Former England captain and renowned television commentator Tony Greig has died.

Diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year, the 66-year-old Greig suffered a heart attack at his home in Sydney and passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning.

"He was rushed into St Vincent's hospital. The staff of the emergency department worked on Mr Greig to no avail," St Vincent's spokesman David Faktor told the Sydney Morning Herald.

The South African-born Greig was initially diagnosed with bronchitis seven months ago, with further tests eventually showing a lesion at the base of his right lung.

He later had fluid drained from the lung after covering the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, and was not on duty at any of the Test matches during Australia's home season.

"It's not good. The truth is I've got lung cancer. Now it's a case of what they can do," Greig had said during the Australia's series against South Africa in November.

Born in South Africa, Greig played 58 Tests, 14 of them as captain, for England between 1972 and 1977, scoring 3 599 runs at an average of 40.43. His right-arm seam also took 141 wickets at 32.20 apiece.

Following his retirement, the outspoken Greig became synonymous with world cricket as a commentator for Australian television network Channel Nine.

"Beloved Tony Greig, former England cricket captain, has passed away at the age of 66," read a statement from Channel Nine. "Initially diagnosed with bronchitis in May, the condition lingered and testing revealed he had lung cancer.

"From his playing days as the English captain we loved to hate, to his senior role in the revolution of World Series Cricket, his infamous car keys in the pitch reports and more than three decades of colourful and expert commentary."

Greig is survived by his wife, Vivian, and four children.