Cricket world mourns the death of Bob Cowper, Australia’s $100m batting legend

Cricket has lost its $100 million batting legend following the death of the legendary Bob Cowper – a superb batsman who became Australia’s most wealthy former Test cricketer.

Bob Cowper (L) has died aged 84.

Bob Cowper will always be remembered for one of Australia’s finest Test innings – and the colourful quote which followed it.

Victorian batsman Cowper, who died in Melbourne on Saturday after a lengthy battle with cancer at age 84, produced one of Australia’s most remarkable Test innings when he made 307 against England at the MCG in 1966.

An intelligent, engaging man with strong opinions which stretched well beyond the cricket field, he was well liked by cricket journalists of that era who, only a few days before that innings, had a quiet word in his ear.

They told him, after he had been made 12th man earlier in that series in Adelaide, his career would go up another level if he “got fit’’ and worked harder off the field.

Bob Cowper pictured batting for Australia during his decorated career

After his 12-hour 307 the same journalists were walking into the dressing room to interview Cowper when he emerged from the shower and called out to them from across the room “hey boys, how f----- fit am I now?’’

Boom. Boom. It was a sharp quote from a sharp man.

“Wallaby’’ Bob Cowper’s Test record was outstanding – 2061 runs 27 matches at 46 including five centuries – but he shocked teammates by retiring at age 28 to move into the world of stock broking and merchant banking.

He could have made a fine Australian captain but, dollar wise, it proved a master stroke for he became Australia’s most wealthy former Test cricketer, a multi-millionaire when that was a jaw-dropping achievement.

Bob Cowper (second from right), wih Victorian teammates Alan Connolly, Bill Lawry Cowper and Ian Redpath.

It was estimated way back in 1987 his total worth was just over $100 million and he lived a significant portion of his life in the tax haven of Monaco.

No Australian cricketer did better post cricket than Cowper who later became an International Cricket Council official.

Always his own man, Cowper stayed in Monaco when Australia had a mass baggy green cap presentation to its former players in 2003.

“Cricket is a past chapter for me,” Cowper told Fairfax media at the time.

“I’m proud of what I achieved. It was totally different in those days . . . everyone had another career running alongside cricket. It would have been a great honour to be there but, as you can imagine, it’s a little far to go.’’

Originally published as Cricket world mourns the death of Bob Cowper, Australia’s $100m batting legend