Simmo: Cricket Then and Now
Published on 1. November 2006
Book
Hardback
276 pages
978-1-74175-041-6 (ISBN)
Description
No one is better placed than Bob Simpson to comment on how cricket has changed over the last half a century. The prodigy who played first-class cricket for NSW as a sixteen year old is the only post-war Australian cricketer whose Test- match career has spanned more than twenty years. He captained his country on 39 occasions, then as an innovative coach he masterminded the Australian cricket resurgence of the Border/Taylor years. At other times he has been a journalist, commentator, promoter, coaching consultant and match referee. Simpson has always been a close observer of the game and the men who make it. In Simmo: Cricket Then and Now, Bob fondly recalls many wonderful characters such as Keith Miller, Richie Benaud, Bill Lawry, Wes Hall, Merv Hughes, Allan Border and Steve Waugh - and offers strong opinions on some of the major issues confronting cricket, including illegal-action bowlers, the state of one-day cricket, umpiring standards and the future of today's Australian team. He also analyses why the quality of pace bowling and catching has declined in the past decade, while paying hearty tributes to 21st-century champions such as Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, a
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Person
A key figure in Australian cricket for more than four decades, as cricketer, captain, coach and commentator, Bob Simpson first toured with Australia in 1957-58 as a middle order batsman who bowled leg breaks and caught infallibly at first slip. He subsequently became a first-rate opener and in 1963 was named Australian captain. With the advent of World Series Cricket in April 1977, Simmo emerged from retirement at 41 to lead his country once more, and then, when Australia went looking for a full-time coach in 1986, he was again the Australian Cricket Board's choice. He held the job for a controversial but successful decade, during which time the team won the World Cup and regained both the Ashes and the Frank Worrell Trophy. He also had stints in county cricket, coaching Leicestershire and Lancashire, and has served as a coaching consultant in all corners of the cricket world.