Former Australian leg-spinner Bob Holland has died of brain cancer at the age of 70. The ex-cricketer suffered a brain bleed in hospital, where he was being treated for broken ribs after he hurt himself last week before succumbing to cancer on Sunday (September 17). Holland had been laid low by an aggressive form of brain cancer since March this year and had undergone a surgery to remove a part of the tumour.
On Friday night, he had attended a function in his honour, hosted by former Test captain Mark Taylor and according to his son, he had enjoyed his time there.
“He had the best time of his life on Friday where he spent time with a lot of his mates at his dinner,” Craig, Bob’s son, said to The Newcastle Herald.
“He showed no pain on the night and stayed till the end of the show. My family were amazed as we thought he might stay an hour or two. He went to the grand final of the Newcastle baseball and watched his grandson play in two games. He had a bad night last night and mum decided to take him to hospital this morning. It was confirmed he had broken a few ribs,” he added.
Andrew Jones, Cricket New South Wales chief executive paid his tribute to the former cricketer, saying“Bob’s death is a sad loss for Newcastle, NSW and Australian cricket. He was an inspiration as a player, not only because of his skills but also his persistence. He was first picked for NSW at the age of 32 and became a cult hero during the mid `80s when chosen for Australia at the age of 38, he added.
Holland represented Australia in 11 Tests, picking up 32 wickets. He made his debut For New South Wales at the age of 32 but managed to pick up an impressive 316 first-class wickets at 31.19. He made Test debut at 38 against West Indies at the Gabba in 1984.
