South African cricket legend Mike Procter in critical health
Former South African cricket team coach and all-rounder, Mike Procter, is in critical health after suffering a cardiac incident while recovering in the ICU from a surgery mishap on Monday, February 12, 2024. Procter, aged 77, faced complications during surgery in a hospital in Durban, leading to his ICU admission.
“Mike faced a complication in routine surgery last week. While in the ICU for recovery, he had a cardiac incident. Currently, he’s in ICU, focusing on getting better. We would appreciate your thoughts and prayers for him,” Procter’s family said in a statement to AFP.
Procter’s prolific cricket career ranges to three years (1967-1970), with seven high-profile Test matches and winning six of those with his side. He additionally gained a lot of praise for his bowling prowess. Mike picked up 41 wickets at an average of 15.02. The famed all-rounder’s international career ended abruptly due to the ban imposed on South Africa in 1970, restricting them from participating in cricketing activities because of their apartheid government. However, the player’s First-class and List-A cricket career significantly made up for the lack of big runs with the bat in the former format.
Procter scored 21,936 runs at an average of 36.01 across his 401 first-class cricket matches. His 254-run innings for Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) against the Western Province in 1971 has special recognition amongst the cricket fraternity. Boasting a total of 48 hundred and 109 fifties during his career, Procter was considered one of the best all-rounders of his time.
When it comes to bowling figures, Procter bagged a total of 1,417 first-class wickets at an impressive average of 19.53, with his best innings figures being 9/71. The player is the only player in South African cricket history to have scored 500 runs and bag 50 wickets in a domestic South African season.
Procter returned to the South African cricket team as a coach in the 1992 ODI World Cup. He is a well-respected figure in the Rainbow Nation.
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