Captaincy
New South Welshmen and senior Test players Neil Harvey and Alan Davidson retired at the end of the 1962–63 season, with Simpson being elevated to the vice-captaincy of both NSW and Australia (under Richie Benaud) at the start of the 1963–64 season.
In his first innings of the season, Simpson made his highest first-class score of 359, against Queensland, scoring more than half of his team's 661 in an innings win. Playing for an Western Australia Combined XI against the touring South Africans at Perth, Simpson and Benaud combined for a 237-run partnership in the second innings, with Simpson making 246, having scored only four in the first innings. In the next match for New South Wales against Western Australia, Simpson hit an unbeaten 247 as Benaud's men amassed 1/425 declared. Up to this point he had scored 856 runs at 285.33 for the season in four innings. In the second innings, he was dropped down the order to allow other players an opportunity, and he was not required to bat as New South Wales reached their target of 262 with nine wickets in hand. However, Simpson's form peaked ahead of the Tests. He made 41 in his next four innings in tour matches against the South Africans ahead of the Tests, including three scores of no more than one.
The First Test against South Africa at Brisbane was drawn and is remembered for the no-balling of Ian Meckiff, which ended his career as Benaud refused to bowl him again. Simpson scored 12 and 34 and took a solitary wicket. After the game, Benaud injured himself in a grade match so Simpson captained NSW for the first time and scored 135 against Victoria.
A few days later in the Second Test at Melbourne, with Benaud still absent, Simpson led Australia for the first time. Simpson's appointment to the top job raised eyebrows in some quarters, as he had a reputation for being abrasive, and others had been more successful and experienced at domestic level. Lawry had led Victoria to the Sheffield Shield in 1962–63 and Western Australia's Barry Shepherd had also been praised for his aggressive and bold leadership. At the time Simpson had scored only 1246 runs at 32.78 and taken 22 wickets at 39.40 in 23 Tests and had not scored a century.
Simpson was leading an inexperienced team with Benaud, Harvey and Davidson all gone; only Wally Grout and himself remained from the Tied Test team three years earlier.
He scored a duck and 55 not out, being at the crease as Australia scored the winning runs to take a 1–0 lead in the series. Benaud then informed the Board of Control that he would be retiring at season's end, so it was arranged for Benaud to return to the team and play under Simpson to give the latter experience for the forthcoming tour of England. Australia lost the Fourth Test heavily by ten wickets, the other two matches were drawn, and the series finished 1–1. Simpson scored half-centuries in both the Third and Fourth Tests and ended the series with 361 runs at 40.11 average. His combination with Lawry consistently propelled Australia to solid starts, posting at least 50 in each of their opening stands. However, he continued to be plagued by an inability to convert his starts into large scores at the highest level of competition. He passed 25 in 8 of his 10 innings for the series, but could only manage three fifties. As a captain, Simpson was less willing to bowl, taking only two wickets for the Test series, and only four wickets in seven first-class matches since taking up the top job.
Despite his heavy scoring at first-class level, Simpson was yet to hit a Test century when he arrived with his team in England in 1964. After making a slow start to the tour and not passing 31 in his first four innings, Simpson struck form after the first week of May. He passed 50 in seven consecutive innings, making 125 against Somerset, 138 and 55 against Surrey, 57 against Glamorgan, 95 against Cambridge University, and 105 and 52—both not out—in a nine-wicket win over the MCC. He augmented this with 4/48 against Surrey.
The first three Tests continued Simpson's frustrating personal run in Test cricket. He made 50 in the First Test at Trent Bridge, but did not pass 30 in the next two Tests, twice falling after reaching 20. Australia led 1–0 after winning the Third Test at Leeds.
Arriving for the Fourth Test at Old Trafford, Australia required only to draw to retain the Ashes, because a win for England in the final Fifth Test would yield a 1–1 series draw. Simpson hit form in the three county matches leading up to the Test at Manchester, scoring 117 against Leicestershire and scoring fifties in the last three innings. He had also taken eight wickets in four innings.
On a flat, batsman-friendly pitch, Simpson won the toss and elected to bat. Having scored more than 40 first-class centuries, he was still looking for his first Test ton. Simpson's plan was to bat as long as possible to ensure that defeat would be avoided and the Ashes retained. Simpson and Lawry gave Australia an ideal start with a solid opening partnership, which yielded 201 runs, before Lawry was run out for 106. Simpson then slowly progressed through the 90s before reaching his first Test century. Speaking of his relief at reaching the milestone, Simpson recalled "I don't know of any player who was on the international scene as long as I without scoring a century. I was feeling a bit silly about it by this stage." Simpson continued on his quest of batting England out of the game. Following the dismissal of Ian Redpath (19), Norm O'Neill (47) and Peter Burge (34), Brian Booth went about building the sixth-wicket partnership on the second day. Simpson combined in another double century stand, 219, before Booth was out for 98. Simpson was 265 at the close of play, and resumed Australia's innings. This time, he was in an aggressive mood, scoring a further 46 runs in 40 minutes before being dismissed for 311. Australia declared at 8/656. Simpson's 13-hour innings was the longest by an Australian at first-class level. He joined Don Bradman as the second Australian to have made a Test triple century in England.
Simpson's safety-first approach was severely criticised. The Daily Mail called it the "murder of Test cricket": at one stage, six journalists in the press box were seen to be sleeping while he was batting. Simpson defended his tactics, asserting that with a series lead, batting England out of the match was the best way to retain the Ashes.
The tactic paid off as the match ended in a high-scoring draw and the Ashes were retained. Another draw in the Fifth Test at The Oval, in which Simpson scored 24, ensured that Australia won the series 1–0. Despite a persistent thumb injury, Simpson scored 458 runs at 76.33 in the five Tests, and 1,714 runs (including five centuries) for the tour. Apart from their double century effort at Old Trafford, Simpson and Lawry passed 50 for the opening wicket on only one occasion. Simpson took his career-best innings bowling figures during the tour, claiming 5/33 against Glamorgan.
During the tour, Simpson drew attention for a possible breach of the Australian Cricket Board's rules on players writing about cricket. Simpson had been given permission to write in London's Daily Express, but his columns were syndicated in Australian newspapers. However, the board cleared Simpson of any wrongdoing.
Australia then made a brief tour of the subcontinent during their return voyage, playing three Tests against India and one against Pakistan. These were played consecutively, with no other tour matches. Simpson continued his consistent performances, scoring 292 runs at 48.67 with three half-centuries in a 1–1 drawn series against India. His best performance was at the drawn Third Test at Eden Gardens in Calcutta where he scored 67 and 71 and took 4/45. India levelled the series with a narrow two-wicket win in the Second Test after Australia won the First by 139 runs. On the spinning tracks of India, Simpson bowled himself more often, ending with six wickets at 25.17, including a 4/45 in the first innings of the Third Test, as well as taking eight catches. At Karachi, Simpson struck 153 and 115 against Pakistan in a drawn Test to become the third captain to hit two centuries in the same Test. He ended the calendar year of 1964 with 1,381 Test runs, setting a world record aggregate.
In 1964–65, Simpson led Australia on a tour of the Caribbean, which was marred by controversies over umpiring standards and the legality of West Indian Charlie Griffith's bowling action. To make life more difficult, some of the grounds had no sightscreens, making it even harder to see the ball. Griffith also dragged his foot, bringing him around a metre closer to the batsman before releasing his balls at extreme pace. Simpson initially struggled against Griffith, failing to pass 30 in the first three Tests as Australia conceded a 0–2 lead. He scored only 87 in five innings, but had success with the ball, capturing 4/83 in the second innings of the Second Test at Trinidad. Adjusting his technique, Simpson scored 201 in the Fourth Test at Barbados, where he set an Australian record opening stand of 382 with Lawry. The match was drawn, but Australia managed a consolation win in the Fifth Test, to which Simpson contributed 72 and 34 not out. His average for 399 runs was 49.88 and he took 11 catches. Simpson made his displeasure regarding Griffith known to the Australian board, and this was relayed to the West Indian administrators.
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