On August 16, Bob Simpson, the former captain of Australia’s Test team and their first full-time coach, died at the age of 89. Sydney is where the Australian veteran, who was regarded as one of the most important people in Australian cricket history, passed away.
Between 1957 and 1978, Bob Simpson participated in two spells, playing 62 Test matches and two ODIs.
In 111 innings, the batting all-rounder amassed 4869 Test runs at an average of 46.81, including 10 hundreds and 27 fifties. In the 84 innings he bowled in Test cricket, he also claimed 71 wickets.
Bob Simpson amassed 21029 runs and 349 wickets, making him a domestic hero. He first retired in 1968, but following the World Series Cricket schism in 1977, he returned as Test captain. The unselfish Bob Simpson led five Test matches at home against India and five abroad against the West Indies at the age of 41.
In a team that included players like David Boon, Dean Jones, Steve Waugh, Craig McDermott, and Merv Hughes, he and Allan Border were instrumental in establishing Australia’s cricket culture. Before stepping down in 1996, he also coached a number of Australian greats, including Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Shane Warne, and Matthew Hayden.
Mike Baird, the chairperson of Cricket Australia, expressed his sorrow over Simpson’s death and recognised his contribution to Australian cricket.
“To those who were lucky enough to watch Bob Simpson play or who benefited from his knowledge, today is a sad day. He was one of the greats of Australian cricket. “It was a great service to the game that Bob decided to come out of retirement to successfully lead the Australian team during the introduction of World Series Cricket in 1977, and his coaching laid the groundwork for a golden era for Australian cricket,” Baird said, as cited by ESPNcricinfo.
During the Ranji Trophy, he also advised Rajasthan’s coaching staff. Later, in the late 1990s, he worked as a consultant for India’s men’s squad. Apart from this, Simpson briefly coached Lancashire and Leicestershire in the County Championship.
In his 70s, he led the Netherlands to a successful qualification campaign and the 2007 World Cup, one of his most notable coaching accomplishments. In addition, he is a member of the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame and the ICC Hall of Fame.
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