Bob Simpson starred as a leader and batsman during Australia’s 1964 Ashes win in England. He was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year the following spring.
Bob Simpson scored 4,869 runs at 46.81 from 62 Tests, and captained Australia in 39 of them. He later had a successful stint as the national team’s coach, guiding them to the 1987 World Cup triumph and to Test supremacy during the early Nineties
Robert Baddeley Simpson, captain of Australia in England last summer and one of cricket’s leading all-rounders, was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on February 3, 1936, of Scottish descent. His father – a professional soccer player with Stenhousemuir in the Scottish League – and mother hailed from Falkirk, in Stirlingshire, whence they emigrated to Australia.
Robert Baddeley, the latter uncommon name is compounded from others in the family, went to school at Marrickville, Sydney, and, encouraged by his two elder brothers who played in first-grade cricket for many years, began his own sporting career as fast bowler and batsman in any position.
He displayed an early aptitude for leadership, captained his primary school, and when ten represented Sydney Schoolboys. He soon had a century to his credit and at twelve was selected for New South Wales in the Under-14 Competition.
Saturday afternoon club cricket brought him further experience, with a leaning to leg-spin bowling first coming at thirteen when he played for St. Clements, an Anglican Church team in the Junior Association of New South Wales Churches. Moving up to the State Green Shield Competition – virtually the Under-16 grade – he was no more than fifteen years and one week when he reached the first Senior grade with the Petersham Marrickville club.
Simpson, despite a hair-line fracture of a thumb and later another chip of the same thumb bone, scored 458 runs in the five Tests in 1964, and 1,714 with five centuries, in all first-class matches.
In the short tour to India and Pakistan which immediately followed, Simpson displayed fine form, and at Karachi became only the third captain to hit two separate hundreds in a Test Match. Sir Donald Bradman and A Melville were the others. This feat brought Simpson’s Test aggregate to 2,552 runs in 35 matches for an average of 45.57.
Simpson’s stance is easy and his style attractive, the result of a change of technique in the late 1950’s when he turned from playing too square-on to side-on. Simpson found that it made all the difference to him in dealing effectively with the in-dipper and going-away balls as he describes them. More strongly built than most people suppose – he stands 5′ 10½” and weights 13 stone – Simpson excels most when attacking.
The flashing straight-drive and devastating square-cut shows him at his best and these strokes, as well as the on-drive perfectly taken off his toes, are examples of power and elegance which never fail to evoke admiration. He rarely hooks, having largely discarded the stroke as risky, and does not pull overmuch.
As a bowler of guile, he depends more on the leg-break than on other variations. He admits that when he used to bowl the wrong’un too often, he became erratic.
Had not Simpson made his name as a cricketer, he would probably have become a top-class golfer or soccer player; he is also adept at squash and tennis. Fitness for all games is fetish with this persevering sportsman. Married, he has two daughters, and holds a public relations post with the cigarette and tobacco firm of WD & HO Wills of Australia.
