A Tribute to Bob Willis | Lockdown Vodcast with Sir Ian Botham, Bumble, Mike Selvey and Paul Allott

well welcome to the Sky Sports cricket lockdown podcast my name is Ian warden in this edition I have fought special guests to talk about one very special man and this man captained his country he played 90 Test matches took 325 Test wickets it became an outstanding broadcaster call in the big moments from comms absolutely brilliantly but the fear of God into players with his observations and opinions it could be controversial and harsh with those opinions but the man I knew was funny kind caring and generous he loved his music beer wine manchester city and most of all he loved English cricket Robert George Dylan Willis goose or Bobby as I used to call now for Bobby's mates to remember him for his big mates David Moyes spent many a year with him broadcasting and touring around the world a fellow bowler broadcaster and beer connoisseur Mike Selvi one of his great mates and a man who was with quad at the bitter end Paul Ballard and a course hacker would not have his long time for other in Arms Sir Ian both and gentlemen how are we all going to remember one of our great mates a man we all respected enormous Lee gonna start with that the sad stuff Paul Alec if I come to you first because you managed to get to Bob just before he passed right at the bitter end he fought that disease that horrible illness so so bravely and I don't think people realize quite how sick he was and how brave he wasn't dealing with it no you you're quite right in he bought this horrible disease with great fortitude in fact beefy and I saw him a week before he died maybe a bit you know maybe a few days before actually we knew he was very poorly quite obviously but he never talked about his illness particularly at all all he wanted to talk about were the things that he enjoyed football wine cricket French get talked about all his mates in Australia some of whom were with him within five days of him passing away and he was hugely stoical and bore it with great fortitude and I think the way he did that really testimonies the way he lived his life and the effort he put into is not only is bowling but everything else he did in life as well with his broadcasting it's work at the national sporting club he was uncomplaining in everything he did yeah I was there at the end with him I held his hand and he slipped away a peaceful passing actually hugely emotional obviously yeah it was a it was a really really tough tough time but beefy and I particularly very grateful to have seen him in the last few days the thing was well and I think it's worth mentioning this you never knew how Willy was because he never said anything and he continued working the sky right up to the end when I saw him the Merrill's of the Altman's were Australia and we slept the day with him and then we went out for dinner in the evening obviously Bob was it wasn't there he was back at home but there it wasn't to be actually physically saw him there cut a few days before he passed away that you realized how ill he was because he was just continued as if nothing was happening he would if he didn't answer the phone I mean we'd just put it down to the fact there was a hospital him treatment whatever but the fact of the matter was that the guy when he was alert which he was pretty much up to the end he was engaging in conversation as always and in his will he wanted part of his ashes scattered in a delay which I reckon would have been his favorite place in the world beefy by distance yeah yeah they rule there there was a lovely gathering probably about 40 people a lot of friends in Adelaide I knew that he had a choice and he could have done it you lived in Adelaide he just liked everything about it and we went to the winery and we sketched some of the ashes and one of the famous spots where Bob used to like the gun sit under the tree and have a drink when we were there and it'll be cemented in now and it'll be there forever so stoicism that Paul Alex talking about and that determination to get through I mean a feature of his life really this is obviously a horrible illness that he succumb to but even the physical difficulties he had it in his playing career with his knees that he had to get through that stoicism it resonated with me what if he was just saying there and by the way he because you know we go back way back before for then bumble bumble in particular back to his early days and you know here's the funny thing about him right he's my memory we were this memory of Bob running him don't we this kind of flapping like he used to running from wide mid off in a direct line into the crease and then pivot you imagine the strain that he put on his knees doing that that must have ruined his knees because he ended up I think what you told me at the end ups at the same time in both knees at the same time he was out of actually it took him months to get it fit again just about his run-up cell we were doing a game at five years ago and just for a bit of a giggle we thought we well he thought he'd Casey's run about behind it obviously behind the screen he was well I must have been muddy my heart he had those neons and you know that I've been the end of him and he said he didn't do that he trained he ran and ran up and some people say well why do you got bad knees way to go running I think that was the making of him doing that these demon Arthur Jackson Denis did these long slow distance in LSD used to call it but you know he he he did that he trained he worked really really really hard and from that he got he write England career thereafter I remember him taking me in Sri Lanka and up in candy playing that warm up before the first their first inaugural Testament and he said come we're going running this in what is 120 degrees was late for a bus and you know this ground with after about three laps I said that's it I'm out of it and I went set in the dressing room and I just watched this puddle appear underneath me but though you're right Bob did that and you know don't forget he almost died on the operating theater as well it's from Bose system and the other thing with two legs knees like spaghetti junction you know their word line is going everywhere how he ever played again I'm with you and myself through sheer determination because and most normal people I think would've thought right that's enough that's it not Bobby always run at 325 Test wickets 939 no balls bubble Oakland when it was this an angle he did exactly the same thing that stupid ground of Oakland and he smites his run about and he couldn't get it I mean listening to all you guys and what alive to celebrate and you I mean the panel's of social media they just didn't knowing social media didn't know that blog at all and when he got into you agree ly into his all with Charlie Colville on the verdict I mean the players used to say that Bob created one of the great comic characters and people don't recognize that's what it was it was she bulb was brilliant at E but also food for all of us technically as good a commentator that you could ever work to call the Mormon and know exactly when you're in the zone and when you're out in the social media bubble how would he have berated himself if he'd been discussing his lolling on the verdict he used to go after black think about bowlers bowling Nobles and getting wickets off no holes about 900 of them I mean nine hundred boss but again thinking about get a glass in hand and talk about cricket and Remini he genuinely thought that he running like Fred Truman it was compulsive viewing wasn't it when he was on the verdict but as you say bumble he was a a bit of an act but also there was a lot of cricketing now behind it absolutely we would all know that he was a massive England fan yeah an England supporter and if he felt he he felt that the players and he didn't mind giving him a serve which was brilliant but all these lads that work auntie Bobby feel like and present their players and we would go out of our way and say just meet the guy a beauty once and that's what happened with wags like Steve Harmison and Ruth Ling top Stuart Raw Jimmy Anderson meet Bob and they've got a mate for life 2015 I think it was when Andrew Strauss tried to get some of the former players to get to chat with that the current players and Bob went in I think ahead at Trent Bridge when Stuart actually took 8 for 15 against Australia and that had famous spell that ashes tests and Bob was a bit nervous wasn't he Paul going in to meet these guys who he sort of been criticizing withering criticism on the verdicts over the years but they came around to his way of thinking and they all loved him well one thing that people perhaps don't realize about Bob essentially he was a shy bloke hugely determined but but very shy and he didn't he didn't really believe that it was his place to enter the current England dressing room and he didn't want to impose himself particularly on the on the modern-day player he would offer advice but he would like most shiner people would wait to be asked before he'd offer an opinion but when he he was nervous and he was apprehensive about doing that to the last there before trim bridge but I think the result speaks for itself doesn't it it was probably the start of the modern day player getting to know Bob a little bit there was a great interview I think that you did with them with Joe roux not a particularly brilliant impersonation but Bob thought he was impersonating put the late Brian Clough visit hello Bob how was that feeling I thought it was a brilliant performance by all the bowlers for a change and I'm sure the crowds thoroughly enjoyed it Bob was held in huge esteem not only for what he'd done on the cricket field the wicket seat Attica but for the way he was as a person and a critic and all the players might have cringed at times that being criticized by Bob but they respected him for it I mean eventually got to know him which was a great thing they all actually took a lot of what he said on boardwalk I remember when he went to do that discussion with the bowlers and I did warn him there's every chance I won't see him again because they could well Lynch him but the players said all that but the thing was they all watched it religiously they all wanted to see who's he gonna have a go at today and very very funny and most people understand understood by the long thought he was grumpy miserable he hits one of the best dry sense that you ever ever work with he was brilliant to over the sky but the times that we had off the field together a well what they were just picniced bumble and I were very fortunate we spent a fair bit of downtime with him during our broadcasting career one memorable trip around New Zealand in the days before sofa video you didn't have to be constantly on Twitter or doing podcasts or whatever else when the cricket was on you commentated and when it was off you could do what you liked and we had a trip around New Zealand planned in between Test matches and one day international whoo gonna go to all however suppose it in federal wineries we were going to explore we're gonna walk we were going to do all something's me bumble and Bob and Bob's first wife Juliet in a 14-2 cars and we landed in Auckland and within 12 hours of landing in or with all this trip Bob decided he'd go to 'total I mean six weeks only saving grace was of course we had a driver wherever we win you mentioned go to Australia as well which was the tour that Bob went on and didn't get an lb w given to England for the entire trip I don't just mean in a testimony 71 it was 1970 not one LBW was given is that row because Bob you stood quiet on the burning certainly used to get stuck at one pause over the years in the chain the chess matches yeah there was 70s I think they I think there were six played one was washed out which is when the first ODI happened wasn't it as a result of that in Melbourne but there were six to six proper Test matches and not single there'll be W was when he swooped of his own bowling picked around and hit one stun John Dyson was out that's right and it was given not out he did you really want to annoy him that was the one he's one moment of brilliance in the field some of his more withering criticism bumble was left to some of the umpiring mistakes that have been made around the world and particular certain Darryl Harper there was one classic bit of commentary when he he said well the ICC have excelled themselves they've got the worst umpire in the world one end the second-worst at the other end and now we're going upstairs the third umpire Derryl Harper I'll save you the time he'll get it wrong and that was it would be withering about all players and the way that he's sort of swung around you knew what was coming Charlie Colville this is absolute gold and when Charles and after the storms I can't remember what he did 2009 storm something like that and of course that famous train Canterbury the old trees calm so we can Bobby all the spectators it can be done I mean I'll commentate a bit with bobbin and presented quite a bit with Bob you never knew well sometimes what he was gonna say and it could be you'd sort of sit on the I used to sit on the edge of my commentary seat and on the edge of my presenting seat waiting to have to douse a fire of some description you will remember this because he was doing the interview I think it was during the Champions Trophy and we were in Cardiff and it was raining but he was quite graphic in his statement about they say something I'm saying something now you and I did we couldn't we couldn't comment any tourists but that sort of corresponds with when sky in the wisdom said he had to you he had to give each player to mark and to test he came to Chris wall to the nitrous block in the world you come to get a nice fella did Chris Chris works no he didn't get a point for turning up we all shot to that is he had to write but he must have been the only commentator and the cricketer barman who's ever had to write letters to courage in him that's just the two we know about as well I remember also doing one in the studio with Bob and England just been humiliated in Jamaica and beefy you were summing up you with Mikey and afters of thing and you were propped up against a wall given your view on what had happen and where things are going wrong and there was a lot of constructive criticism of wearing they should go forward under Straus and Andy flower and all that and I could hear the count ticking down in my ear to come off there and I wanted to give Bob the final word and so I thank you guys you remained in the wall behind us you could see it and he just went well I'm not going to beat around the bush here and you wouldn't expect me to it's up to three to the dumb slug millionaire which was Kevin piece and you remember he had that one up in the air and it's back to the dart board at the Ashington working men's clothing Harmison I see these guys falling around behind me of the woman in the Caribbean laughing I've got 20 seconds to get off there and it will account you just throw these things in his humor was so dry beef you wouldn't yeah he was amazing it was just off the cuff it wasn't to be pre necessary just let it flow yeah he got himself into hot water a few times around the world that I mean just diversity from critics site we went to Western Springs in Auckland which I'm sure sail will know and Bumble and it's a great concert venue we went there and he dragged me along to see Bob Dylan for the 84th time in five years and we went along to this and he got there and it was all unplugged so it's when Pompton decided that play the acoustic guitar though application and all the blue jeans and dungarees turned up there and he was curious they're only time and I'll actually see them leave above Dylan concert and he never ever played us anything that was unplugged against and that was Bobby he was he was just so wrong changed his name didn't he buy Depot yeah yeah Robert George Dylan will listen he saw more concerts than probably Bob Dylan he realized he played but I remember going to him during the - struggle and we went to the motorway to Newcastle to watch there Bob Dylan play and we got up there and there was seven of us in the car and they carefully came back to F within Lincolnshire we're driving down and we get there and there's - stripes and all the roads are blocked and what have you and Bob just got out and the goes where you guys going and Bob sent out the car cause he's not exactly built to sit in the backseat before Cortina anyway he got out then he went to the police and they set up he said do you mind if I have a little walk past the barracks and I'm still and the guy had coffee please sign an autograph for what phones in those days and we were there for about 30 minutes while the two of them had a conversation got way through he was just the most adaptable person and to any situation he defused everything and we'll set there Bobby was Bobby is unique and there's not many days I think any of this will go through where we don't think about an instance with Bobby somewhere in the world what are you what are your favorite touring moments then I'll go around it bumble we'll start with you because we were interviewing in Smith this winter in New Zealand we're talking about his life and you're both of your life in in broadcasting and he famously throws these parties doesn't need forum all the commentators when they come over with beef he throws red wine all over the nice white rugs and all that sort of stuff but Bob fell asleep didn't he put him in front of the speaker at Smitty's place cranked it up full blast of Bob Dylan and he just fell asleep in front of this speaker with his head on the speaker he was very tired probably eating about six lobsters and some drones and some red wine of course but he I mean he was a great organizer and you talk about on to what what what he would do on to it he was great at quizzes he always liked going to pop quizzes and he organized the pub quiz in Barbados he actually got thrown out we've got to be careful with this one as well and another time we were in Australia in Ramah room great organizer he said bundle we're going dancing meet me in reception thought I got into reception and he actually took us to the pictures and we went to see the last loss he said we're going to the last walls and all like dancing it's the band which we went to what's this fantastic film called the band and the Last Waltz and they're all coming on coming on and then you say come on bumble we're going to see Brian we've got an audience Brian Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys in the Weald this block on the side and we planned all the beach bodies great organise your great times easy like baby says heals often just sit and reflect and think about the stuff that you've done we bought ice what about the steam train journey in North Wales well you can ask him he can he could he you ask well this was this was originally it was my idea knowing that Bob loved his trains and love travel and I knew he obviously like food and wine and I thought Bumba will be good value on this and I wish we'd got a camera on it we had a three day trip we left London me you and Bob and we got on what was the Irish mail which is the London solid head train and we sat in first class and we were having a glass as he would imagine and we met some world him we'd won the lottery where do you mean he said oh I'm going to see my accountants in London oh and scope it wasn't painful he said norm the lottery oh come on join us well that was the start I mean we got off at bang we stayed in a little pub in can happen and the idea was to do a steam strip around North Wales so we went from you know having to perform at a common the Welsh Island Railway and Bob had booked it all he booked the observation car first-class states and all that sort of so we had a where a tour of Caernarfon castle with all we got on the train he got his camp camera book underneath underneath his arm for all the pubs that way we were going to visit we got to port matter can he felt hungry so I went to the fish and chip shop and he looked up in the tourist guy then we went took on the Festina I ran away from Port to blasting him back again so we've done a whole day of steam train really fantastic Darius in the great script great way there all that sort of stuff we ended up walking to poor Marion the hotel whenever we found some Californian Chardonnay of course didn't we and the poignant thing about that trip was that was the time he told us that he got cancer and we were sat on the balcony of the of the little bungalow that we got and and drank into the night but that the time we had I remember you jumping up and down onto the tray being Airy little Stevie enthusiast trying to get on the footplate train was getting round blonde FST New York and all that's a lot of stuff well that was it oh we ended up doing the old Cambrian Coast route back from bought all the way around to Shrewsbury where do you got on you gotta let me in car and gone somewhere yeah I optical somewhere else I think I'd to do another game somewhere so I got in a car and play it off but he was when he came to light there which is a bit of an aside but as a young chap yourself as the school boy you usually go down there and work on the foot plates and do a bit of polishing but Bobby loved his golf didn't he and we would have played a fair bit of golf really it was enthusiastic golfer shall we say that self because I mean beefy and I play not that long ago is only a few years ago beef and we went out to Portrush with a friend of our graham Brown to go play it was probably a bit tougher for Bobby in those conditions he took ten that Gottman which hole it was a short leash par-4 it's a ten to get onto the front of the green crunched up the front of the the green and look to me he said well it's just a good job I can putt he was enthusiastic girl for sale but it was enthusiastic around we talked about touring with I was very lucky I did one England tour with the MCC tour it was called back then and he he had a fantastic tour in India you know I can look that up you go you've got 22 weeks at 16 on Bunsen's 7677 yeah that's that's remarkable he was brilliant and I caught I played all the games between the Test matches and this one game in in Hyderabad in India you know I was sharing sharing a room there in the Ritz Hotel Hyderabad and the Ritz BOMs not playing the game uses train test matches and but I've played a days quickly that stadium there not come back and pubs sitting on his bed and his face up and I said gone gagging for a beer here but what have you got because you you could get some sensation beers there if you poured that the glycerin out couldn't you there's a trance I haven't got any beer I've got his Campari instead so we had spent the entire game that's what we drank was tempering so now they can parry so we're playing off the black right the very back to playing where Tiger Woods so Bob couldn't reach the fairway every time he's took off from the tee couldn't get onto the fairway the great course fantastic court but be feel remember he's first shot he's right outside the prop and blow back because they're all in the full-backs they're just having a night leave his first shot but Michael Bagatelle eating strange to the tour boxes all over to you I've never seen so many people die for color [Music] well your first memories of playing cricket with Bob the first time I'm walking into the first Tesla didn't know one of the guys played against him once or some whatever but I remember walking in that bridge and God was there and there was guys that you get to know over the years my Kendrick Chris told there was you know Nazi Greggy and if you feel a little bit it's my first time done all these guys I've never met walked in and as we go down the stairs out to the next which is something that I enjoyed about as much as Bob and walking down these boys arms a shot and he said relax who's actually gonna be fine and that evening we stopped off at a pub had a couple of beers and he was he was brilliant and I have to say that over the years he became very much a mentor and but he was as brittle as he was as he wasn't praising as well he was just as quick to go either way and if I had a bad day or a ball poorly or a bad according what kind he was there's no difference in the murders and he would get stuck into me and then we got have a couple of drinks and that was the end of and he was great and even through off the field incidents where Bobby would come out and sit me down and chat and when I was captain what was going on there etc you know he became very much part of my life and he was special very very special person who from the first time we met he took me under his wing and that's stayed really all the way through when I first joined sky Bobby was there and you know the days when he used to do a whole day's commentary and he used to talk through that and tell us out what it was like they meant to guide us through lead and Colour and all this kind of thing and Bobby was just an exceptional person and I was very very honored we shared the new ball for quite a few years together now we had a lot of success we had a few failings not too many of them I think the success outweighed the failures and and it was just a great time in his batting was the thing this plane this plane to fame is at the Adelaide Oval he walks out to back with his remember that bat he had the run Reaper know all these holes drilled and Bobby walks out and Allenhurst was bowling pretty quick and Bobby went out there and I think he got 20-odd no doubt but he Allenhurst two sixes over off the middle of the bat over backward going and each of you interested to go here and he hit two up and he came out chest was out put the bat down long used to get thrown across the dress and walked in sat down and they just said that's the end of his crew didn't he once walk out to bat though without his run Reaper no he did that as he's done that if you used to borrow all of my stuff the real predicament was if I was still out there batting then he didn't know what to do there's no idea but yeah he walked out he walked out and he got halfway outs of the middle and then he realized that it's quite another bubble did you want to jump in this well yeah in seventy four five when we got beaten by Australia for one they were a better team Thomson and Lily and saw Bob wasn't fit really for for the whole to it and it's just something that you look back and our management team would be Alec bedsit and Alan Smith and Bernie Thomas who was a physiotherapist that would be it and a chap who did you scoring I think he were called ya rasol a but Bernie Thomas was quite a diminutive chat and Bob's warm hope was that he put he put his fault so he's put his leg on Bernie Thomas's shoulder and then Bernhard had just rise onto his toes and back again and that worried Bob's warm up but distracting more every day to play he wasn't really fit enough they beat us for a while but he never missed and that was the tradition and before you remember this and cell will remember this well the tradition was that you were going to the opposition dressing room after every day another beer and Bob never missed he never missed would always go in and sit with Lea Thompson forever and he of the respect of the opposition and he recognized the importance of the social side of the game when we play test create the way it should be played Thursday Friday Friday Saturday wrist night rest day Monday Tuesday well we used to always go to one of the Winelands in Australia Windy Hill Smith and Geoff Merrill all these people are very accommodating and you go up there and be actually great hospitality when you come back the next day and the Test match has started going on the man being finished on the Tuesday but Bob your eye whether he was off the field or on the field it was tremendous cut me but if you really didn't enjoy eight-ball always I remember that a very attend with him at no ballsy yeah exactly well you think of all those no balls no 13 deliveries he was actually the order oxygen mask at the end of the over 45 degrees there and he can angry with himself anytime said much the batsman he gave us there but he would shout and scream at himself walking back if he just bored more no balls he hated it which I think came over in the verdict wouldn't used to criticize no just works in that do same as 939 9:30 956 there was a fellow in Piper India in that in that series who yards of interesting and with England 9 down in the second innings he'd equalled the world record for a number of catches in a match some of which came off the bat and he said I am NOT gonna give him a world record he just walked past one straight past ones of course one of his most famous exploit on the cricket field is undoubtedly the hating league bowling performance but Phoebe realize speedy that he nearly missed that game really yeah he had problems and there was the selectors were thinking you know can we play him he's not sorted out Mike really to his credit said ran Bob up and said look he said no no I want to play I'm good I'm right I'm ready he said I've deliberately not played this first-class game before it to make sure on 100% and he came up and what happened the start of that great innings worry ball that it was born three runs almost and what he was unchanged at one end when he eventually got and he said to the cactus the captain didn't lose any chance that I could actually come down slow with the win rather than running up that spoke they used to be heading the into the wind while B feet rumbles into the other air then he came on and it was one of the most remarkable pieces of bowling I think I've ever seen he just kept coming kept going going no emotion just bowled them through they returned around walk back we changed the feel for move the players are referent what we thought was going and he bowled I don't how many overs it was on the real but genuine paced genuine aggression and everyone says both some tests and all that listen Bob Willis should have been as much use as much a man of the match as anybody in that game and he was brilliant and I think of you got nothing else to do just go back and Google and watch that spell because I think he things get it and almost in full nowadays [Applause] fantastic victory so focused he didn't even talk to us he rarely be bold and you've got the wicked you gave it that one and then he would just turn around BB waiting for the next batsman end of his run and he just did not say a word to anybody and he was he he came back if you remember that interview he did after the I was gonna ask you about that because I watched that yes then I found it hilarious standard of journalism in this country has gone down the neck completely [Music] [Applause] people have to rely on small-minded quotes from players under pressure for their stories where they used to write about cricket they don't seem to be able to do that anyway very tiresome questions yes yes because he was so angry with the press and the rights they had and he did what he did best and that was he magnificently and it won't forget just how good a bowler he was and how quick he was will you describes the only great England fast bowler in your time I think the four consistent fast following all surfaces yeah and you got everything out of him there's been a few there was ice tea person number one for period time we've had been tough we've had kept our and of course but the one thing that I think that both had and what made him so that was once he just just gave everything in every delivery if you go for long periods of bowling he said that once the knees got going I'm not stopping and he would just keep going and get quicker and quicker and more aggressive and he was certainly the best bowler I ever played with and I would suggest quick bowler and I would say that and roll quick bowlers I've seen he would get into any team player and I think that a lot of people don't really understand how quick Bob water only oh he was quick and also if you play first sort of plating was in there for the other game the old Sundy lead and and sort of realized a bit about him and I was amazed his pace didn't really differ off that short run as to what he did for coming from three miles like there really wasn't any difference and but he got bounced and he well as follows because of that action used to think everything was coming in at you you know it was holding up and go through tour slips oh yeah he was a terrific bowler great pace and great stamina the massive speed thing that people forget he the ball lungs felt that sustained how helpful was it to you pull when you first went to England dressing-room well a little bit of like beefy really I played the first test in eight if you want to tests after that glorious Headingley victory and those exploits of Ian and Bob but I'd Lee I haven't played much cricket up until that time so I don't really know anybody I'm played against anybody or anything so I was plunged into a dressing room of my heroes really you know all these guys that are that had gone before me like boycott not beefy himself and Bob and Mike really was captain so I was a little bit lost I was lost for long though because Bob used to he used to make a point of when practice had finished which didn't last long with beefy around because he used to smash all or both he was so we used to disappear from old property was an old traffic chess match and I didn't know this of course but they custom me to have a drink in the romper on the way back not gonna say no and he was Bob that bought me my first drink in the wrong welcome to their team and good luck and and that was it really he was hugely friendly I was a bit in all Bobby had this slightly austere image and was a little bit frightning for that not only for opening batsman but for people who didn't know him at all but that was quickly dispelled I played so I played in that Old Trafford test which he bowled beautifully in the first morning it was in scored another hundred arguably is best in Test match cricket maybe whether he even thinks that but it was regarded as being so and that Test match I've played a made my day but a few weeks ago fifty we won the ashes and it was all downhill from there but Bob Bob was had a great influence on me not purely as a cricketer but through life as well he's a great thinker about an awful lot of things had a lot of interests very interested in English literature and music Dylan everybody knows about Dylan he was mad keen on Varner as well really got into varmint very much I think he would be a really good administrator for the game as well I remember in 1981 and he started telling me about how he had his vision for the future the game for day cricket compartmentalize tournaments so that would be no conflict between first class and one-day cricket standalone test matches so that everybody will be able to focus on them both players and spectators and he championed this through virtually the rest of his life and didn't quite get there I'm afraid he didn't quite get to the the position that he wanted cricket to be in although elements of what he suggested and what he thought were put through to the ECB the testing County Cricket Board originally in the ECB and the ICC but I think I think he was frustrated in the end as to the many conflicts of interest involved to try and get the game to where he thought it should be bumble I just recalling for all of us one of the great telephone calls that you could get would be from Bob Willis should we have a spot of lunch these were great great days and such an interesting character and he would organize interesting people around we all know is make the estate agent Robert Hall's from Wimbledon very eccentric chap but a lovable chap Michael Henderson very eccentric great writer cricket writer sportswriter he would always be around grateful Tim Rice would appear and you would sit round the table with interesting people and Bob had got everybody together and he would organize it and just say we're having the spot of lunch and that lunch would extend into the early evening and everybody would be better for it all a good chat good food good wine and a lot of good people he was always interested in what you were doing as well it was never always about him no never about him always what are you doing what are you up to and that circle of friends that he had I mean the ones that I've mentioned they're real colorful characters and that never be a dull moment you could be sat around having a very leisurely lunch we've all done it and we've all had a long lunch with Bob at one point like the Gulf the Gulf core so we'll play Sunningdale shall we and then we'll go to the cottage for lunch yes because bob was years we know never really slept insomniac and so he would once tee off at 5:00 and so that we can be in the pub but 10:00 10:30 and have lunch but we had some amazing many times there and all of us here have been involved at some stage I'm sure that the it was almost like a gathering and they would then Bob would you know these things would come out of what's talking about he'd say he'd bounce things off you what do you think of this easiest was just to say yes because if he did then you've got the full explanation but also beefy that circle of friends which you touched on right at the beginning and his love of Adelaide to be in heat Altman and Jeff Merrill and a number of other people that he would gather together with Leo McEvoy what a character ease they all they were all interesting characters Paul monk Phil Collins back in the UK they wouldn't get the call they would get the summons they would organize as well and so he surrounded himself with not only act as colleagues and friends or sloth but very interesting people but with no Italian wine no telling what and we we were fishing up on the spam s and Phil Collins bill Collins and myself remote middle of nowhere and walking down to the hut at lunchtime our Gd Willis and Leon McAvoy but that was the end of the fishing for that day lunch in the hut it just flowed as it always did the bully well I've been on fishing trips for you when you have to at nine o'clock in the morning for some reason towards the water what do you mean what do you miss most about it just what we've been talking about there the impromptu the get togethers the lunch is game of golf just off the cuff start when we were working with your work it's the free time that was the best time and we would it would just happen it wouldn't be planned you get a phone call and you just everyone just drop everything and go and have a great time and I think that was one of Bob's great qualities was the fact that he enjoyed people's company talked about a lot of his friends we enjoyed each other's company for many many years and I think the thing I will always miss most is that comradeship that mentor and more importantly that great buddy great friend and yeah those lunches now there was an enormous outpouring of emotion when Bob passed do you think knowing him as you do guys that it would have surprised him just how affectionate some of the things that were said and written about him what undoubtedly I think he would have been staggered at the the public response to his his demise I don't think he'd have realized anybody realized just quite many people he touched him whatever it was and beef he was talking about what we'll miss about him well it was friendship camaraderie and chat basically for me he was he was a he was also an educator but he was just just a fantastic whoa right well totally won a toast he got his love of wine and you have picked out a particular favorite he had a vast knowledge of lots of things Bob but he continued to explore the world for wine and latterly he alighted on Californians Chardonnay and I just happen to have his favorite probably the last few years which is a bottle of Bren butter Chardonnay from the Napa Valley so I think it will be right if all of us just manage to toast Bob and thank him for a wonderful life wonderful friendship and great times mr. Bob [Music] Bob Willis was quite simply one of England's greatest ever fast bowlers community why is that difficult delivery is gone in a career that spanned at the highest level 14 years from 1971 to 1984 he played 90 tests and 64 one-day internationals taking 325 Test wickets born in Sunderland he grew up in Surrey and always said he became a fast bowler to get revenge on his schoolmates who made his life a misery when he was forced to play rugby in the winter despite an action like no other he was horrified when he first saw himself on TV Bob Willis was called up by England as a replacement on the 1970-71 ashes he'd only played 20 first-class games for with his shock of curly hair Bob's raw pace was just what Ray Illingworth was looking for and he made his debut in Sydney in the new year's test of 71 he picked up his first wicket in Australia's second innings as England won the game and eventually the ashes [Music] despite having a test cap to his name on his return home willis found it difficult to command a regular place in the Surrey side that went on to win the championship that year so he moved to Warwickshire and spent the rest of his playing days based in Birmingham it's hardly surprising given the stresses and strains that his unique action put on his body that in those early years Bob had suffered terribly from injury with his knees in particular subject to numerous operations he also found the long lonely business of rehabilitation tough and would later admit suffering from depression 1977 was a key year in the Willis story that summer saw the debut of a young fast bowling all-rounder by the name of Ian Botha and over the next seven years they were placed 60 Test matches together and take 476 Test wickets between them and proved to be one of English crickets most lethal opening partnerships with the new ball 77 was also the summer of Kerry Packer but despite being asked to join World Series Bob insisted on staying loyal to England later saying that it was the buzz of playing Test cricket his country that motivated him to play the game he would later also turn down the offer of a huge cheque to go on the first rebel tour to South Africa it is though his spell of eight 4:43 at Leeds on the afternoon of July the 21st 1981 but Bob will always be remembered for defending a hundred and twenty nine thanks to both hands extraordinary second innings hundred everything turned on Bob who was being plagued by no balls persuading might Braley to allow him to bowled down the hill from the Kirk's to Leyland something suddenly clicked and in fifteen overs and one ball he blew the Australians away for a hundred and eleven to deliver English cricket one of his greatest victories in Test cricket history with the rebel tour to South Africa the following year taking a dozen of England's top players out of international cricket Bob much to his surprise found himself as England captain he didn't much enjoy the job but England's win in Melbourne in 1982 courtesy of Jeff Miller's rebound catch delivered another career highlight Bob retired as a player in 1984 but that was not the end of Bob and cricket he quickly developed a reputation as a no-nonsense commentator and pundit and his acerbic withering assessments of England's all too often failures saw him achieved cult status amongst an army of fans who never actually saw him Bowl standing up he looks like a performing seal at feeding time doesn't they army flapping away there but while he was seen by some as being grumpy miserable and hypocritical he was in reality never happier than when he had to eat his words and praised England to the rafters in fact talk to anyone who knew Bob personally or worked with him during his 30 odd years in the sky commentary box and I'll tell you that a day spent in the company of rgd Willis was a day well spent with his death Bob Dylan has lost one of his most devoted fans winegrowers everywhere a serious connoisseur of their art and English cricket one of their greatest ever players [Music] you

Channel: Sky Sports Cricket

Views: 84,161

Rating: 4.9179268 out of 5

Keywords: Sky Sports, Sky Sports Cricket, cricket, sky cricket, bob willis, bob willis cricket, bob willis rip, bob willis tribute, bob willis best moments, bob willis commentary, sky cricket lockdown, lockdown vodcast, sir ian botham, ian botham, david lloyd, bumble

Id: b0W42X9wl44

Length: 56min 21sec (3381 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 19 2020