Bruce Yardley passes away at 71
Abeda AshrafEditor
Posted - 2019-03-27T21:13:16+06:00
Updated - 2019-03-27T21:13:16+06:00
Former Australian Test cricketer Bruce Yardley passed away on Wednesday at the age of 71.
It has been a long battle with cancer for the cricketer turned coach and commentator. Debuted as a medium pacer, Yardley turned out to be a spinner later on.
Playing 33 Test matches, Yardley picked 126 wickets at an average of 31.63 in a career spanning five years from 1978. He also bagged 344 wickets in first-class cricket with a best of 7/44.
The right-handed batsman scored 978 runs with a highest of 74 runs in 54 innings.
Paying their tribute, Cricket Australia said as quoted by their official website cricket.com.au, "Bruce was a significant figure in Australian cricket, contributing in many ways on and off the field."
"As a player, it took him more than 10 years of persistence playing first-class and Premier cricket to find the art of off-spin, earning him a Test debut at the age of 30. He was also an excellent fielder and handy batter, holding the record for the quickest Test fifty for 38 years," he added.
He held the record of scoring quickest Test half century by any Australian which was eclipsed in 2017 by former Vice-captain David Warner.
He was also crowned International Cricketer of the Year for the Australia summer of 1981-82.
In late 1990s, Yardley took over the responsibility of
National team.
Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara mourned on his death saying in a twitter reaction, "Very sad to hear about the passing of Bruce Yardley. He was a good man to get to know and a great friend of Sri Lankan cricket. May he rest in peace."