Bob Willis

At 70 years old, Bob Willis has this physical status:

Playing career

Willis accepted an invitation to join Middlesex and Surrey Young Cricketers on tour in Pakistan in 1968, and he used this opportunity to further refine his skills. On his return to Surrey, he made early appearances in Surrey's Second XI, his first appearance against Worcestershire's Seconds. Willis, 19 years of age, was bowled out for 48 runs in the first innings and bowled four wicketless overs in the second. He was not called on to bat at all. He faced Glamorgan two days later and took three wickets. He appeared in several more Second XI matches throughout May and June 1969, before his first-class debut on August 6th. During the season, Scotland was touring England and had already defeated Warwickshire. Willis took three wickets from 13 overs in his first innings and two for 37 in his second, enabling Surrey to win by an innings and 97 runs. Willis went on to take 22 first-class wickets out of six matches this season, placing him 15th in the national averages for the County Championships. Surrey finished third in the event last year. Willis has also played in two List-A games, but at 52.00, he took only one wicket at 55.00.

Willis had also played in Surrey for two seasons, taking 40 first-class wickets at 28.37 and 31 one day wickets at 14.65, according to a record. Surrey finished fifth in the Championships last year. In the Gillette Cup quarter-finals against Middlesex, he put on a good showing. Surrey lost five wickets in a high-scoring match. Middlesex appeared to be coasting to victory when they reached 240–3, but Willis changed the game and finished on 272–9. Willis won the Man of the Match award after going 6–49 in his 12 overs. Despite this, Surrey's pick for Geoff Arnold and Robin Jackman kept Willis out of the game on occasion. He's planning to spend the winter at the Crystal Palace Recreation Centre while playing as a goalkeeper for Cobham, the local football team. However, Ray Illingworth and Colin Cowdrey, captain and vice captain of England's Test squad, contacted him by phone to advise him to visit Australia and join the new England tour. Willis, who knew that Illingworth and Cowdrey had no idea of his bowling, later attributed his call to senior member of the touring party John Edrich, Willis' long-time friend, mentor, and Surrey teammate.

Willis played several warm-up matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1970 and 1971 for England as a replacement for the injured Alan Ward. When England defeated Australia in the Test series, Wisden says his "infectious enthusiasm and team spirit played no role in Australia's downfall." Willis' first Test, on January 9, 1971, was the fourth Test of the series, with three draws and an abandonment. He bowled an economical nine overs for 26 runs in his first innings, while Derek Underwood took four wickets to reduce Australia to 236. In the ensuing battle, Geoffrey Boycott, who had been unbeaten, led Australia 416 to victory. Willis was only allowed three overs to bowl on a pitch "without speed," but he did manage to capture his first Test wicket, Ashley Mallett, who was trapped by Alan Knott for six wickets with John Snow routing Australia at 7/40.

Willis stayed in the squad for the fifth Test at Melbourne, and the selectors were awarded 3/73 in the first innings and 1/42 in the second. Willis took three wickets in the drawn Adelaide Test and four others in the final match of the season, a triumph for England in the 2–0 series. Willis took 12 wickets at 27.41 on his first Test series, and he'd also taken several "crucial catches." In Auckland, he was kept in his second match of the two-Test series against New Zealand in March, in which he took two wickets.

Willis returned in early 1971 to help Surrey win the County Championship trophy that year. However, rivalry between him and the club was surfacing. Willis took 31 Championship wickets at 28.83, but the club found himself unable to accept the deal. Willis wanted another team despite the fact that the county was reluctant to lose him, but the county was desperate to lose him. In his last match for Surrey against Hampshire on September 11, 1971, he took two wickets. He signed for Warwickshire after turning down Leicestershire and Lancashire, and the Lancashire wickets fell in one shot. Willis, who was outlawed from playing for his new county until July, helped Warwickshire win the 1972 Championship in a string of two counties for two years. He took 8/44 to demolish Derbyshire in his last game of the season. His new team won nine of their 20 matches, drew 11, and lost none. He was not selected for the 1972 Ashes series in England, and he was sent by Derrick Robins to South Africa as part of his invitation XI. Willis took 13 wickets from the six matches on the tour.

Willis was hospitalized during a 1973 season with one of what would be many recurring complaints. Despite his injury, he did not take any wickets in the Championship at 18.95, although his illness barred him from playing only one Test against the West Indies cricket team. The West Indies have a total of 652–8 people. Willis took four wickets for 118 runs – his best Test figures to date – and was the last batsman to stand as Vanburn Holder and Keith Boyce defeated England for 233 and 193. In September, he made his ODI debut with two games against the touring team, scoring five not out as England defeated Ireland in their first-ever ODI match. In the second round, which the West Indies defeated by eight wickets, he went wicketless and conceded 5.5 runs per over.

Willis then travelled to the Caribbean as part of England's winter tour in what Wisden called a "automatic pick"; however, he would fail against the top Test team. He took only one wicket in the first Test, three in the second, and one for a hundred runs in the final game. Throughout his career, he was going to struggle against the West Indies. His bowling average against them was 36.34, down from 36.34 against no other squad, who had a record higher than 26.14.

Willis then returned to England to face India and Pakistan, battling in one Test against each. He took 4/64 against India, his best on record against the team, and he made a Test best 24 with the bat against India. Pakistan toured early August, and Willis was involved in a single Test. He took one wicket for 133 runs. As Pakistan won by seven wickets in one ODI, he took one wicket and bowled him out. Willis was suffering from a recurring back injury at this time. During the 1974 season, he appeared in 13 Championship games for Warwickshire, taking 44 wickets at 21.56, with one five-wicket haul. Willis was in Australia during the 1974/75 Ashes series, playing in five Test matches. Out of a total of 26 first-class wickets at 31.19, he took 17 Test wickets at 30.70, with a best of 5/42. He was, however, playing with increasing injury issues that necessitated several painkiller injections.

Willis recovered to England in January 1975 with a recurring knee injury that had caused him to miss a county game early that season, and he underwent several operations to correct it. He had knee surgery on both knees and experienced a post-operative blood clot. He was forced to use crutches for the majority of the season, and recalled that it was "similar to a 50,000-mile service" in 1978. His recovery was particularly difficult, requiring daily runs around the cricket field and an extensive gym program under Dr. Arthur Jackson's direction, an advocate of slow running therapy to build stamina. In 1975, he was out of action on the international stage and made only four first-class appearances, though this season saw a healthy 18 wickets at 18.77. He did not return to the Test game until 1976, where he met the West Indies in two matches in July and August.

He had made a good return to the county field from injury last year, taking 16 Championship wickets at 26.12. With the bat, he had also set a career-high 43. Willis was called into the squad for the fourth Test against the West Indies on July 22nd, as part of wholesale bowling reforms that saw Brian Close, Edrich, Mike Selvey, Mike Selvey, Mike Selvey, Mike Selvey, and Pat Pocock replaced with John Snow, Ward, Bob Woolmer, David Steele, and Willis. In the second innings, he took three wickets for 71 runs and then a five-wicket haul. Both accounted for his career best figures and took him beyond 50 Test wickets. Wisden called his last four wickets a "fine piece of fast bowling" in 24 runs, and was worth three runs in 24 runs. However, Tony Greig's England failed to make an impression on the West Indies through the series, with Viv Richards dominating with 829 runs in the series. Willis was only allowed one more wicket in the fifth and final Test, which the tourists took comfortably. Willis, who was still recovering from injury, had turned down a coaching position in South Africa in order to not risk his health and went on the dole by this time.

England toured India from December to February during a five Test series from 1976/77, which was a comeback for Willis. "It was the time when Wisden announced that he was one of the world's best fast bowlers" on tour. Willis took 32 wickets on the entire tour, 20 of which were in the Test matches for 16.75 runs. In the second Test, he took five for 27 wickets and then six for 53 in the fourth, his best Test performance to date, and taking him to 400 first-class wickets. "With the second new ball, four of his wickets were over in four overs, but he didn't receive any assistance from the pitch." Willis was stamped as a bowler of real pace and in-disputable class" on his first appearance in the series.

Willis was a participant in five Tests between June and August that year, and in all cases Willis appeared. Willis took three ODI wickets at 15.80, one of them was pre-dating them. On June 16, the first Test took place at Lord's. Willis, who came back a career-best 7/78, destroyed Australia, batting second and trying to take a lead over England's 216 all out. Woolmer, Australia's centennial bowler, Australia's 114/6 loss to Willis with two more wickets from two more wickets. Willis' "hostile speed" earned praise for "Australia" getting a real scare. In the second Test, Wills took four more wickets to assist Underwood in limiting Australia's totals and giving England a nine wicket victory, and he was "fast and accurate." Willis was wicketless in England's victory in the fourth Test of the Test series, but he took another five-for in the final match, including both Australian openers. His 27 wickets across the series set a new high for an England fast bowler against Australia in England, and his final wicket of the series was his 100th. Willis made ten County Championship appearances during this series, netting 29 wickets at 19.41. On August 20, he had a haul of 8/32 against Gloucestershire, which would be his best first-class figures for his career.

With Willis on a winter tour to Pakistan and New Zealand, the year came to an end. Willis dismissed seven Pakistani batsmen for 27.14 runs each, but they did not appear in any of the ODI matches. He took a further 14 wickets in New Zealand, including 5/32 in the first Test. Willis, England vice-captain, was involved in a notorious incident in which Ian Botham intentionally ran out captain Geoff Boycott in order to assist the team in calling for a result. England went on to win the match, with Willis taking 4/14 in the second innings.

Willis made ten Championship appearances during his career in 1978, taking 37 wickets at 18.27 runs. He was also third in national averages for the Benson and Hedges Cup last year, with 16 wickets at 6.75, including four wickets for four runs in a row. Between June and August, Pakistan and New Zealand saw their return to tour England. Despite Botham being awarded Man of the Series for his 13 wickets (in addition to scoring two centuries with the bat), Willis netted 13 Pakistani batsmen for 17.92, including a five-wicket haul in the second Test. In the first ODI, he also received a Man of the Match award for his 4/15. For the first time since Geoff Boycott suffered an injury, ODI Willis captained England in an international. After Iqbal Qasim was forced to return to Birmingham after being struck by one of his deliveries in the first Test, he was also concerned about the growing use of short-pitched bowling at tailend batsman. Willis took 12 Test wickets at 19.08 against New Zealand, and reached 150 Test wickets with his 4/16 in the third Test.

Willis' success against Australia in 1977 was recalled by Wisden, who said that "the new-ball fire power of Bob Willis, which resulted in 27 wickets, was of particular importance in England's hot summer of triumph. In a home series against Australia, no England bowler of authentic speed can boast a similar record. "It was absolutely necessary" that team and personal triumph go hand in hand, for no one else has provided such loyal and untinted service to England as Willis... Willis' return to England as a top-ranked fast bowler was well-deserved." Willis had taken 65 wickets at 18.41, the most of his career's season, in all first-class matches this year. His 35 List-A wickets was also the second best he would do for a season after the 1985 record of 45 wickets. Botham, Hendrick, Alan Jones, and Ken McEwan thanked him for refusing to partake in Kerry Packer's World Series cricket, and the year's Wisden Cricketer of the Year was named.

Willis travelled to Australia in 1978-1979 for the Ashes series, which England won 5–1 against an Australian team who had been depleted by the rebel Packer tour. The tour started in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland with four first-class fixtures. During the Test series, Willis bowled 1,123 runs, taking 20 wickets at 23.05. In a seven-wicket England victory in the first Test on December 1, 1978, he took 4/44 and 3/69. Following an aborted ODI match in a 2:0 win, England took the lead with a 166 runs, and Australia took the series to 2:1 in the second match on December 15th.

England won by two wickets to Willis on January 6th, a 93-run victory. But before a repeat of the first ODI was attempted and then scrapped after 7.2 overs, the fourth Test was called off. England then played three first-class matches before losing their second ODI on January 24th. Hendrick and Botham, Willis bowling a wicketless ballad, were dismissed for 101 runs and four maidens, leaving Australia batting first. England had seven wickets to spare when attacking the target. Willis made 24 out of 20 balls in Australia's second innings in the fifth Test that followed, but with the bat he made 24 from 20 balls, with three fours and a six. With this cameo knock, he and his sister tied for his highest Test score and surpassed 1,500 first-class runs.

England won by nine wickets in the sixth and final Test of the series, a convincing 5-1 win. Willis took 1/48 and hit ten runs with the bat. Willis "struck early and decisive blows" through the series, but the second and fifth Tests were uneventfully paced, whereupon "suddenly regained his energy and rhythm." Willis had taken 34 wickets at 20.47 in all first-class matches of the tour, though this was the third best average among the England bowlers. He had 115 runs at 12.77, with tail-end batting.

England hosted the Cricket World Cup in 1979. The host nation fielded a 13-man squad, including captain Mike Brearley, Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Graham Gooch, Graham Gooch, Hendrick, Geoff Miller, Geoff Larkins, Geoff Miller, Mike Larkins, Derek Randall, Bob Taylor, Willis, and Willis. England, who had no warm-up games, played their first match against Australia on June 9th at Lord's, whom they "breezed" past. Willis took 20 runs from his 11 overs, was surpassed by Boycott, who would be an unexpected bowling hero during the tournament, who took 2/15. England stalled, with Brearley's 44 coming from 147 balls, and the target was reached at 47.1 overs. Willis's team was defeated for 45 against Canada in their next game, with Man of the Match Old losing 4/11 and Man of the Match Old taking 4/8. The game was decided within 13.5 minutes between Boycott and Gooch. England lost by 14 runs in their final Group A match on June 16th. Willis made three fours in his 24 runs from 37 balls to 165/9, and his one wicket for 37 runs, as well as Boycott's 2/14, kept Pakistan out of the target.

England has thus qualified for the semi-finals against New Zealand. As England reached 221/8, Willis managed to chip one run from his two wickets, preventing New Zealand from 212. Willis recovered from injury during the match, but not before it. With a recurrence of his knee injury, he had left the field before the match and was ruled out of the final, which England lost to the West Indies. Despite missing the final, Willis took seven wickets across the entire competition at 15.57 runs an over, placing him fifth in bowling average across all the teams, and his economy rate of 2.44 runs an over was his fourth best.

Willis continued his recovery from injury by playing the first, third, and fourth Test matches against India, taking 10 wickets at 29.80. As Warwickshire came fifth in the country, he failed with nine Championship wickets at 42.00, in between his international appearances.

Willis' winter 1981-1980 and the ensuing summer saw challenging tours in Australia: the Benson and Hedges World Series Cup and a Test tour in Australia followed by a home series against the West Indies. Willis was involved in all seven of England's matches for the World Series Cup, but he failed with six wickets at 41.00. England did gain the most points in both finals, but the West Indies defeated them in both finals. England and Australia played three Test matches, with Willis taking only 3 wickets at 74.66, going wicketless in third Test. On the county front, however, his position at Warwickshire was confirmed as he had been proclaimed county captain.

Two ODI matches in England began as a result of Willis' absence, with him only in the squad for the second match. Here he took two wickets and two catches in a three-wicket England victory. Wills then face the West Indies Test team for four matches, the first on June 5th. He took four wickets for 82 runs in the first innings and five in the second, totaling 650 first-class wickets in the process, despite the West Indies winning by two wickets. The second Test was a draw, though Willis took three wickets. In the third Test at the Oval, however, he only reached 1/99 and equalled his Test best score of 24 with the bat, as well as assisting with a test match that had a lack of a test match that had been lost by sharing in an unbroken last-wicket partnership of 117 with Peter Willey. Despite this win, the West Indies got a 1:0 series victory. Willis had 14 wickets at 29.07, and he'd had a good showing in the County Championship that year, taking 27 wickets at 31.70. He had also taken 23 one day wickets in his first season as captain of leading his county to victory in the John Player League, only a year after they had placed the table at the bottom of the table in the same tournament.

In 1981, Australia premiered in England for the 51st Ashes series. Willis, who was selected to play in all six Test matches, came into the series on a string of good county form. He had appeared in four county matches, starting with 5/61 against Yorkshire on May 6th and 3/58 against Lancashire on June 10th. On the 18th of June, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, hosted the first Test. England, batting first, was reduced to 185 all out thanks to Terry Alderman's four wickets and three apiece for Dennis Lillee and Rodney Hogg. Willis was suspended for a first-ball duck after Mike Gatting reached his 50th birthday, and Willis was dismissed for a first-ball duck. Willis, however, reduced Australia to 179 all out, with three wickets for Willis. England could not take advantage of the host country's ten wickets equally between them to lose by just 132 runs. Dilley took four wickets and Willis snatched Graeme Wood for eight wickets to reach 200 Test wickets, but the tourists won the match with four wickets to spare.

Willis returned to Warwickshire to face Gloucestershire in a County Championship match between the first and second Tests, grabbing three wickets. He returned to face Australia in the second Test on July 2nd, with England batting first. England reached 311 wickets thanks to 82 runs from Peter Willey and a second half-century from Gatting, as well as five runs from Willis. Australia surpassed this and were dismissed for 345, with three wickets for Willis and three for Dilley. The England bowlers suffered from no balls, with Willis alone bowling 28. England called late in the game on 265/8, and Willis added another wicket as Australia went 90/4 at the end of play. Botham, who had captained the team until then, was fired and replaced by Brearley, who had been sacked and relocated. Willis, who was trying to recover and had a chest infection, was kicked out of the team. After speaking to Alec Bedser, he was given back his place in the team on the condition that he had participated in a 40-over-match, a Second XI match, and bowled 12 overs in the nets, he sat out a Warwickshire county match. He thrived in these roles and was eventually let back into the squad as a spinner.

The third Test, Willis' 60th birthday, arrived on July 16th, and England was able to level the series 1:1 thanks to Botham's Man of the Match (seven wickets, century and half centuries) and Willis's unorthodox bowling in the second innings. In Australia's first innings, Willis bowled 30 wickets at a rate of 30 wicketless overs, making a single run. He made only two runs with the bat as England continued in their second innings, but this was part of a 37-run last wicket partnership with Botham. He was then returned to bowl with Australia requiring 130 runs. England had been quoted at 500–1 to win the match at one point. Willis began a "inspired" bowling effort after being asked to bowl downhill from the Kirkstall Lane end when Australia was 56/1. Close fielders caught Trevor Chappell, Kim Hughes, and Graham Yallop, while Rod Marsh and John Dyson were trapped behind the wicket and behind the wicket respectively, trying to play the hook shot. Dennis Lillee was catches by the first ball Willis pitched up. When Willis uprooted Ray Bright's middle stump Australia was bowled out for 111 runs, losing by 18 runs. Willis' highest Test results came in 8/43, his highest Test results ever. Two of his victims were out for zero and three others were given single figure ratings. With 34 points, John Dyson had the most successful before Willis dismissed him. Willey referred to it as a "amazing spell," while Wisden described it as "the most shocking bowling of his life" as his position was "apprehensive."

England then progressed to the fourth Test 1:1 in the series. England was out of 189 runs with Alderman's five-fort leading the way to 189 all out, with Willis hitting 13 runs. He bowled a wicketless but "stormy" 19 overs "as if the devil were at his heels," and England set Australia a final target of 151 runs but gave Australia a 29-run victory and a series lead. Willis played for his county against Middlesex in the fourth and fifth Tests, losing only one wicket. He then rejoined his team for the fifth Test at Old Trafford. England reached 231 runs after Willis, a "priceless" 56-run late partnership with Paul Allott (52) and Willis (11) for part, before Willis led the bowling attack with four wickets to restrict Australia to 130 runs out. Botham defeated England in 404, putting the tourists 556 runs to win. Both Yallop and Allan Border bowled centuries, but Willis and two for Paul Allott, Botham, and John Emburey dismissed them for 402, 103 runs short of victory.

Willis continued to show some form with the bat against Nottinghamshire in the interval between the fifth and final Tests, although he was wicketless. The sixth Test at the Oval took place on August 27th between Australia and England. Thanks to a century from Border, the tourists reached 352, while Willis took four wickets and Botham six. Boycott's century came to an end as England defeated Lillee's seven wicket haul to defeat 314, and Hendrick and Botham took four wickets each to give their team a target of 383 runs to win, while Willis went without a wicket in the second innings. England reached 261 before the match ended as a draw after receiving half-centuries from Gatting and Brearley. England was victorious in the series 3-1 victory, and Botham's efforts culminated in it being unofficially referred to as 'Botham's Ashes.'

In November 1981, Willis and England went to India for a six Test series against India and one against Sri Lanka. He took 12 wickets against India at 31.75, as well as three more Test and two wickets ODI against Sri Lanka. Willis had a string of 13 County Championship wickets at 28.55, despite Warwickshire's finishing last in the standings.

Willis' first half-century with the bat, his first half-century with the bat, a career-best 72), while leading Warwickshire against the touring Indian side on May 9, 1982. He also took two wickets. With his 2/71 against Yorkshire on 19 May, he scored his 750th first-class wickets. India had intended to attend three Tests and two ODI matches during the tour; however, the England selectors had to withdraw Fletcher, the captain, before the matches began. Willis was awarded the captaincy despite being seen as an unexpected candidate and ambivalent towards the position. The new captain took two wickets and causing a run-out with the help of Botham, who also took four wickets on June 2nd. England limited India to 193 wickets and won by nine wickets. The second ODI match came two days later, and England won by 114 runs, this time from seven overs.

Willis led his team to the first Test on June 10 with two victories under his belt. He batted first in a last-wicket partnership with Allott (41) worth 70 runs – an England record against India that saw the hosts defeat 433 all out. Willis then started breaking into the Indian batting line-up, scoring 6/101 to leave England 65 runs to chase, but they lost because of three wickets. Willis was described as "bowling near his fastest" by Wisden, who took his 250th Test wicket during the match. Willis took two more wickets in the second Test; however, centuries from Botham and Sandeep Patil, who hit Willis for 24 runs in an over, ensured the game was a draw. Botham scored his career-best 208 in the third match to knock England out of 594, and Willis took 3/78 to keep India to 410. He then declared England's second innings at 191 to win India 376, and Ravi Shastri took the wicket of Ravi Shastri before India closed out the final day with 111/3. Willis then completed his first Test series in a triumphant manner, with 15 Test wickets of his own at 22.00. Willis led England to a 2-1 victory over Pakistan in 1982, equalling his highest Test result with an innings of 28 not out in the first Test, sharing in a last-wicket stand with Bob Taylor of 79. Willis was unable to attend the second Test, which England (captained by David Gower) lost before returning for the dramatic third Test. Willis was only available for three more first-class games this season and ended with a total of 24 wickets at 35.08. Willis led Warwickshire to the final of the NatWest Trophy in 1982, but they lost by a large amount to Surrey, Willis' former county Surrey. In the 1982-83 Ashes, he travelled to Australia to lead England.

England's winning Ashes team traveled to Australia in 1982/83 under Willis' captaincy. In two warm-up first-class matches, Willis earned two three-wicket hauls, but he was ruled out from two others and Botham took over the captaincy. The ageing bowler's body was already plagued by ongoing injury issues. In the first Test, he took 3/95 as Australia responded to England's first innings 411, of which Willis had made 26 runs. With the loss of two wickets, both of which were taken by Willis, Derek Randall in England's second innings brought them to 358, and Australia reached 73 at the end of play on the final day of play. Willis scored 5/66 in the second Test, but Australia scored a respectable fourth innings target to go 1–0 up. Despite Willis' three wickets, the third Test followed a similar pattern, with England responding with two low scores in the face of Australia's first innings 438, and Australia taking an eight-wicket victory to take the lead in the series. In the fourth Test at Melbourne, England defeated Australia by a narrow margin of three runs, with Willis taking three wickets. Willis said on the game that "You never give up and you never think it has gone"; The fifth match ended in a draw, so Australia won the series 2–1. Willis took 28 first-class wickets on the entire tour. Despite 14 wickets for Willis at 21.14, England, Australia, and New Zealand were disqualified in the forthcoming World Series Cup between England, Australia, and New Zealand.

Willis returned to Warwickshire in the 1983 season after suffering in the county championship with 21 wickets at 36.76, but he is finding more success in the one-day arena with a career-best 45 wickets at 16.24. In the 1983 Cricket World Cup, he captained England, when England defeated them in the semi-finals, where they were defeated by eventual winners India. With 20 wickets at 13.65, including a five-wicket haul, he also led England in a four Test series against New Zealand, finding greater success. Willis was batting in the second Test and took 850 first-class wickets and 300 Test wickets. England beat the series 3-0 and then returned to New Zealand over the winter. Willis overtook Fred Trueman's record of 307 Test wickets dismissing Lance Cairns in the first Test in the drawn first Test. Despite Willis' 4/51 accuracy, England lost the second Test by an innings. England lost the series after the third Test ended as a draw. Willis, who is getting more physical and mental energy, and now using hypnotherapy to reduce anxiety and focus his game, took three wickets in the following ODI series, in which England defeated New Zealand 2:1.

In early 1984, England hosted a three-Test series against Pakistan, but Willis was unable to contribute more than two wickets in the first match due to injuries. He made only five appearances in the County Championships, taking only nine wickets at 42.22. Willis was fired as captain after the West Indies' imminent Test series, with pressure rising due to injury and poor results. Gower was fired as captain before the Test series against the West Indies.

Willis received a mixed report as a captain. Botham retained fond memories of Willis the footballer, but Willis found it difficult to captain him because the men were of a similar age. Willis, who is often praised for his enthusiasm, became a "true inspirer" and a "towards the end"; but, he was "not a genius tactical genius" and "towards the point of sadness at the knowledge that some of England's cricketers accepted failure too readily. He also wasn't able to shield himself against media criticism." He was also described as a loner in the game, as well as a reluctant captain who was rewarded to be reinstated to the ranks after stringent failures while he was in charge of the reins. England captain Ed Miliband's 18 Tests as England captain saw 7 victories, 5 losses, and 6 draws, while England captain Chris Hughes led England in 29 ODI matches, winning 16 and losing 13.

Willis took two wickets in the first two matches against the West Indies in the next Test series. And took three wickets against Derbyshire for his county in the last match. Willis returned to the field on July 12th for the third Test and took just two wickets for 123 runs as the West Indies, particularly Michael Holding, "hammered" his bowling, with 59 out of 55 deliveries. Willis conceded 40 more runs from eight overs in the second innings, which Wisden referred to as "the death throes" of his career. After England's loss, he resigned from all cricket, although Warwickshire were leading Warwickshire in one last major tournament, albeit Lancashire's 1984 Benson & Hedges Cup final at Lord's, in which they were defeated by Lancashire.

He finished his career with 325 Test wickets, second only to Dennis Lillee, and 899 wickets in all first-class matches. Only James Anderson, Ian Botham, and Stuart Broad have since surpassed his number of Test wickets for England. Willis also holds the world record for the most Test wickets without a single 10-wicket haul.

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