Bob Simpson (cricketer) - Later Coaching Career

Later Coaching Career

He coached Lancashire for two years, ending in September 2001. Earlier, he had coached Leicestershire. His insistence on hard work was less successful in England, and was often speculated to be due to a difference in psychology in the two countries.

In late 2004, Simpson accepted a three year contract to act as a cricket advisor to Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy. He had served as a consultant to the Indian cricket team in the late 1990s.

In the early 2000s, Simpson was part of the International Cricket Council's committee for dealing with throwing. In 2004, he condemned the ICC, claiming that it was soft on illegal bowling actions and that the number of illegitimate bowlers was at an all time high. He asserted that officials were reluctant to crack down on high profile bowlers with dubious actions, saying that it was encouraging young players to mimic their actions.

Simpson was a traditionalist coach, tending to emphasise the fundamentals of batting, bowling and fielding. He has criticised the 21 st century style of coaching, which has increasingly used computer technology, biomechanics and science to recommend playing techniques, stating that it had verged into "computers for computers' sake". He also coached the Dutch cricket team, overseeing a successful ICC Trophy campaign which saw them qualify for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Simpson called for Holland to be incorporated into the English domestic league so that they could gain more experience.