Former England captain Ray Illingworth dies aged 89

The
all-rounder
played
in
61
Tests
between
1958
and
1973,
taking
122
wickets
and
scoring
two
centuries.

Illingworth
was
captain
on
31
occasions
and
won
12
of
the
Test
matches
he
oversaw,
including
an
away
Ashes
series
against
Australia
in
1971-72.

A
short
statement
from
Yorkshire
County
Cricket
Club,
who
he
guided
to
three
successive
County
titles
form
1966,
read:
“We
are
deeply
saddened
to
learn
that
Ray
Illingworth
has
passed
away.

“Our
thoughts
are
with
Ray’s
family
and
the
wider
Yorkshire
family
who
held
Ray
so
dear
to
their
hearts
#OneRose.”

Illingworth
had
been
undergoing
radiotherapy
for
esophageal
cancer
and
earlier
this
year
spoke
of
his
support
for
assisted
dying
after
his
wife
passed
away
from
cancer.

“I
don’t
want
to
have
the
last
12
months
that
my
wife
had,”
he
said,
in
quotes
reported
by
BBC
Sport.
“She
had
a
terrible
time
going
from
hospital
to
hospital
and
in
pain.

“I
believe
in
assisted
dying.
The
way
my
wife
was,
there
was
no
pleasure
in
life
in
the
last
12
months,
and
I
don’t
see
the
point
of
living
like
that.

“But
we
don’t
have
assisted
dying
in
England
yet,
so
you
don’t
have
the
option
do
you?
They
are
debating
it
and
I
think
it
will
come
eventually.

“A
lot
of
doctors
are
against
it,
but
if
they
had
to
live
like
my
wife
did
in
her
last
12
months
they
might
change
their
minds.”