Tony Greig: An Epilepsy Warrior

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As a cricket all-rounder, former England cricket captain and TV commentator, Tony Greig was a household name in Sri Lanka, especially in the 90s. He loved Sri Lanka, its people and culture, and was even appointed as a brand ambassador for Sri Lanka Tourism in 2010. Despite his fame in the cricketing world, not many people know that he was a person with epilepsy, a largely stigmatized neurological disorder, a condition that Greig successfully overcame and believed made him a better cricketer.

Tony Greig was born in 1946 of Scottish-South African parentage.

When Greig was 12, he suffered head injury in a motor accident in his native South Africa.

About two years after this accident, Greig faced his first seizure during an interschool tennis match. (A seizure occurs when brain neurons fail to communicate properly due to uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain sometimes leading to unconsciousness, as was the case with Greig). When he was 14, he was diagnosed with epilepsy and was on epilepsy medication for the rest of his life. Greig describes his epilepsy diagnosis as something that turned his life as well as the life of his family "upside down."

However, Greig managed not to change too much of his lifestyle after the diagnosis. In his autobiography, he writes that he was "lucky" that he "came to no harm by carrying on just the way [he] had always done." He never had an epileptic seizure when he went swimming or riding his bicycle. So, his parents allowed him to continue with his usual activities, with no "safety regulations" albeit with some possible reluctance and fear.

Sporting achievements

That Greig's sports achievements are admirable is beyond doubt. Not only was he a cricket all-rounder, but he also played full contact rugby, golf, and tennis. He won many awards during his cricketing career. In 1967, he was awarded the Cricket Writer's Club Young Cricketer of the Year Award. In the 1970s, which was the peak of his career, he was crowned the Sussex Cricket Society Player of the Year, the South African Cricketer of the Year and the Indian Cricketer of the Year. In addition, he captained the English cricket team from 1975 to 1977.

Epilepsy seizures in public

The 1970s can be considered the height of Greig's cricketing life. The 70s decade also saw Greig having epileptic seizures in public. On his debut for South Africa's Eastern Province team against Transvaal, Greig suffered an epileptic seizure in front of the press and 8,000 spectators at the Wanderers Cricket Stadium in Johannesburg.

The cricket fans and the media personnel were told nothing about the seizure; instead they were told by the authorities that Greig suffered a sunstroke.

In 1975, on the England team's return home from an Australian tour, Greig experienced a seizure at the Heathrow Airport.

Greig's epilepsy, which was kept a secret from the world, was revealed not by Grieg himself but fellow cricket commentator Henry Blofield. Greig was understandably unhappy about this and described Blofield's act as "a rather cheap thing." Greig had also said that he was proud of what he achieved despite the illness.

Epilepsy Action Australia (EAA)

Greig was the Director of Epilepsy Action Australia, where he strived to raise epilepsy awareness and fought against the stigma associated with this disorder. After his death in 2012, in his honour, Epilespy Action Australia launched "My Epilepsy Key." This purple key shaped pen drive gives people with epilepsy access to a wealth of information about the disorder. These USB sticks were made available to people with epilepsy in Australia. The idea of a key shaped pen drive was inspired by Greig's practice of jamming his hotel key into the cricket pitch when delivering his pitch report.

Epilepsy Worldwide

At the time Greig was diagnosed with epilepsy, US laws denied people with epilepsy entry into public places like restaurants and theatres. In the UK, a law that permitted marriage annulment on the grounds of epilepsy was amended in as late as 1971.

According to the Epilepsy Association of Sri Lanka (EASL), the social stigma in Sri Lanka affects the education, employment, marriage and social functioning of Sri Lankans with epilepsy.

Greig believed that overcoming epilepsy had a positive influence on his life. In an interview, he said

"I think it helped me, I'm sure having got over epilepsy I was a better cricketer for it."

Therefore, not only was Tony Greig a cricket all-rounder and commentator. He was also an epilepsy warrior.