New Zealand cricketing great Richard Hadlee will undergo a second round of surgery after the discovery of secondary cancer in his liver, his wife Dianne said Monday (16 July). The cancer is reportedly in an early stage.

Hadlee's family revealed last month that he had a tumour removed after being diagnosed with bowel cancer and was expected to make a full recovery after a course of chemotherapy. Dianne Hadlee provided an update on the 67-year-old's condition today.

"This week, Richard will undergo further surgery after secondary cancer was discovered in his liver," Dianne said in a statement.

"Medical advice is that it's still at a very early stage and is operable." Hadlee is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, and was the first to take 400 Test wickets.

Hadlee, a former world record holder for most Test wickets, was knighted in 1990 for his services to cricket. By the time he retired in 1990, he had played 86 Tests and taken 431 wickets at 22.29.

He was also a hard-hitting batsman with a Test career total of 3,124 runs, including two centuries and 15 half-centuries, at an average of 27.16.