Name:

Simpson, Robert

Nickname:

Simmo

Date of Birth:

03 Feb 1936

Gender:

Male

Place of Birth:

Marrickville, Sydney

Career:

Test: 1957 - 1978
ODI: 1978 - 1978
First Class: 1952 - 1978

Teams:

Australia (Country)
NSW (Regional)
WA (Regional)

Simmo: Mercurial captain and successful coach

Bob Simpson: Mercurial captain who returned to the Test arena at 41

Bobby Simpson was born on 3 February 1936. He was a right handed opening batsman, expert slip fielder with lightning quick reflexes and leg spinner.

At the age of 16, Simmo made his first class debut for New South Wales against Victoria in 1952. He made his Test debut against South Africa at Johannesburg in 1957. He was the Australian skipper from 1963 until he retired in 1968.

Maiden ton was a triple

Seven years after his Test debut, Simmo scored his maiden Test hundred in his 30th Test when he scored a triple century gainst England in 1964, an epic 311 in almost 13 hours.

In 1977, Simmo emerged from retirement at 41 to lead Australia again, during the series against India as the cream of Australia cricketers signed up for the breakaway World Series Cricket.

Simmo was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1965 and was appointed Member of the Order of Australia in the 1978 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Took Australia to No 1 again

In 1986 he was appointed coach of the Australian team. Simmo took a demoralised young team that had a long slump in the mid 1980s to be the strongest team in world cricket by 1995.

During his tenure, Australia won the 1987 World Cup and regained The Ashes in England in 1989 before overcoming the West Indies on their home soil in 1995. He was replaced rather suddenly as coach by Geoff Marsh, a player who he coached only a few years before.

Career record

Simmo made 4869 runs in 62 Tests at an average of 46.82 with 10 centuries. He also had 110 catches and took 71 wickets at an average of 42.27 with a best effort of 5-57 against India in 1967.

His captaincy was decisive and his record of Matches/Won/Lost at 39/12/12 puts him in the top shelf of Australian skippers, on par with Don Bradman, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh.

Simmo's son in law was Australian opener and chief selector Andrew Hilditch.

Source: CricketCrowd Staff Reporter