It is not aggressive. Treatment will be decided in due course after further tests and consultation in the next two weeks.”

© Cricket World 2012