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Bob Willis: Former England cricket captain dies aged 70

Sad news. Loved hearing his blunt analysis.
 
Former England captain and Sky Cricket expert Bob Willis has died at the age of 70 after a short illness.

The fast-bowler was a mainstay of the England team for more than a decade, playing in 90 Tests and 64 one-day internationals after his debut in 1971, and went on to enjoy a long career in broadcasting after his retirement in 1984.

Willis finished his Test career with 325 wickets, which to this day puts him fourth on the all-time list of England wicket-takers behind James Anderson, Ian Botham and Stuart Broad.

He played a key part in what became known as "Botham's Ashes" when his hostile bowling saw him take 8-43 in the memorable third Test at Headingley that was won from a seemingly-impossible position.

Botham would later describe his team-mate as a "tremendous trier, a great team-man and an inspiration - the only world-class fast bowler in my time as an England player."

Willis' family said in a statement: "We are heartbroken to lose our beloved Bob, who was an incredible husband, father, brother and grandfather. He made a huge impact on everybody he knew and we will miss him terribly."

The former international cricketer is survived by his wife Lauren, daughter Katie, brother David and sister Ann.

The Willis family has asked for privacy while the mourn the former international cricketer, and have asked donations to be made to Prostate Cancer UK.

https://news.sky.com/story/bob-willis-former-england-cricket-captain-dies-aged-70-11878055
 
Sherlock said:
Just getting the news via Sky News.
Click to expand...

Former England captain and Sky Cricket expert Bob Willis has died at the age of 70 after a short illness.

The fast-bowler was a mainstay of the England team for more than a decade, playing in 90 Tests and 64 one-day internationals after his debut in 1971, and went on to enjoy a long career in broadcasting after his retirement in 1984.

Willis finished his Test career with 325 wickets, which to this day puts him fourth on the all-time list of England wicket-takers behind James Anderson, Ian Botham and Stuart Broad.

He played a key part in what became known as "Botham's Ashes" when his hostile bowling saw him take 8-43 in the memorable third Test at Headingley that was won from a seemingly-impossible position.

Botham would later describe his team-mate as a "tremendous trier, a great team-man and an inspiration - the only world-class fast bowler in my time as an England player."

Willis' family said in a statement: "We are heartbroken to lose our beloved Bob, who was an incredible husband, father, brother and grandfather. He made a huge impact on everybody he knew and we will miss him terribly."

The former international cricketer is survived by his wife Lauren, daughter Katie, brother David and sister Ann.

The Willis family has asked for privacy while the mourn the former international cricketer, and have asked donations to be made to Prostate Cancer UK.

https://news.sky.com/story/bob-willi...ed-70-11878055
 
This is sudden. He used to be my favourite analyst on Sky Sports.
RIP
 
RIP, condolences to his friends and family.
 
Shocking news, that's come so out of the blue.

I'll miss his diatribes on The Verdict.

"Well Charles..."
 
Wow, he was still doing work for Sky quite recently. I remember seeing him doing work for Sky during the World Cup and the Ashes and he looked completely fine.
 
So, so sad to hear this. He had not been on the post-day shows on Sky lately (Rob Key replaced him). It didn't seem like there was anything that seriously wrong with him, or I guess Sky didn't say anything to respect his privacy. I wasn't expecting this news.

You will be missed, Bob. Farewell champion.
 
So sad. His punditry was classic.

RIP to the legend and condolences to his family.
 
Oh no, no, no.

With Botham he was the first of my cricket heroes. He never gave up, always charging in off that forty-yard run, fast and accurate and getting bounce from his 6'6". Best England pace bowler I ever saw.

RIP Goose.
 
RIP! His comments on Chris Broad on TV a few years ago really cracked me up. Sad day for cricket.
 
RIP. This guy had character and gave viewers plenty to laugh about.

Going by his bowling stats, he's probably better than any England bowler that I've ever seen, since I started watching the sport, 20 years ago.
 
My favourite English commentator/analyst by far. The likes of Nasser are exceptionally boring . RIP
 
RIP ... brutally honest pundit ... they don't make em like him anymore
 
RIP.

One of the most entertaining and honest pundits. He had a good sense of humour. Loved listening to him on shows when England played tests .

Sad day for cricket.
 
Met him at Edgbaston a few times.

Behind that grumpy image for tv was a very nice guy who loved talking about cricket, especially fast bowling.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rest in peace Bob Willis <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/fdQk28A6U5">pic.twitter.com/fdQk28A6U5</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1202280426548715520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Willis was a superb fast bowler, by far the best English quick since John Snow in the early 1970’s.

He was tall, got bounce from a full length and bowled consistently in the low 140’s. He was similar to Pat Cummins, but with more lift and less swing.

He first really emerged in the late 1960’s, and on Ray Illingworth’s legendary Ashes tour of 1970-71. Imagine having Willis AND Snow in your attack.

He only lost his pace at the very end, and in 1984 an uncharacteristic sledge - slur really - made Viv Richards go beserk and end his career.

Willis had a unique way of carrying the ball behind him in his run-up. This was often parodied by part-time bowlers as matches petered out to a draw.

The last “bowler” I saw do this was Alastair Cook, but the most famous example - and tribute really - came at Port of Spain in 1982-83. A rain-affected Test against a india was about to be drawn, and after Tea the legendary West Indies quicks, and then Larry Gomes and Viv Richards, treated the crowd to impressions of the bowling of Bob Willis, Jeff Thomson and Max Walker. Kapil Dev took full advantage and scored a rapid century!

Willis was a superb Test fast bowler, and by then was the England captain. The Port of Spain impressions really showed how respected and famous he actually was.
 
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RIP Bob. :(

Never saw him bowl but looking back he was a brilliant fast bowler.

My favourite pundit, no nonsense and funny too. Sky Sports Verdict will never be the same again.

Condolences to his family.
 
The tradition of impersonating Bob Willis against India as a Test peters out to a draw lives on.

Here is Alastair Cook’s Bob Willis impression five years ago......

74813F35-A001-4BBC-A860-E6D6B92C8C7E.jpg
 
Anyone interested, look up the 1970-71 Ashes tour.

Firstly the concept of a Seven Test series!

Secondly the sheer speed of John Snow and Bob Willis, leading a spectator in Sydney to assault Snow.

That England team provided the template for how to win in Australia, which successive West Indies, England and South African teams have followed.

You dry up the Aussie scoring rate until they have to play risky shots to full length balls on and just outside off-stump.

Bob Willis is the ideal bowler for that role - 6’6 and bowling at roughly the pace of Musa Khan.

But unlike Musa Khan he was 11 inches taller, and pitched the ball in the same spot every time, and 3 metres fuller.
 
RIP Bob loved your commentary you were blunt and to the point lived it.
 
Sir bob, i know you were an excellent bowler and not a batsman, but you should have gone for a century, 70 is not enough!
RIP sir Bob and sincere condolences to your family.
A very sad day for cricket lovers!
 
Must have been some kind of gallopping cancer, he seemed totally fine not long ago. This came as a complete shock.
 
RIP Bob Willis.

I enjoyed his commentary in the Natwest 2002 final and 2005 Edgbaston Ashes test; it's a pity he was moved from the box to just a post game debate show.
 
Sad to hear.

A terrific bowler who became a salty, blunt and at times entertaining cricketing personality. I probably enjoyed his commentary and punditry in the 00s more so than his cricket, but that's just me.

SkySports will not be the same without him.
 
Bob Willis

“It is with profound sadness that I learned of the passing of Bob Willis, one of the great fast-bowlers of his time and a key figure in the successful England sides of the late seventies, and eighties.

“Bob was the archetypal fast-bowler: big, tall, aggressive – very quick and extremely competitive. As a batsman, you always knew you were in a contest when you were facing Bob; he just kept coming at you.

“He had one of the longest run-ups in international cricket – a long, angled approach that brought him to the wicket upright and front-on, and perfectly balanced to bowl with the signature pace and bounce for which he was renown.

“For Bob to have taken 325 wickets at 25.20 in 90 Tests tell us all we need to know about his ability and his impact. He was one of a small and select group of bowlers who had reached the 300-mark at that point – it was very significant milestone.

“Off the field Bob was a character with a dry, deadpan sense of humour, but on the field he was very intense and competitive and never gave up – as I discovered to my cost when he nicked me out for 99 at Lancaster Park in 1984.

“My thoughts and condolences at this time are with Bob’s family and close friends. To lose someone of his standing and repute, and at such a relatively young age for these times, is an extremely sad occurrence.”

Sir Richard Hadlee
 
One of the first pundits honest enough to call Saeed Ajmal out as a chucker in early 2012.

As usual, history proved Willis correct.
 
RIP. One of the greatest fast bowlers ever.

Loved his sarcastic comments. Very underappreciated as a commentator.
 
The International Cricket Council has expressed sadness at the passing of former England captain Bob Willis at the age of 70.
Bob Willis

In a statement, ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said Willis was one of English cricket’s biggest heroes.

“We are extremely sad to hear of Bob’s death and I would like to extend deep condolences to his family on behalf of the ICC.

“Bob was one of the biggest cricket heroes of his time, a fast bowler respected the world over. He led the England bowling attack with aggression and the sight of him charging in to bowl is entrenched in the minds of people who watched cricket in the 1970s and 80s.

“To finish with 325 Test wickets as a fast bowler is no mean achievement and his part in the Headingly Test against Australia in 1981 is one of the most remarkable performances in cricket. He was also admired as a broadcaster in later years and his contribution to the game will be remembered for a long time.”

The fast bowler captained England in 18 Tests and 29 One Day Internationals taking 325 wickets in 90 Tests from 1971 to 1984. Willis produced a devastating career-best of eight for 43 in the third Test of the 1981 Ashes at Headingley, which helped England to a famous win over Australia. England went on to win the series 3-1 and Willis finished with 29 wickets at 22.96 in six matches.

In domestic cricket, the Sunderland-born bowler started his career at Surrey, before spending 12 years at Warwickshire, finishing with 899 wickets from 308 first-class matches at an average of 24.99.
 
Tribute to Bob Willis-True all -time great fast bowler?

Sadly yesterday Bob George Dylan Willis left for his heavenly abode.His memories are permanently embedded in my mind like a film running within.



Willis steaming in from the top of his run was one of cricket's most menacing sights to behold.In full steam with the new ball he was the ultimate epitome or embodiment of grit and agression personified ,reminiscent of a boxer.He may not have looked pleasing to the eye like a shire horse,but in essence had the qualities of a beautiful thoroughbred.Few pacemen or arguably no post-1970's Englishman was as lethal with the new ball.Bob was a master at extracting pace and bounce in any conditions.He may have had an uncanny action but his great determination more than compensated for it.



What was remarkable was his consistency even on dead pitches in India where he captured 20 wickets in 1976-77 and when he had 20 scalps at a most unexpensive average in Australia in 1978-79.In most of his series he rarely averaged more than 25-30 with the ball which is praiseworthy.,be it in India,Pakistan ,New Zealand ,West Indies or Australia.It is also noteworthy that he had more top order btasmen scalps than most fast bowlers,overshadowing Ian Botham in this regard.



The most defining moment in his career was his spell of 8-43 in the 2nd innings at Leeds in 1981 versus Australia which ressurected England from the grave or depths of despair to reach the pinnacle of glory.No adjective in the English dictionary could do justice to the spirit or intensity Willis displayed that day reminiscent of a great military commander in the 2nd world war.When charging in he was cocoon of concentration with grit and agression written on his face.With the surgical skill of an architect he extracted the uneven bounce on a wicket that was not 'true' for test cricket.He simply banged the ball in the perfect place like few pacemen ever did.Australia were coasting home at 55-1 chasing a meagre target of 130 before Willis caused the equivalent of one of the most sensational turn or twists in the climax of plot of a Hollywod movie.In the last 2 overs before lunch he removed Trevor Chappell with an unplayable snorter which he fended of to be caught,had Kim Hughes caught in slip with a lifting delivery and Graham Yallop caught as Short leg fending of a rising delivery.These dismissals lit the first spark which turned into a prairie fire.After lunch Willis carried on where he left further tigthening the nose on the Australian batsmen who wee now totally perplexed.Finally he bowled Ray Bright through the gate to create cricket's most sensational victory or turnabout in the game's history.Even in the minute of glory Willis did not display ecstasy but ran off the field bestowing the same agression or anger when playing, with the media who had literally written him off before the game.In my book this was the best ever spell ever by a bowler in a run chase when you asess the circumstances .Willis also went on a blitzkreig at Old Traffored in the 1st innings when the Aussies crashed for a mere 131 ,taking 4-63.He accounted fot the scalps of Greame Wood,Graham Yallop ,Kim Hughes and John Dyson in a single spell.Capturing 29 scalps in that edition of the AShes Wilis had turned the fate of a test series as few bowlers ever did.



My other best memories of Bob was against West Indies at Trent Bridge in 1980.against India at Lords in 1982 and against New Zealand at Leeds in 1983.His spell s of 5-82 and 4-65 at Trent Bridge all but turned the tables at Trent Bridge with the Calypsos evading defeat by the skin of their teeth.A couple of dropped catches robbed England of untold glory in toppling arguably the best tset team ever.The West Indian batsmen looked in agony tackling the disconcerting bounce and pace of Willis who looked as though the spirits posessed him.To me has to rank amongst the best spells ever bowled against the great West Indies team.At Lords versus India he captured 6-103 in the 2nd innings in his debut test as captain ,ripping through the heart of the powerful Indian batting line up.With surgical skill he exploited the ridge at Lords .At Leeds versus New Zealand he bowled one of cricket's great spells in a losing cause when defending a total capturing 5-35..Chasing a meagre 103 the Kiwis lost 5 wickets.Bob also bowled some very effective opening spells against a top class Pakistani batting line up in 1982 which played an important role in his team's series win.



Willis captured 325 wickets at an average of 25.20 in 90 tests.In terms of average he performed better than Ian Botham or Jimmy Anderson .His strike rate was at 53.6 wasdaround the same as greats like Imran Khan and Wasim Akram and better than those greats like Ian Botham,Andy Roberts or even Courtney Walsh.Arguably it is also because Wilis did not carry as much workload with the ball as Botham or Walsh or even Kapil Dev.



His place amongst the great English fast bowlers is debatable but without doubt he was amongst the 6 most impact full English pace bowlers of all time.With a new ball perhaps only Trueman,Statham,Snow or Larwood were ahead.To me he was one of the great exponents of the newball of all time amongst pace bowlers.



As a skipper he had a successful record at home winning 3 successive series from 1982 to 1983 but abroad he had no success.Still he led England to a close series in Pakistan in 1983-84 and in New Zealand in 1984.



Bob was also a very fine commentator with very statue judgement of the game.He rated Viv Richards as the best batsmen he ever bowled to and in his alltime XI chose Imran Khan,Glen Mcgrath,Brian Lara,Sachin Tendulkar ,Herbert Suttcliffe .Inspite of being an Englishman he did not select Ian Botham in it.I can never forget the kind words he had for Sunil Gavaskar who he rated very highly and expressed that India deserved to win the 1979 test at the Oval.



Above all he was a very affable chracter who always s upheld the spirit of the game and did justice to cricket being a gentleman's sport.The Cricket world will truly thus miss one of its best loved characters.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sad to hear that Bob Willis is no more... I had the privilege of working with him and learnt a lot. A ferocious fast bowler whose eight wickets at Headingley in 1981 is part of cticket folklore. A gentleman to the core. My sympathies with the family.</p>— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) <a href="https://twitter.com/wasimakramlive/status/1202497605424570369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The most defining moment in his career was his spell of 8-43 in the 2nd innings at Leeds in 1981 versus Australia which ressurected England from the grave or depths of despair to reach the pinnacle of glory.No adjective in the English dictionary could do justice to the relentless spirit or intensity Willis displayed that day reminiscent of a great military commander in the 2nd world war.When charging in he was cocoon of concentration with grit and agression written on his face.I have rarely witnessed such level of ferociity on a cricket field .With the surgical skill of an architect he extracted the uneven bounce on a wicket that was not 'true' for test cricket.I cant visualise a pacemen doing more justice to the given conditions or performing a task with such clinical perfection.He simply banged the ball in the perfect place like few pacemen ever did,doing exactly the job that the doctor ordered.Wilis was simply cometh the hour cometh the man.

Australia were coasting home at 55-1 chasing a meagre target of 130 before Willis caused the equivalent of one of the most sensational turn or twists in the climax of plot of a Hollywod movie.The scenario was reminiscent of a divine intervention occuring.In the last 2 overs before lunch he removed Trevor Chappell with an unplayable snorter which he fended of to be caught,had Kim Hughes caught in slip with a lifting delivery and Graham Yallop caught as Short leg fending of a rising delivery.These dismissals lit the first spark which turned into a prairie fire.After lunch Willis carried on where he left further tigthening the nose on the Australian batsmen who were now totally perplexed.He dimsissed John Dyson misjudging a hook,Rod March top edging a flier to Graham Dilley ,Geoff Lawson nicking to the keeper and Lillee holding out to Gatting at mid on.Finally he bowled Ray Bright through the gate to create cricket's most sensational victory or turnabout in the game's history.Even in the minute of glory Willis did not display ecstasy but ran off the field bestowing the same agression or anger when playing, with the media who had literally written him off before the game.In my book this was the best ever spell ever by a bowler in a run chase when you asess the circumstances he lifted England out of adversity .A Hollywood script had been written here .

Willis also went on a blitzkreig at Old Trafford in the 5th test of the same 1981 Ashes in the 1st innings when the Aussies crashed for a mere 130 ,taking 4-63.He accounted fot the scalps of ,Graham Yallop ,Kim Hughes and John Dyson in a single spell.Capturing 29 scalps in that edition of the Ashes Wilis had defined or turned the fate of a test series as few bowlers ever did.
 
Bob Willis: Tributes after former England cricket captain and Ashes hero dies

Former England captain Bob Willis has been hailed as a "phenomenal" cricketer following his death at the age of 70.

The fast bowler took 325 wickets in 90 Tests from 1971 to 1984, claiming a career-best 8-43 to help England to a famous win over Australia at Headingley in the 1981 Ashes.

David Gower, who succeeded Willis as England captain, said his former team-mate and commentary colleague had a "burning, bright passion for the game".

And ex-England fast bowler Darren Gough said Willis was "hugely admired around the world".

"He was a phenomenal cricketer," added Simon Hughes, editor of The Cricketer and former Middlesex bowler.

"I still have that image in my head of him running off the ground at Headingley. He was a man on a mission. The passion and desire to win that game was too much for the Australians."

Willis captained England in 18 Tests and 29 one-day internationals before his retirement from all cricket in 1984.

He subsequently worked as a summariser on BBC TV before joining Sky Sports as a commentator in 1991.

Willis continued to work for Sky and was part of their coverage of this summer's Ashes series.

Firm, fair and a Dylan fan

Gower was in the England side, inspired by Willis and Ian Botham's heroics, that famously fought back to beat the Australians against all odds in 1981.

"Headingley was a brilliant moment, the irony was they tried to drop him before that Test match, so that was him making a point and he was very good at doing that during his career," Gower, 62, told BBC Radio 5 live.

"He has always been making points and he makes them very firmly. Anyone seeing that game would have seen a burning bright passion coming through the eyes.

"There is a huge contrast to Bob, a lot of people have seen him on programmes where his trenchant opinion is put across in great style. He was very forthright on players of the current generation, but behind it all is a very different character. He was multi-faceted.

"He was a huge Bob Dylan fan, in fact he changed his name to Robert George Dylan Willis by deed poll, which tells its own story, and he could tell you any Dylan lyric. He was a bright man, very good company and a wine connoisseur.

"He was very civilised and erudite, maybe too erudite for most, he didn't suffer fools gladly. He was very eclectic in all sorts of things. He was passionate about cricket, and the way he talked about it too."

Willis represented Surrey for the first two years of his professional career before spending 12 years at Warwickshire, finishing with 899 wickets from 308 first-class matches at an average of 24.99.

Despite needing surgery on both knees in 1975, he became one of the finest fast bowlers of his generation, playing another nine years and claiming his 325 Test wickets at an impressive average of 25.20.

At the time of Willis' retirement, only Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee had taken more Test wickets.

James Anderson (575), Stuart Broad (471) and Botham (383) are the only England bowlers to have since surpassed Willis' tally.

Willis moved into commentary soon after his playing career ended and worked alongside former team-mates Botham and Gower.

After moving away from live commentary and summariser duties in 2006, Willis continued to work as a pundit on Sky Sports programmes such as The Debate and The Verdict.

He was frequently firm in his criticism of current players, which was seen by some as being unfair.

Former England fast bowler Darren Gough told Talksport: "As a player he had a big heart, he'd run in, nearly 6ft 6ins, and hit the pitch hard. At his peak he was one of the best three bowlers in the world.

"He was hugely admired all around the world. Everybody knew who he was.

"If you just saw him on TV, people might think he's a bit straight, but in his company over a glass of wine he would make you laugh all night."

'The Goose' and charades in India

Mike Brearley, captain for that 1981 Ashes series, says Willis "went into the zone" more than anyone he played with and used a hypnotherapist to aid his focus.

"You almost had to knock to find out if anyone was in. He was in, but he had this particular zone he got into, and I think it helped him a lot," he told a BBC Test Match Special tribute podcast.

"He was fierce, but he wasn't unpleasant. He was a great player of charades - in India where we stayed in little hotels or guest houses up in the country, he would be a great figure of the after-dinner in-house entertainment.

"Bob hated players losing their wickets cheaply. There were little remarks he made like 'they have to be spoken to' about David Gower or Derek Randall when they made a pretty 43 and got out, He wanted the best and wanted us to produce our best."

Willis steaming in from the Kirkstall Lane End at Headingley inspired a generation of cricketers to copy his style.

"Bob was tall, a very awkward bowler to face. He was at you all the time, very persistent," said Brearley.

"It was an extraordinary run-up to bowl - it was a sort of curve from slightly wide of the stumps. He came in from behind the umpire to deliver the ball with his characteristic in-swing action. We called him goose because it was as if he was labouring to take off as he came in to bowl."

Tributes to a cricket great

Actor and cricket enthusiast Stephen Fry: "Oh no, not Bob Willis...what joy he gave, and what a marvellous man. That 8 for 43. Used to lunch with him occasionally to talk cricket, Wagner and Bob Dylan, his three great passions."

BBC Sport presenter and former England footballer Gary Lineker tweeted: "Saddened to hear that Bob Willis has died. One of our greatest fast bowlers. Met him on many occasions and he was always great company with a sense of humour that was as sharp as his bowling. #RIPBob"

Sky Sports managing director Rob Webster said: "Our hearts go out to Bob's family at such a sad time, we have lost an icon of British sport and a wonderful man.

"A cricketer of fantastic talent, his career was etched with high points and incredible achievements at the highest level. Captaining England and setting a tremendous standard as fast bowler, his game was the stuff of legend and his records will stand the test of time.

"Joining Sky and becoming part of our coverage three decades ago he has made a similar impact on how we have broadcast the game to our viewers. His style and, in particular, his voice will always be remembered fondly. We shall miss him."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/50664838
 
Richard Hadlee wrote of the first test match NZ won in England - Headingley’83.

Again, England only had a small number of runs to defend. Just 110 this time.

Skipper Willis came roaring in from the same end he had demolished Australia from. But he had no support from the other bowlers this time. NZ won by five wickets and Bob took all five that fell.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bob Willis was my first England captain and a legend of England cricket. Headingley 1980 was as much his triumph as Beefy Botham's - RIP Big Bob...</p>— Derek Pringle (@derekpringle) <a href="https://twitter.com/derekpringle/status/1202267149659705346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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After England's defeat to India in the 2014 Lord's Test:

"I've seen fewer hookers in Soho on a Saturday night than I did at Lord's today".
 
Markhor said:
After England's defeat to India in the 2014 Lord's Test:

"I've seen fewer hookers in Soho on a Saturday night than I did at Lord's today".
Click to expand...

Ravi Shastri's face when Bob Willis was saying this was priceless :moyo2:mou
 
The ECB has decided to go blue at Edgbaston for the ODI between England and Pakistan on the 13th of July to honour the legendary Bob Willis who died of prostate cancer in December 2019. Willis was one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of Test cricket and picked 325 wickets in 90 Tests for England at an average of 25.2.

Willis’ Test career ran for a little more than 13 years between 1971 and 1984 and is widely regarded as one of England’s greatest fast bowlers in history. The #BlueForBob day will be a fitting tribute to the iconic pacer and will raise money for Prostate Cancer UK.

‘Hopefully they’ll be allowed to have lots of fans in, they’ll all wear blue, and we’ll raise a lot of money. Prostate cancer is the No 1 diagnosed cancer in the UK now, ahead of breast cancer, but I feel a lot of people don’t know what a prostate is. They certainly don’t think it’s something that can kill you,” said Lauren Clark – the wife of Willis.

Clark along with the brother of her husband, David Willis, have launched the Bob Willis Fund with the aim of raising and spreading awareness of the cancer and improving its detection and diagnosis.

The patron of the Fund is Bob Dylan, the legendary American singer-songwriter who was Willis’s biggest idol.

“Bob Willis was a great sportsman who left too soon. I’m happy to help keep his flame and cause alive,” quoted Dylan.

There have been similar campaigns and initiatives in the recent past all around the world. The SCG turns pink each year in memory of Jane McGrath, the former wife of Australian Glenn McGrath and raise money and spread awareness for breast cancer.

The Mecca of cricket – Lord’s turned red in 2019 to collect funds for the Ruth Strauss Foundation. Ruth – the wife of Andrew Strauss had died of a rare form of lung cancer in 2018.

https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/...-honour-england-great-bob-willis-3758714.html
 
We’re turning Edgbaston blue for the first #BlueForBob day at the England vs Pakistan
One-Day International on Tuesday 13th July.

Fans, players, and a host of supporters of the Bob Willis Fund will be supporting the day by
wearing blue – keep an eye out for the Barmy Army who will be wearing blue wigs and
celebrating Bob’s life in fine voice.

Supported by Edgbaston, the ECB, Sky Sports Cricket #BlueForBob day celebrates the life
of cricket legend Bob Willis, while raising awareness and funds for prostate cancer. The day
will also include a ceremony inducting Bob Willis into the ICC Hall of Fame.

Ben Stokes, fellow Headingley hero and England ODI captain says: “It’s a huge honour to be
stepping out for the ODI in memory of Bob Willis. He was a true legend of cricket with the
determination and single-mindedness that had the power to turn a game around. I’m proud
that we can all support the Bob Willis Fund and keep his legacy alive.”
 
Pakistan players wearing blue caps to honour the memory of Bob Willis and support charitable cause

ebe60fd2-0655-4d97-a8f9-2c04d42ea863.jpg
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“He was one of the best fast bowlers in the world."<br><br>Remembering England legend Bob Willis on his birth anniversary. He was inducted in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICCHallOfFame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICCHallOfFame</a> last year.</p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1531221380955525120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
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