Former South African captain Clive Rice passes away

Former South African captain Clive Rice passes away: Today morning, the former South African cricket captain Clive Rice died at a hospital in Cape Town. Rice was the first South African Captain post the racial isolation era. In 1991, Clive Rice had led the South African troops in a 3-match ODI series against India at their den. The 66 year-old was suffering from brain tumor in the recent times.

Rice had also visited India earlier this year, to receive robotic radiation treatment for a cancer-related brain tumor at Bangalore’s Health Care Global Hospital. Clive Rice had undergone one hour sessions of intense doses of radiation for three days at the Health Care Global Hospital (HCG). He was under the guidance of renowned radiation oncologist Dr. Sridhar. The procedure includes many complexities but it was a must at that time for Rice’s survival which finally came to cease on Tuesday morning.

One of the best all-rounders of his country, Clive Rice was very unlucky as his first-class career commenced just one year before the South African cricket team was banned and isolated on account of racialism in the country. Clive featured in 482 first-class matches, and accumulated 26,331 runs at an average of 40 with the willow in hand while he grabbed as many as 930 scalps at an average of 22 with the ball, which are indeed testimony of his top-notch skills.

Clive Rice represented Transvaal and Nottinghamshire cricket teams at first-class level and was one of the leading all-rounders. After his first stint as the leader of South African side on the tour of India, Rice was controversially dropped from World Cup 1992 squad on account of age as by that time, Clive had turned 42 years old.

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