Former South Africa all-rounder Mike Procter, the country's first coach of the post-isolation era and a stalwart with English county Gloucestershire, died aged 77 on Saturday, his family announced.

"He suffered a complication during surgery and while in ICU went into cardiac arrest. He became unconscious and unfortunately never woke up," his wife Maryna told South African website News24.

Procter was a fierce fast bowler and hard-hitting batter who played seven test matches, his international career stunted by South Africa's isolation due to apartheid.

But upon their return in 1991, he led the side as coach, taking them to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Australia the following year.

He was later also appointed to the International Cricket Council's panel of match referees and also served as South Africa's convener of selectors.

Procter played 401 first class games, scoring 21,936 runs at an average of 36.01 with 48 hundreds and 109 fifties. He also took 1,417 wickets at an average of 19.53.