Australian cricket greats Allan Border, Mark Taylor, David Boon lead tributes to Bob Simpson

Simpson, who died aged 89 in Sydney on Friday after several years of ill-heath, spent from 1986-94 as national coach beside captain Border, transforming Australia from a team who did not win a Test series for four years to be the best side in the world.

According to Border, who joined fellow captain Mark Taylor and an emotional batting legend and Cricket Australia board member David Boon in paying tribute to Simpson, said he and Simpson had an excellent working relationship but were never best mates – and that suited them just fine.

“Behind the scenes he was the sergeant major and disciplinarian and that allowed me to do what I did best,’’ Border told this masthead.

“Occasionally I would blow up but it never lasted for long. I suppose we were a bit of an odd couple but it just sort of worked. Bob and I would play golf but I spent more time with Ian Chappell who did not get along with Simmo so I found myself in the middle of that one constantly defending Simmo to Ian. I’m not sure I got that far!

“Simmo was the perfect man for the time. He was not everyone’s best mate but that was not his role. Everyone who played under him whether they liked him or not would accept they were better players for his influence.

“He was as good as any coach we have ever had. He had a fantastic cricket brain.’’

Border said that for all of his famed toughness Simpson would often save his strong messages for a player for one-on-one sessions.

“I remember once in England at Manchester when Shane Warne got dismissed and he came back in the dressing room and threw his bat and it skimmed off the old gear coffins and hit Simmo on the knee. We had a huge laugh.’’

Taylor said Warne hid the toilets for half an hour to avoid Simpson’s wrath.

Border added: “He was also a great house detective – an Inspector Clouseau. He had a saying up to midnight is your time and after midnight is cricket time. If you got in at 12.05am you would pay the price in fielding drills the next day. You would see Merv Hughes get 20 catches in a row and wonder what he did the previous night.’’

Taylor said no cricket coach had set higher standards.

“Certainly not in catching,’’ Taylor told this masthead.

“It’s the one area that a coach like a Bob Simpson would still have a very good role to play today. Because I think that catching edict has been lost a little bit in this stronger, faster era.’’

Taylor remembers Simpson as man of incredible physical toughness.

“I can recall in the West Indies, Merv had the catching mit and Simmo was hitting high balls at training and one got past Merv and just hit Simmo flush on the forehead and he simply just shook it off and kept going. He was a tough old bugger.’’

Renowned hard nut Boon felt his voice thicken with emotion as he talked to the masthead about Simpson.

“It’s a shock and a hard hit – I know he hasn’t been well,’’ Boon said. “He had a special place in my heart and many others. He worked so hard to challenge us. I absolutely loved my involvement with him.

“He pushed you. I remember I made 200 in Perth (against New Zealand in 1989) and he gave me five minutes to myself then gave me a right bollocking for getting out. I said “Simmo I just made 200’’ but he came back later and said I just wanted you to realise when you are in like that to keep going.

“The other story – god bless him – was the morning after we finally managed to beat the West Indies in 1995 in the Caribbean and he rang me and said that he was concerned the guys did not have faith in him anymore. He had been in hospital for two Tests with blood clots.

“I said “mate … no’’ we still love you but you have been in hospital and we want you to make it home. He deserves so much credit. He fought to the end … in every way.’’