Former Australia captain and coach Simpson dies at 89
Simpson played 62 tests between 1957 and 1978, scoring 4,869 runs, including 10 hundreds, and claimed 71 wickets with his leg spin following his debut on a tour of South Africa.
Simpson, one of the greatest slip fielders the game has ever seen, initially retired from the game in 1968 before returning as test captain at the age of 41 after several front-line Australian players had joined the World Series Cricket in 1977.
'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 slips 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 for Australian cricket.'
As coach, Simpson is credited with instilling discipline in an Australia side led by Allan Border, which went on to win the 1987 World Cup and regained both the Ashes and the Frank Worrell Trophy.
Leg-spin great Shane Warne called Simpson the best coach he played under and someone who helped his development.
Simpson also coached Lancashire and the Netherlands and worked as a consultant with the Indian team in the late 1990s.
'Bob Simpson's extraordinary service to Australian cricket spanned generations,' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote on X.
'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
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Pogba watches as Monaco start Ligue 1 season with a win
Monaco players celebrate Eric Dier's (C) goal against Le Havre at the Louis II Stadium Paul Pogba watched as Monaco easily beat Le Havre 3-1 in their Ligue 1 opener on Saturday as Lyon won away at Lens. On Friday French giants Marseille suffered a first-day upset 1-0 at 10-man Rennes. In Saturday's late game last season's fourth-placed team Nice fell 1-0 at home to Toulouse, but Monaco and Lyon avoided upsets. Georges Mikautadze scored the only goal as Lyon won 1-0 in northern France while 2018 World Cup winner Pogba's appearance in the locker room at the Louis II Stadium was one of the highlights of the first half of Monaco's game. Dressed in a vintage Monaco jersey, a cap on his head, and a big smile on his face, Pogba saw his team quickly take the measure of an outclassed Le Havre. Midfielder Pogba signed a two-year contract with Monaco from Juventus this summer in a bid to relaunch his career back home in France. The former Manchester United player had made only 12 appearances across the last three seasons due to injuries, suspension and an extortion case in which he was the victim. However, to see Pogba in a Monaco jersey, fans will have to wait a little longer, along with Guinea-Bissau forward Ansu Fati, the club's other big summer signing. Adi Hutter's hosts proved dominant, particularly in midfield opening after 32 minutes after Gautier Lloris bundled Aleksandr Golovin's powerful cross into his own net. Englishman Eric Dier, also a summer signing, doubled the lead with a header from a well-taken Lamine Camara corner just after the hour mark. Le Havre pulled a goal back six minutes later when Rassoul Ndiaye got the better of new Monaco goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky before Maghnes Akliouche put the result beyond a doubt after 74 minutes. Earlier Mikautadze struck at the end of the first half to give seven-time Ligue 1 champions Lyon their first win since American businesswoman Michele Kang took over as president in June to save the club from relegation after compatriot John Textor resigned amid financial irregularities. Lyon got the better against their former coach Pierre Sage, who took over at Lens after Will Still's departure. Financially constrained for summer signings, Lyon built its success with what it already had with strikers Malick Fofana and Mikautadze and midfield stalwart Corentin Tolisso combining well. Fofana ran rings around the Lens defence, breaking through at the end of the first half when he provided an ideal cross to Mikautadze. Despite 18 shots on goal, Lens were unable to deliver with Wesley Said and Deiver Machado both missing numerous chances. New recruit Florian Thauvin came off the bench for Lens after 57 minutes to rapturous applause from the home fans but despite bringing creativity and freshness, the World Cup winner could not make the difference. Four days after being eliminated in the Champions League qualifying round by Benfica, Nice once again displayed shortcomings in a 1-0 defeat at home to Toulouse with Djibril Sidibe scoring one minute before the final whistle.
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Spurs get Frank off to flier as Haaland sparks revamped Man City
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank enjoyed a "dream" home debut with a 3-0 win over Burnley, while Erling Haaland inspired new-look Manchester City's 4-0 rout of Wolves on the opening weekend of the Premier League season on Saturday. Frank was seconds away from launching his era in charge with a trophy until a late Paris Saint-Germain revival won the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday. The former Brentford boss replaced Ange Postecoglou despite the Australian ending Tottenham's 17-year trophy drought by lifting the Europa League last term. Postecoglou was undone by Tottenham's worst domestic season since 1976-77 as they finished just above the relegation zone in 17th place. Frank's bid to revive Tottenham's league fortunes got off to the perfect start in north London. Richarlison made the most of the faith shown in him by Frank as the Brazilian turned in Mohammed Kudus' cross to open the scoring. The pair combined again on the hour in more spectacular fashion as Richarlison's bicycle kick converted the Ghanaian's delivery. Brennan Johnson was Tottenham's Europa League final hero with the only goal against Manchester United and he began the new season by racing clear to slot in the third. "Perfect start or dream start. A good performance against a difficult opponent. I will just enjoy it and I hope the players, the club and the fans enjoy it because that is important," Frank said. At Molineux, Pep Guardiola unveiled his City revamp as he bids to bounce back from last season's third-place finish. City's failure to defend the title after winning it for the previous four seasons has prompted a major overhaul from Guardiola. Despite Haaland's double, it was new signing Tijjani Reijnders who stole the show with a hand in all of City's first three goals. "We knew he is a top signing for the coming years for City," said Guardiola on Reijnders outstanding Premier League debut after a £46.5 million move from AC Milan. "Of course we have changed after last season with many injuries and problems - fresh energy this season." Reijnders stroked in his first City goal in between two predatory finishes from Haaland. Another City new boy Rayan Cherki, lured from Lyon in the summer, rounded off the scoring. For the past two seasons, all three promoted teams have gone down. Sunderland made the perfect start to attempting to buck that trend with a 3-0 victory over West Ham. Former Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka is among pool of new signings attracted to the Stadium of Light. But it was three players key to their promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 who scored. Eliezer Mayenda's looping header gave the Black Cats lift off on the hour mark. Centre-back Dan Ballard headed in the second before Wilson Isidor rounded off a huge win in stoppage time. Newcastle missed the wantaway Alexander Isak as they failed to find the breakthrough against 10-man Aston Villa in a 0-0 draw at Villa Park. The Magpies were the dominant side even before Ezri Konsa's red card for bringing down Antony Gordon 24 minutes from time. Isak had not been involved during Newcastle's pre-season as he appears determined to force through a move to Liverpool, who reportedly saw a £110 million ($149 million) offer for the Swedish striker rejected. The two clubs face off in their next league match at St. James' Park on August 25. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said he wants an end to the saga one way or another. "From my perspective, you want a resolution quickly. It's taking away the focus of the players and the supporters," said Howe "We want to be united together. We'd like a resolution, but we're not in control of that." Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz struck in the 96th minute to salvage a 1-1 draw at Brighton after Matt O'Riley's penalty put the Seagulls in front. Arsenal, top-flight runners-up for the last three seasons, are in action on Sunday when they travel to Manchester United. Champions Liverpool began their title defence with a 4-2 win against Bournemouth on Friday.
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Rehan aims to cement all-rounder role
England's young leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has set his sights on earning a place in the squad for this year's Ashes series, declaring his ambition to establish himself as a genuine all-rounder on Friday. The 21-year-old stressed that while bowling remains his primary strength, he is determined to add greater consistency with the bat to contribute in both departments. "I still feel like I'm a bowler who bowls and a batter who can bat. I want to be very good at both. Whether that takes me years or happens quickly, I will always be striving to be the best all-rounder I can," Ahmed said. Ahmed said he has gained confidence from his recent run with the bat, which has already produced five first-class centuries. "I feel that if I occupy the crease long enough, I will always find ways to score. I just had to find a way to stay out there longer. I'm surprised I've kept my head switched on long enough to get five hundreds, but I'm delighted," he added. The youngster also addressed comparisons with Australia's Steve Smith, who started his career as a leg-spinning all-rounder before becoming one of the world's greatest batters. "I love bowling, too! Whenever I've played for England, it's been as a bowler. I still think that's my first skill and I'm trying to learn as much as possible. Leg-spin is an art you can never perfect it's about working as hard as possible. "I want to bowl as much as I can, enjoy it and be part of the game. I just want to get runs and a load of wickets consistently in the same games," he noted. Looking ahead to the Ashes, Ahmed admitted the thought of playing in Australia excites him, though he remains realistic about his chances. "I've never been to Australia, never played there. It looks a great place to play and the Ashes is an incredible occasion. I'd love to be a part of it. "But I know the management, if they pick me, they'll back me 100 percent. If they don't, it's because they don't think I'm the right man for the job there. I have full faith in their judgment. "If you asked any man on the street if they wanted to play in the Ashes, they'd jump at the chance. If I don't go, it'll still be a great watch," he concluded.
