Bob Simpson (cricketer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bob Simpson

Simpson in 1957
Personal information
Full name	Robert Baddeley Simpson
Born	(1936-02-03) 3 February 1936 (age 89) Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia
Nickname	Simmo
Height	179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm leg spin
Role	Batsman
International information
National side	Australia (1957-1978)
Test debut (cap 209)	23 December 1957 v South Africa
Last Test	3 May 1978 v West Indies
ODI debut (cap 44)	22 February 1978 v West Indies
Last ODI	12 April 1978 v West Indies
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1952/53–1955/56	New South Wales
1956/57–1960/61	Western Australia
1961/62–1977/78	New South Wales
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 62 2 257 6 Runs scored 4,869 36 21,029 165 Batting average 46.81 18.00 56.22 33.00 100s/50s 10/27 0/0 60/100 0/0 Top score 311 23 359 37 Balls bowled 6,881 102 27,998 166 Wickets 71 2 349 4 Bowling average 42.26 47.50 38.07 33.50 5 wickets in innings 2 0 6 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 5/57 2/30 5/33 2/30 Catches/stumpings 110/– 4/– 383/– 6/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  Australia as Coach ICC Cricket World Cup Winner 1987 India and Pakistan
Source: CricketArchive, 14 April 2008

Robert Baddeley Simpson (born 3 February 1936), also known as Bobby or Simmo, is a famous former cricketer. He played for New South Wales, Western Australia, and the Australian national team. He was the captain of Australia from 1963 to 1968 and again from 1977 to 1978. Later, he became a very successful coach for the team.

Simpson was a skilled right-handed batsman and a useful leg spin bowler. He was also an amazing fielder and held the record for the most catches in Test cricket for a long time. After being retired for ten years, he made a surprising comeback at age 41. He returned to lead Australia when many top players left to join World Series Cricket.

In 1986, he became the coach of the Australian team. At the time, the team was not doing well. Under his guidance, they transformed from a struggling side into the best team in the world. As coach, he helped them win the 1987 World Cup, win back The Ashes in 1989, and defeat the powerful West Indies team in 1995.

Early Life and Career

Bob Simpson was born in Marrickville, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. His parents were from Scotland. His family was very athletic. His father and grandfather both played professional soccer. Simpson's two older brothers also played high-level cricket and encouraged him to play.

As a boy, Simpson was a talented athlete who also played golf, baseball, and soccer. He was known for being a tough competitor who never gave up. He started as a fast bowler but switched to leg spin bowling when he was 13. By the time he was 15, he was already playing in Sydney's top-grade cricket league.

Making his First-Class Debut

Simpson batting in the nets at the SCG, aged 16, in 1952.

Simpson sweeps in the nets.

Just before his 17th birthday, Simpson was chosen to play for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield, Australia's main domestic competition. This made him one of the youngest players ever to represent the state. In his first match, he scored 44 and 8 without being dismissed.

For the next few seasons, Simpson played well but found it hard to get a regular spot on the strong New South Wales team. He often scored runs but struggled to turn his good starts into big scores. In 1956, he moved to Western Australia to get more opportunities and to work as a journalist.

International Career

After some key players retired from the Australian team, Simpson was chosen for a tour of New Zealand in 1957. He then made his Test debut against South Africa in 1957. He scored 60 runs in his first innings. Although he didn't score many more runs in the series, his excellent fielding, where he took 13 catches, helped him keep his place in the team.

Simpson worked hard to improve his batting. He decided to become an opening batsman, which is one of the two players who bat first. This change was very successful. In the 1959–60 season for Western Australia, he scored an amazing 902 runs at an average of over 300. This included huge scores of 236 not out and 230 not out in back-to-back matches.

Becoming a Key Player

Thanks to his great form, Simpson was called back to the Australian Test team for the 1960–61 series against the West Indies. He had a great series, scoring 449 runs. The first match of this series became famous as the first ever Tied Test in cricket history.

In 1961, Simpson toured England and began his famous opening partnership with Bill Lawry. They became known as one of the best opening pairs in cricket history. They were both very good at running between the wickets and scoring quick singles.

During the 1962–63 series against England, Simpson had a match-winning performance in Sydney. He took his best Test bowling figures of 5 wickets for 57 runs (5/57) and scored 91 runs to help Australia win the match and level the series.

Captain of Australia

In 1963, after several senior players retired, Simpson became the vice-captain of Australia. When captain Richie Benaud was injured, Simpson took over as captain for the first time. At the time, he had not yet scored a century in Test cricket, which was unusual for a top batsman.

The Famous 311 Innings

Simpson finally scored his first Test century during the 1964 tour of England. It was in the Fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester. He didn't just score a century; he went on to make a massive score of 311 runs. His innings lasted for 13 hours. His plan was to bat for a very long time so that England could not win the match, which would mean Australia would keep The Ashes.

His slow and careful batting was criticized by some, but it worked. The match was a draw, and Australia kept the Ashes. Simpson became only the second player in history to score a triple century (300 or more runs) as his first Test hundred.

Leading the Team

As captain, Simpson led Australia on tours to India, Pakistan, and the West Indies. He continued to score runs consistently. In a Test match against Pakistan, he scored a century in both innings (153 and 115).

During the 1965–66 Ashes series at home, he scored 225 in a match in Adelaide. He shared a 244-run partnership with Lawry, which was a record at the time. Australia won the match and retained the Ashes.

Simpson's all-round skills were on display during the 1967–68 series against India. He scored two centuries and took 13 wickets in the series. He retired from Test cricket at the end of that season.

Comeback and Coaching

After ten years of retirement, Simpson made a stunning comeback in 1977 at the age of 41. Australian cricket was in crisis because its best players had left to join a new professional league called World Series Cricket. Simpson was asked to captain a new, inexperienced Australian team.

In his first series back, against India, he scored 539 runs, including two centuries. He then led the team on a difficult tour of the West Indies. He retired for good at the age of 42.

A Legendary Coach

Simpson as coach of Australia

In 1986, Simpson became the coach of the Australian team. The team was young and had been losing a lot of matches. Simpson was a strict coach who focused on discipline, fitness, and hard work.

Under his coaching, the team's fortunes turned around.

• They won the 1987 Cricket World Cup, which was a big surprise.
• They won back The Ashes from England in 1989 with a huge 4–0 series victory.
• In 1995, they defeated the West Indies in the Caribbean, something no other team had done for 15 years. This made Australia the top-ranked team in the world.

When Simpson retired from coaching in 1996, he left behind a team full of future legends like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Mark Waugh, and Steve Waugh. This team would go on to dominate world cricket for the next decade.

Playing Style

Simpson was known for his correct and solid batting technique. He was very fit and could concentrate for long periods, which allowed him to bat for hours. He was especially good at playing shots off the back foot.

As a leg spin bowler, he was very useful and took 71 wickets in his Test career. He was also a brilliant fielder in the slips, where fielders stand close to the batsman to catch the ball. He set a world record by taking 110 catches in Test matches.

Honours

• Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985.
• Made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1978 and an Officer of the Order in 2007.
• Inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2006.
• Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2013.

See also

In Spanish: Bob Simpson para niños