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The former England bowler and captain has sadly passed away, aged 70
Hampshire Cricket are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former England bowler and captain, Bob Willis.
Willis, who claimed 325 wickets in 90 Test matches and 80 scalps in 64 ODIs, is recognised as one of England's greatest ever fast bowlers and is fourth among the nation's all-time leading Test wicket-takers, behind only James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Sir Ian Botham.
A 6ft 6in fiery seamer, Willis' greatest triumph in an England shirt was undoubtedly his famous haul of 8-43 which helped England secure a thrilling Ashes victory over Australia at Headingley in the Botham Test of 1981.
His Test career had begun 10 years earlier, again as part of an Ashes series, as he received a call-up aged just 21 for England's tour down under in 1970-71. After playing an important role as part of the 2-0 series victory, Willis would instantly become an outstanding asset for England with the ball, something which continued throughout his international career.
He also inherited the England captaincy from Keith Fletcher in 1982, going on to lead his side in 18 Tests, including a thrilling Ashes tour in 1982-83, as well as for the 1983 World Cup on home soil, before retiring from the game the following year.
Alongside his exceptional international record, Willis also finished his career with 899 first-class wickets and 421 List A wickets, having represented both Warwickshire and Surrey domestically from 1969
Following his retirement from the game, Willis moved into the media and worked with Sky Sports as both a commentator and pundit, most recently featuring on 'The Verdict' alongside Charles Colville.
Of course, all the talk will be about his 325 Test wickets at 25.20, his 90 Test matches (18 as Captain), his 421 wickets at 20.18 in 64 ODIs and his legendary 8 for 43 against Australia in the 1981 Ashes Test Match at Headingly... and rightly so. Bob Willis was right up there with Hutton, Trueman, Boycott, Botham and Gower; one of the genuine legends of English cricket. Latterly, he carved out another enduring and successful career as TV commentator, broadcaster and, at times solemn, pundit.
But Bob was much more than all this; he was engaging, he was fiercely loyal, he was intelligent, he was honest and he could be very, very funny. Just six months ago, when Bob was three years into his private battle, he entertained his family and friends at an amazing 70th Birthday Party in South London. Despite the poignancy, it was a truly wonderful day filled with laughter, excellent wines and the inevitable general knowledge quiz (a hilarious feature of every Willis party).
I was privileged to call him a friend and will miss him enormously. We shared a great love of music and, in particular, Bob Dylan. His knowledge of Dylan was truly encyclopaedic... he knew every single word of every Dylan song by heart! He even added the name “Dylan” to his Christian names (Robert George) by Deed Poll!
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said "It's not the length of life, It's the depth of life that matters" and Bob’s life had depth beyond measure. His achievements on the cricket pitch and in the studio were only a part of the Bob Willis story. His loss will create a massive void in the lives of his legion of friends and, in particular, his loving family.
My sincerest thoughts and deepest sympathies, at this awful time, are with Lauren, Katie, David and Ann and all the Willis family.
