( CNN ) -- The cricket world is mourning the passing of former England captain Tony Greig , a larger than life character who helped revolutionize the sport in the late 1970s before becoming a high-profile commentator . Greig died aged 66 on Saturday in his adopted home of Australia , having been diagnosed with lung cancer in October . Born in South Africa , the 6 foot 6 inch all-rounder qualified to play for England due to his Scottish father and represented his new country in 58 Test matches from 1972-77 . However , he was stripped of the captaincy after becoming a leading figure in the breakaway World Series Cricket competition set up by Australian entrepreneur Kerry Packer , who owned the Channel Nine network that Greig would work for until recently . `` Tony stood out as a player and captain , as an influential part of the Kerry Packer World Series Cricket era and then for decades as a familiar voice in millions of Australian living rooms each summer as part of the Nine telecast which revolutionized the TV presentation of cricket , '' Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards said in a statement . `` His illness and too-early death comes as a terrible shock -- he will be greatly missed . '' Greig 's fellow South African David Richardson , a former international player who is now head of the International Cricket Council , also paid tribute . `` Tony played a significant part in shaping modern cricket as a player in the 1970s and then provided millions of cricket lovers with a unique insight as a thoughtful and knowledgeable commentator , '' Richardson said . `` His figures in Test matches show that he was one of the leading all-rounders of his generation with a batting average of above 40 and a bowling average around 32 . '' Australia 's prime minister Julia Gillard issued a joint statement with sports minister Kate Lundy that was published in the Sydney Morning Herald . `` Greig was a wonderful example of someone who came to Australia from somewhere else in the world and embraced his adopted country as his own , '' it said . `` Most Australians would be deeply familiar with Greig the commentator , in particular his unique brand of colorful game-calling and entertaining banter . His life in cricket was n't always without controversy , but no one could doubt his passion and commitment to the sport he loved . '' Greig , who went to England as a teenager in the late 1960s , was heavily criticized for an `` unsporting '' run out of West Indies batsman Alvin Kallicharan in 1974 that saw the home fans storm the pitch in protest . Greig then revoked his appeal and Kallicharan was reinstated . That ill feeling spilled over into the Caribbean team 's series in England in 1976 , before which Greig infamously said he would make the tourists `` grovel . '' As recounted in the 2010 documentary `` Fire in Babylon , '' the incident fired up the West Indian players , who perceived it as a slight by their former colonial rulers , especially coming from a white South African at the height of apartheid . It sparked a transformation that made the tourists the dominant side in world cricket for the next two decades , as their bowlers battered Greig 's team with a fearsome pace attack . Greig , having lost that series 3-0 , then redeemed himself as he led England to a first victory in India in 15 years -- but his time at the helm would prove to be shortlived . He successfully took the English cricket authorities to court after they tried to ban the Packer `` rebels '' but his own playing contribution came to an end after the inaugural series . Greig moved into commentating , with the Nine Network and broadcasters around the world , as he teamed up with former cricketing opponents such as Ian Chappell . He is survived by his wife Vivian and children Mark , Sam , Beau and Tom . Meanwhile , veteran Australian batsman Mike Hussey has announced he will retire from international cricket after next week 's third and final Test against Sri Lanka . The 37-year-old 's decision comes in the same month that former Australia captain Ricky Ponting ended his career . Hussey scored 19 centuries in 78 Tests , being Australia 's 12th-highest run scorer with a total of 6,183 at an average of 51.52 .
Tony Greig dies in Australia following a short battle with lung cancer , aged 66 . Born in South Africa , he went on to captain England before moving Down Under . Greig was one of the key figures in the breakaway World Series Cricket competition . Australia 's prime minister pays tribute to his `` passion and commitment ''