Rice was suffering with a brain tumor after collapsing in February. He traveled to India for treatment what he hoped would be life-saving surgery after doctors suggestion in South Africa said he was going to die.
"Well, that's what we're all going to do, but I'm not in a hurry," Rice said in an interview in March.
Rice's international career was spoiled by South Africa's sporting ban because of apartheid, making his debut as captain only at 42 when South Africa returned to international cricket in 1991 with a three-game one-day international series in India.
He was then dropped for a one-off test in the West Indies and the 1992 World Cup - a hugely contentious decision in South African cricket - and never played for his country again from that time onwards.
Although his international career stands at just three ODI games, he was one of the world's best all rounder in the 1970s and 1980s, captaining Nottinghamshire to two English county titles.
He was a hard-hitting batsman and threatening seam bowler, and played first-class cricket for 25 years, retiring only in his mid-40s. While he never got the chance to record any test averages, his first-class numbers were impressive: 48 centuries, 137 half-centuries, average of 40.95 with the bat, and 930 first-class wickets, 23 five-wicket hauls, and one 10-wicket haul.
Cricket South Africa confirmed Rice's death and said the flag at its headquarters in Johannesburg was at half-staff and named as good player.
Nottinghamshire also paid tribute to Rice, who returned to the team after he retired as a player to fill the role of cricket manager from 1999-2003.
Rice was "one of the shining lights" of the team in the `70s and `80s and was a "brilliant allrounder and inspirational captain," Nottinghamshire said in a statement.
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