Published: Jul 29, 2015, 03:09 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 29, 2015, 03:40 PM (IST)
The South African cricket team will wear black armbands during the second and final Test against Bangladesh at Dhaka starting on Thursday in memory of the late Clive Rice, the former South African cricketer who passed away on Tuesday due to cancer. Cricket South African (CSA) chief Haroon Lorgat was reported to have made the announcement on Tuesday, with retired South African batsman Daryll Cullinan having made an announcement of the same on his official Facebook account. Rice lost his fight to the disease after battling it for quite sometime, including getting treatment for the same at a hospital in Bangalore, India. ALSO READ: Clive Rice passes away
“Clive Rice was the first captain post unity and he qualifies to be respected in the form of the Proteas wearing a black armband. Anybody before 1991 whether from whichever South African cricket board that existed we don’t wear a black armband,” Lorgat was quoted as saying according to Cullinan’s Facebook post. ALSO READ: 15 facts about Clive Rice
“We respect them in different ways.We honour their passing in different ways but not by means of wearing a black armband,” added Lorgat.
“Congratulations Clive you qualified! For those who will not qualify, blame your parents,” Cullinan added in the post, in the context of Rice being a member of the post-isolation South African team to qualify for such an honour.
The cricket fraternity witnessed a massive outpour of tributes for the late South Africa and Nottinghamshire cricketer. Former New Zealand pacer Richard Hadlee, who played alongside Rice for Nottinghamshire, stated that Rice was the one of the greatest cricketers to have never played a Test. Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar described him as “One of the best all-rounders the game has seen.” ALSO READ: Clive Rice mastered cricket, but couldn’t conquer time
