Former Australia off-spinner Bruce Yardley died on Wednesday due to cancer. He was 71 years old. Yardley, who started his career as a fast bowler at the age of 27, was battling cancer for some time. He breathed his last at Kununurra District Hospital in Western Australia. Born on 5 September 1947 in Midland, Western Australia, Yardley made his Test debut in Adelaide against India in January 1978 at the age of 30.
Cricket Australia Chief Executive Kevin Roberts mourned Yardley’s demise. He said, ‘Bruce holds an important place in Australian cricket. He played an important role in many ways, both inside and outside the field.
Yardley also played the role of coach and commentator after retiring from cricket. He was also the coach of the Sri Lankan national team from 1996 to 1998. He was a supporter of Muttiah Muralitharan’s bowling action unlike other cricketers in his country.
Yardley took 126 wickets in 33 Test matches and during this time he took six or more wickets in the innings. He took ten wickets in a match once. Apart from this, he scored 978 runs, including four half-centuries. Yardley also played seven ODIs in which he took seven wickets. The off-spinner scored 2738 runs in 105 first-class matches and took 344 wickets. He was also a skilled fielder. There are 31 catches in Test cricket in his name.
