Mike Procter

Michael John "Mike" Procter (born 15 September 1946) is a former South African cricketer. A fast bowler and hard hitting batsman, he proved himself a colossal competitor in English first class cricket. He was denied the international stage by South Africa's banishment from world cricket in the 1970s and 1980s. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1970 and South African cricketer of the year in 1967.

Following his retirement from the playing the game, Procter was appointed as a match referee by ICC for officiating cricket matches. However, his tenure has been marked by controversies.

Educated at Hilton College, he played for Natal in the Nuffield week and for South African schools in 1963 and 1964. His brother, AW Procter, cousin AC Procter and father WC Procter all played first-class cricket.

Procter married Maryna Godwin, who won the 1962 Border Junior Women's Singles Championship by beating Pam Watermeyer 6–2 6–0, and who reached the third round of the 1967 Wimbledon Championships - Women's Singles, the third round of the 1966 and 1967 French Championships and the 1968 French Open, and the quarterfinals of the 1968 U.S. Open - Women's Singles.

The ban on South Africa restricted his Test career to a mere seven appearances, all of them against Australia, between 1967 and 1970. 41 Test wickets at an average of 15.02 suggest what he might have achieved in the coming years had South Africa not enacted a racist Apartheid policy, which had their international sporting teams banned. Along with Barry Richards and Graeme Pollock, Procter was responsible in his side inflicting two successive series defeats on Australia by margins of 3–1 and 4–0.