Former South African all-rounder Mike Proctor, the first man to coach South Africa after returning to international cricket after apartheid, has died at the age of 77.
Proctor was regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation as a powerful batsman, hard-hitting bowler and, more recently, as a clever spinner, but South Africa’s political isolation limited him to just seven Test appearances. was.
Instead, he got the chance to showcase his abilities in English county cricket. His exploits there for Gloucestershire led to the club being affectionately nicknamed “Proctorshire” in his honour. He played 482 matches for the club, scoring over 20,000 runs, taking over 1,000 wickets and winning the Gillette Cup and Benson & Hedges Cup. The Gloucestershire flag at Seat Unique Stadium will be lowered to half-mast as a mark of respect and will remain so until the start of the 2024 season.
A statement from the county said: “Gloucestershire Cricket is shocked to learn of the passing of former player and club legend Mike Procter, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of Gloucestershire cricket. Proctor tragically passed away on Saturday, February 17th, in a hospital in his hometown of Durban, South Africa.
His former teammate David Graveney also added a personal tribute. “Mike was a fantastic player and was rightly regarded as one of the best all-rounders to ever represent Gloucestershire,” he said.
“He was one of the best players I ever played with. The phrase ‘Proctorshire’ was very fitting for Mike. He gave his biggest performance in his biggest game. Really good athletes perform on the biggest stage, and that’s what Mike did. ”
Upon the Proteas’ welcome return to the international sporting scene, he was appointed head coach of the team and guided them through the early stages of their reintroduction, reaching the semi-finals of the 1992 World Cup.
He then became chairman of selectors and match umpire for the International Cricket Council, and was involved in the 2006 Oval Test between England and Pakistan after the away side refused to return after the tea break after being penalized for ball-tampering by the umpire. He was disqualified from participating.
