Cricket world pay their tributes to Clive Rice

Former South African all-rounder died today at the age of 66 in a hospital of Cape Town. He was suffering from Brain tumour and also visited India in March for the treatment in Bangalore.

He was probably the best all-rounder South Africa has ever produced. It was country’s policy of apartheid which ruined his international cricketing career and forced him to join the controversial World Series Cricket. He still represented his nation at the age of 42 and led the side in three One-Day Internationals (ODI). It was Rice who encouraged South African-born Kevin Pietersen to join Nottinghamshire in 2000 and later he went to represent England.

South African Test team, which is currently on Bangladesh tour, will wear black armbands as a tribute when they take on the hosts during the second Test in Dhaka. Cricket South Africa has also flew at half-mast in the capital city Johannesburg as a mark of respect.

On his tragic demise, cricket world sympathises to this great South African legend through Twitter.