Australian cricket great Bob Simpson, a former captain and coach, dies at 89

Cricket Australia posted on X, "RIP to a true cricket legend. A Test cricketer, captain, coach and national selector - Bob Simpson was a mighty figure in Australian cricket, giving everything to our game. Cricket Australia extends our thoughts and sympathies to Bob’s family and friends."

Born in New South Wales, Simpson's Test career spanned from 1957 to 1978.

An opening batsman (now called batter) and an occasional leg spin bowler, Simpson led Australia in the mid-1960s and later in the 1970s.

He had scored a famous 311 against England at Old Trafford in 1964. He was a very solid, patient batsman and an excellent slip fielder.

In a remarkable chapter in his life, Simpson cancelled his retirement and returned in 1977 at the age of 41 to captain a beleaguered Australia.

Simpton coached the national team from 1986–1996, helping rebuild Australian cricket after a difficult period.

Credited for building an almost invincible Australia in the 1990s and 2000s, Simpson was the coach when Australia won their first ever World Cup in 1987.

Under his coaching, the Aussies regained the Ashes marking the beginning of a long era of Australian dominance in the cricket world.

Though he stepped down as the coach in 1996, Simpson was involved in Australian cricket in the form of a national selector.

Mourning his demise, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote on X, "Bob 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. He will be long remembered by the game he loved. May he rest in peace."