Bob Simpson, Australian Cricket Legend and World Cup-Winning Coach Passes Away at 89

A towering figure as a player and coach, Simpson led Australia to a golden era of dominance and famously came out of retirement to steer the team during a turbulent time.

August 16, 2025: Australian cricket is in sorrow with the loss of Bob Simpson, a famous former captain and coach, who died in Sydney at the age of 89. Simpson was one of the most important people in the history of the sport. He had a long and successful career as a player, captain, and coach who changed the game forever.

Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed the news on Saturday. They said that before the first ODI against South Africa, the Australian team would honor the late great with a minute of silence and black armbands. Mike Baird, the chairman of CA, led the tributes. He said, “Bob Simpson was one of the greats of Australian cricket, and this is a sad day for anyone who was lucky enough to see him play or learn from him.”

Simpson was a great opening hitter, a great slips fielder, and a good leg-spin bowler when he played. From 1957 to 1978, he played 62 Tests for Australia and scored 4,869 runs. His highest score was 311 against England in 1964. During the World Series Cricket period, he became famous for stepping up to lead an Australian team that was short on players at the age of 41.

After a successful playing career, Simpson became Australia’s first full-time national coach in 1986. He had a big role in turning the team’s fortunes around during the next ten years, which laid the stage for the “golden era” of Australian cricket. The team won the 1987 World Cup, got the Ashes back in England in 1989, and broke a 17-year drought by beating the West Indies, who had been the best team in the world, in 1995.

Simpson was named a Member of the Order of Australia in 1978 and an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2007 since he did so much for the country. In 1985, he was also inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. In 2006, he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, and in 2013, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.