New Zealand cricketing great Sir Richard Hadlee has paid tribute to his long-time teamate and friend South African all-rounder Clive Rice who has died at the age of 66.
Rice died after a long battle with a brain tumour.
Hadlee said Rice was a tough, uncompromising player who deserved a better chance at international cricket.
The pair became good friends when they played together at English county side Nottinghamshire in the 1980's.
Rice never played a test match for South Africa.
He was selected for a 1971-72 tour of Australia, but the tour was cancelled because of opposition to the South African government's apartheid policy.
Sir Richard Hadlee and Clive Rice during their time together at Nottinhamshire County Cricket Club. Photo: Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
When South Africa returned to the international fold in November 1991, Rice was appointed captain of a team which played three one-day internationals in India.
But he was controversially omitted from the South Africa team which played in the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with the selectors placing an emphasis on youth.
Rice played in 482 first-class matches for Transvaal, Natal and Nottinghamshire, scoring 26,331 runs at an average of 40.95.
He also took 930 wickets at an average of 22.49 before retiring in 1994.
Sir Richard said he learnt a lot from Rice at Nottinghamshire.
"The ten years I had a Notts County Cricket club were probably the best ten years of my life we were a family as a cricket [team] ...[and]Clive was a strong part of that.
"He wanted success and he wanted his players to perform and off the field he was just a great bloke, a genuine fellow," he said.
"He was humble in many ways but just wanted to prove a point on the cricket field that he was one of the great players that should have had a better chance at international cricket."
