Botham recalled Willis as "a tremendous trier.. a great team-man and an inspiration",[9] as well as the "only world-class fast bowler in my time as an England player".

[10] The editor of Wisden wrote of him in similar terms: "His indomitable service to England is handsomely reflected in his great collection of Test wickets.

[17][18] Willis was born in Sunderland, County Durham, on 30 May 1949,[1][19] and grew up in the Surrey village of Stoke d'Abernon near Cobham, having moved there at the age of six.

[7] In 1968, Willis accepted an invitation to join Middlesex and Surrey Young Cricketers on tour in Pakistan, and used this opportunity to further hone his skills.

Yet irrespective of the low marks for aesthetic quality in his action, that long right arm, which came down and across at such an unlikely angle, propelled the ball at a hot pace, with steep bounce and unusually threatening movement in towards the batsman.

He prepared to spend the winter employed at the Crystal Palace Recreation Centre while playing as a goalkeeper for local football club Cobham.

[7] Willis joined England's 1970–71 tour of Australia as a replacement for the injured Alan Ward, and played several warm-up matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in December.

Wisden records that his "infectious enthusiasm and team spirit played no small part in Australia's downfall" as England won the Ashes in the subsequent Test series.

With John Snow routing Australia with 7/40, Willis was only given three overs to bowl on a pitch "without pace",[37] but he managed to take his first Test wicket – Ashley Mallett, caught by Alan Knott for six.

Willis took four wickets for 118 runs – career-best Test figures thus far – and was the last batsman standing as Vanburn Holder and Keith Boyce routed England for 233 and 193.

[51] Willis then travelled to the Caribbean as part of England's winter tour, in what Wisden described as an "automatic selection"; however, he was to struggle against the top Test side.

[7] Willis returned to England in January 1975 with a recurring knee injury which had caused him to collapse at a county game early that season, and underwent several operations to correct it.

[66] By this time Willis, whose injury troubles were continuing, turned down a coaching opportunity in South Africa in order to not risk his fitness, and went on the dole.

Though Botham took Man of the Series for his 13 wickets (in addition to scoring two centuries with the bat), Willis also netted 13 Pakistani batsmen for 17.92, including a five-wicket haul in the second Test.

[91] He was however also involved with a controversy regarding the growing practice of short-pitched bowling at tailend batsman after Iqbal Qasim was forced to retire hurt after being hit by one of his deliveries in the first Test at Birmingham.

[95] In the winter of 1978/79, Willis travelled to Australia for that season's Ashes series, which England won 5–1 against an Australian team depleted by the rebel Packer tour.

[97] Australia, batting first, were routed for 101 all out by Hendrick and Botham, Willis bowling a wicketless but economic spell of eight overs for 15 runs and four maidens.

The host nation played a 13-man squad: captain Mike Brearley, Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Phil Edmonds, Graham Gooch, David Gower, Hendrick, Wayne Larkins, Geoff Miller, Chris Old, Derek Randall, Bob Taylor (wk) and Willis.

[116] He had left the field before the end of the match with a recurrence of his knee injury and was ruled out of the final,[117] which England lost to the West Indies.

England could not take advantage, however, as Lillee and Alderman shared the host nation's ten wickets equally between them to leave Australia only 132 to win.

Yallop and Allan Border both scored centuries, however three wickets for Willis and two for Paul Allott, Botham and John Emburey dismissed them for 402, 103 runs short of victory.

[156] Willis the Elder, a dozen years on, unlikely captain of England, struck a memorable and almost perpetual pose in the isolation of mid-off, thin arms across concave chest, large hand propping that promontory of a chin, blue-grey eyes seemingly glazed against what became, in 1982–83 and 1983–84, a painful scene.

[160] Willis then set about taking apart the Indian batting line-up with 3/41 and 6/101 to leave England 65 runs to chase, which they reached for the loss of three wickets.

Derek Randall's century in England's second innings took them to 358, and Australia reached 73 at the close of play on the final day for the loss of two wickets, both of which were taken by Willis, leaving the match drawn.

He also led England in a four Test series against New Zealand, finding greater success with 20 wickets at 13.65 including a five-wicket haul.

[185] Willis, with increasing physical and mental weariness and now using hypnotherapy to reduce stress and focus his game,[8] took three wickets in the following ODI series, in which England beat New Zealand 2:1.

[186] England played a three-Test series against Pakistan in early 1984, however Willis was unable to contribute more than two wickets in the first match due to injury.

[188] Willis, with pressure mounting due to injury and poor performances by the England team, was sacked as captain before the upcoming Test series against the West Indies, and replaced by Gower.

[190] Willis, often noted for his enthusiasm,[7] became an "effective motivator" as a captain; however, he was "no outstanding tactical genius" and "towards the end his feelings bordered on disgust at the conviction that some of England's cricketers accepted failure too readily.

Alan Tyers of The Daily Telegraph noted in Willis' obituary that "On Sky Sports Cricket's The Verdict show, Bob would deliver assessments of players and teams every bit as brutal as his genuinely rapid bowling once was.