England's fourth-highest Test wicket-taker of all-time, Bob Willis, has died at the age of 70.
The family of the former national team captain say he passed away after a "long illness", believed to be thyroid cancer.
Willis claimed 325 dismissals in 90 Test matches - including a career-best 8 for 43 in the famous Ashes win over Australia at Headingley in 1981. He would describe that innings as "a fairytale, a kids’ comic. It was an extraordinary day when everything went right."
That day was made even more extraordinary when you consider it came six-years after Willis had undergone surgery on both of his knees.
Only Jimmy Anderson (575), Stuart Broad (471) and his long-time international and broadcasting team-mate Ian Botham (383) sit above Willis in England's all-time list of wicket-takers.
He had been a fixture on television over the past quarter-century as a commentator and pundit.
In a statement, Willis' family said:
"We are heartbroken to lose our beloved Bob, who was an incredible husband, father, brother and grandfather. He made a huge impact on everybody he knew and we will miss him terribly"
More to follow....
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
