Former Australian cricket captain and coach Bob Simpson has died at the age of 89.
Simpson was a giant figure in Australian cricket for more than four decades, playing 62 Test matches, famously emerging from retirement at age 41 to lead Australia during the World Series Cricket era, and later becoming the nation’s first full-time coach.
Bob Simpson and Shane Warne at a training session, 1996.Credit: Fairfax
Cricket Australia confirmed his death to this masthead on Saturday morning.
Along with captain Allan Border, Simpson instilled new standards of fitness and discipline to oversee an Australian renaissance that included winning the World Cup in 1987, regaining the Ashes in 1989, and with captain Mark Taylor beating the mighty West Indies away from home in 1995.
The Simpson-Border era heralded the rebuilding of the national team and the unearthing of generational players like Steve Waugh, Dean Jones, Geoff Marsh and Craig McDermott.
As a player, Simpson took until his 30th Test to crack his first century, but turned it into 311 and batted for almost 13 hours at Old Trafford.
Ian Chappell, Bill Lawry, Bob Simpson and Richie Benaud in 1977.Credit: The Age
He formed with Bill Lawry one of Australia’s greatest opening partnerships, in an era without protective equipment.
Simpson and Lawry still share the record partnership for an Australian opening pair – 382 against the West Indies in 1965.
