Former Australian cricket captain and coach Bob Simpson has died aged 89, leaving a legacy that shaped generations of cricketers. Cricket Australia confirmed his passing in Sydney on Saturday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised his “extraordinary service” to the sport.
Simpson played 62 Test matches for Australia, captaining in 39, and averaged 46.81. He grew up in Sydney and first toured with Australia in 1957, becoming one of the country’s finest all-rounders.
Career Milestones
Simpson scored his first century in his 30th Test — a remarkable 311 at Old Trafford in 1964. He retired after the 1967 series but returned a decade later, aged 41, during the World Series Cricket era.
Albanese said Saturday that Simpson’s “extraordinary service to Australian cricket spanned generations”.
“As a player, captain and then era-defining coach, he set the highest of standards for himself and the champions he led,” the prime minister wrote on social media.
“He will be long remembered by the game he loved.”
Leading Through Change
Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird called Simpson a “mainstay of a very strong Australian team in the 1960s” and a leader across all levels.
Baird said, “Bob’s decision to come out of retirement in 1977 to lead the Australian team during the advent of World Series Cricket was a wonderful service to the game. His coaching then set the foundation for a golden generation in Australian cricket.”
Coaching Legacy
Simpson became Australia’s first full-time coach in the 1980s, guiding the team’s resurgence and mentoring stars like Shane Warne. He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985.
In first-class cricket, Simpson scored 21,029 runs at an average of 56.22, including 60 centuries, and took 349 wickets at 38.07.
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