Former Australia captain and coach Bob Simpson passes away at 89
Melbourne
Former Australia Test captain and coach Bob Simpson has died aged 89, reports BBC Sport.
Simpson played 62 Tests for Australia between 1957 and 1978, scoring 4,869 runs - including 10 centuries - at an average of 46.81.
He also took 71 wickets with his leg spin and was renowned as one of the best slip fielders in the game.
After initially retiring from playing in 1968, Simpson made an extraordinary comeback as Test captain in 1978 at the age of 41, after several Australian players joined the breakaway World Series Cricket competition.
'Bob Simpson was one of the greats of Australian cricket, and this is a sad day for anyone fortunate to have watched him play or who benefited from his wisdom,' said Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird.
'As a brilliant opening batter, incredible slip fielder and handy spin bowler, Bob was a mainstay of a very strong Australian team in the 1960s, and he became a leader across the game as Australian and New South Wales captain and as a coach.
'Bob's decision to come out of retirement to successfully lead the Australian team during the advent of World Series Cricket in 1977 was a wonderful service to the game, and his coaching set the foundation for a golden generation of Australian cricket.' When Simpson took over as Australia coach in 1986, the side had not won a Test series for three years, but he oversaw a dramatic revival that saw them become one of the best teams of all time.
A new-look team captained by Allan Border and featuring the likes of Steve Waugh and David Boon won the 1987 World Cup and secured Test series victories over England and West Indies.
In the early 1990s, Simpson oversaw the introduction of players such as Mark Waugh, Shane Warne, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Glenn McGrath and Ricky Ponting - setting the platform for an era of Australian dominance.
After stepping down in 1996, he had short spells coaching Leicestershire, Lancashire and the Netherlands, as well as a consultancy role with India.
'Bob Simpson's extraordinary service to Australian cricket spanned generations,' Australia's prime minister Anthony Albanese wrote on social media.
'As a player, captain and then era-defining coach, he set the highest of standards for himself and the champions he led. He will be long remembered by the game he loved.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
an hour ago
- Qatar Tribune
SKY to lead: India announce strong squad for Asia Cup
Agencies Mumbai Defending champions India have announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE. Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) will captain India in next month's Asia Cup as the team looks to clinch a record-extending ninth title. The squad features several major changes from the side that lifted last year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup, with the return of some big names adding further strength. Jasprit Bumrah makes his return to India's white-ball setup for the first time since the 2024 T20 World Cup. The pacer, who has only featured in Test cricket since last year's T20 World Cup final, was rested from limited-overs assignments and also missed the ICC Champions Trophy due to injury. In the batting department, the selectors have placed their faith in the young trio of Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh, all of whom have enjoyed breakthrough performances over the past year. They will be complemented by the experience of Suryakumar, while the line-up also welcomes back Shubman Gill who last featured in a T20I for India more than a year ago in the series against Sri Lanka. Sanju Samson is set to take charge as India's first-choice wicket-keeper, having formed a promising opening partnership with Abhishek in the past 12 months. Jitesh Sharma will provide backup options, with both players making their return to the T20I squad after more than a year. Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel will continue as India's premier all-rounders, having played pivotal roles in the team's T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy triumphs. They will be joined by Shivam Dube to further strengthen the all-round department. Bumrah will lead the bowling unit alongside the 2024 ICC Men's T20I Player of the Year Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Varun Chakravarthy will head India's spin department following his stellar performances in the UAE during the Champions Trophy, and he will be complemented by Kuldeep Yadav, making his first T20I appearance since the 2024 World Cup final. The tournament commences on September 9, with India opening their campaign against the UAE on September 10. India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh. Reserves: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal. Asia Cup Schedule India's Asia Cup group fixturescTypeface:> 10 September – UAE v India, Dubai 14 September – India v Pakistan, Dubai 19 September – India v Oman, Dubai Super Fours: 20-26 September in Abu Dhabi and Dubai Final: 28 September in Dubai.
Qatar Tribune
an hour ago
- Qatar Tribune
Harmanpreet to lead India at ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025
Agencies Mumbai Harmanpreet Kaur is set to lead India for the first time in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup with Smriti Mandhana as her deputy, as India announced a solid 15-member squad for the 2025 edition and Australia series. The tournament will take place from September 30 to November 2, with India playing the tournament opener against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. India will be hoping to go one step further at this year's tournament than they did in 2017, when they made it to their second Women's Cricket World Cup Final, missing out narrowly to England in a thrilling finish at Lord's. Shafali Verma misses out on the 15-member squad. Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol have been rewarded for their consistent performances, earning them a spot in the team. Yastika Bhatia and Richa Ghosh are the two wicketkeeping options in the team. Renuka Singh returns to the squad after being sidelined with a stress fracture since March, when she last featured for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women's Premier League. She will be making her ODI comeback against Australia in September. Meanwhile, fast bowling all-rounder Amanjot Kaur has been rested against Australia but named in the World Cup squad. Ahead of the World Cup, India will face Australia in a three-match ODI series on September 14, 17, and 20. The first two matches will be played in Mullanpur, while the final clash takes place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. 'Hopefully, we will play our best cricket' 'Personally, this tournament is very important for me. This is a home World Cup. Home World Cups are special for every player. I have a lot of experience batting at No.4, I am just looking to contribute to the team,' said Harmanpreet Kaur. A notable omission for India is Shafali Verma, who also missed out on a spot in the recent ODI series against England. The opener had returned to the T20I side in the same series and was a part of the India 'A' side against Australia 'A'. However, the selectors have opted for stability as the team heads into this all-important tournament. 'She is playing for India 'A' in Australia. She is a part of the system. We are keeping an eye out for her. The more she plays, the more experience she will gain for the future,' said Neetu David, Chief Selector, India Women's Team. 'Our team did well in England. We have been working on this squad for a long time now. I think the team we have picked is the best, so we don't want to play around with the team ahead of the World Cup. We just want Shafali to keep playing and gain some experience,' David noted. India has finished as runners-up twice, in 2005 and 2017, but has yet to claim the title. However, Harmanpreet Kaur believes her side has played enough cricket together and possesses everything needed to finally go all the way. 'The same team played in the England series, and we have been playing together for a long time now. Team looks quite balanced to me and hopefully, in both - Australia series and the World Cup, we will play our best cricket,' the captain said. India squad for World Cup: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud. ReservescTypeface:> Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Uma Chetry, Minnu Mani, Sayali Satghare India squad for Australia series: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh (WK), Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (WK), Sneh Rana.
Qatar Tribune
an hour ago
- Qatar Tribune
Southgate and Hayes winners of PFA Merit Awards
PA Media/DPA London Gareth Southgate and Emma Hayes were named as the recipients of the 2025 Professional Footballers' Association Merit Award, which will be presented at a gala dinner in Manchester on Tuesday evening. Former England boss Southgate took his side to consecutive European Championship finals in 2020 and 2024 as well as the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup. Southgate, who had stepped up from his role with England Under-21s, left after eight years in charge of the senior team following defeat to Spain in Germany last summer. A statement from the PFA read: 'He is widely credited with breathing new life into the national team by integrating a new generation of young talent. 'He has overseen a period of unrivalled achievement by the men's national team, and has been an outstanding ambassador for the game - forging genuine connection between the country, the supporters, and the players.' Hayes has also been honoured by the PFA for her contributions to women's football. As Chelsea manager, Hayes guided the Blues to seven Women's Super League titles - including five in succession - as well as winning the FA Cup five times and the League Cup twice. Hayes left Chelsea in the summer of 2024 to become head coach of the United States women's team, with her side going on to win gold at the Paris Olympics. 'Beyond on-pitch success, it is Hayes' approach to leadership and relentless innovation that has paved the way for progress in women's sport,' the PFA said.
