Bob Simpson

Photos: Bob Simpson

Bob Simpson becomes the oldest captain to score Test hundred

Bob Simpson Biography

Few have served Australian cricket to the extent Simpson did. When Kerry Packer took away the crème la crème of Australian cricket, he came out of retirement at 42 to lead them. He was their coach during their resurgence in the mid-1980s, and was there when they won the World Cup in 1987 and regained The Ashes in 1989 and the Frank Worrell Trophy in 1994-95.

Before all that, Simpson served Australia throughout the 1960s in multiple roles. He scored close to 5,000 runs, almost entirely at the top, forging a formidable pair with Bill Lawry. His stance was easy, and when he decided to give it a thwack, he used his beef to hit them incredibly hard. He could also bat for hours (he has a Test triple-hundred). He took 71 wickets with his guileful leg-breaks; and was perhaps the most outstanding slip fielder of the era, taking 100 catches.

Simpson started as a middle-order batsman, but when Neil Harvey asked him to open following Jim Burke’s retirement, Simpson flooded Sheffield Shield with a run of 98, 236 (and 6 wickets), 230*, 79, 98, and 161*, which gave him an aggregate of 902 from 6 innings.

Simpson and Lawry were first paired up in the historic Old Trafford Test of 1961. They added 113 in the second innings. At the top of the order they would add 3,596 runs between them at 61. Put a 2,000-run cut-off and they come third on all-time list. At Kensington Oval in 1964-65 both Simpson and Lawry scored double-hundreds, adding 382.

Interestingly, his first Test hundred came as late as in 1964 — once again at Old Trafford — after he had scored 40 First-Class tons. That Test hundred amounted to 311 (in 762 minutes), and he had double-hundred partnerships with both Lawry and Brian Booth during the innings. That year he scored 1,381, a world record for most runs in a calendar year at that time.

By that time Simpson had been appointed captain. His brand of leadership (playing defensive after going 1-up in a series) often attracted criticism, but he did not change. His stint was also marred by his criticism of the Ian Meckiff’s bowling action in his autobiography: the litigation lasted five years, and ended only after Simpson apologised to Meckiff and settled matters out of court.

Simpson’s first stint ended in the India series of 1967. He led in the first 2 Tests but was rested for the third. When he returned for the fourth, he played under Lawry, thus becoming one of a handful Australians to play a Test after resigning.

He came back at 42 to help a Packer-hit Australia. He led a third-string Australia to a 3-2 win over India. He scored 539 runs himself, and had 4 wickets and 6 catches. He also led them to West Indies at their den, where he set the new world record for most catches.

His daughter Kim married Andrew Hilditch, who played 18 Tests and 8 ODIs and acted as Chairman of Selectors for Australia. Hilditch played his first international match a mere nine months after Simpson’s last.

He was inducted in the Australian Hall of Fame in 2006.

Abhishek Mukherjee

Bob Simpson Batting & Fielding Averages

Career	M	In	R	NO	HS	Avg	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s	Ct	St
Test	62	111	4869	7	311	46.81	6277	77.56	10	27	391	--	110	0
ODIs	2	2	36	0	23*	18.00	53	67.92	0	0	3	1	4	0
T20s	0	--	--	--		--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	0	--	--	--		--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--

Bob Simpson Bowling Averages

Career	M	B	R	W	Avg	EC	SR	5WI	10WM	BBI	BBM
Test	62	6067	3001	71	42.26	2.967	85.	2	0	5/57	8/97
ODIs	2	102	95	2	47.50	5.588	51.00	0	0	2/10	2/30
T20s	0	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	0	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--		2/30

Bob Simpson Career statistics

News ON Bob Simpson

Virat Kohli hits 25th Test century, equals Sachin Tendulkar’s record of six tons in Australia

Kohli is now the 11th batsman to complete 1000 Test runs in a calendar year overseas and the third Indian to achieve the mark.

Justin Langer: Would have tampered the ball if asked to

Justin Langer replaced out going Darren Lehmann as Australia's new head coach after ball tampering scandal.

Shane Warne picks Mark Taylor as ‘Best Captain’

Warne also picked Ian Healy and Bob Simpson as the best wicketkeeper and coach respectively.

Bill Lawry inducted to Australia Hall of Fame

James Sutherland praised Lawry for his enormous and ongoing contribution to Australian cricket.

Bob Simpson, Debbie Hockley inducted in ICC Hall of Fame

Bob Simpson and New Zealand's women's ex-captain Debbie Hockley were inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame

Bob Simpson calls for picking players on merit over age for Australia

Simpson was a major critic of the controversial decision to axe Simon Katich in 2011.

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Features ON Bob Simpson

Bob Simpson: 15 facts from the life of Australian cricket’s saviour in many roles

Simpson is often regarded as the saviour of Australian cricket for his act of coming out of retirement to lead a depleted side in the 1970s.

Bobby Simpson: Australia’s saviour in many roles

Bobby Simpson served Australia as opening batsman, leg-spinner, ace slip fielder, captain, and coach.

Bobby Simpson’s all-round show thwarts England at Sydney Cricket Ground

Not only did Bobby Simpson register his best bowling figures, but also put up a superb all-round display at SCG to help peg England ...

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Sachin Tendulkar celebrates his 40th birthday today [April 24, 2013]. Abhishek Mukherjee looks back at a few great performances by ...

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