Simon Doull
A swing bowler whose career was cut short by injury, he found a second life as one of cricket's most candid and recognizable voices in the commentary box.
Born 1969 (age 57)·New Zealand cricketer·Birthday: August 6·Generation X
Biography
Simon Doull emerged from New Zealand's cricketing system as a promising right-arm medium pacer, a bowler who could make the ball talk with late swing. His time on the international stage, however, was a constant battle with his own body. Injuries chipped away at his potential, limiting him to a frustratingly brief tenure in the black cap. His pinnacle came in a single, brilliant spell of 7 for 65 against India in Wellington, a performance that etched his name in the record books but also hinted at what might have been. Forced to retire from play in 2000, Doull didn't leave the game. He seamlessly transitioned to the microphone, where his deep knowledge of fast bowling and a refreshingly direct, opinionated style made him a standout broadcaster. Today, his voice is as familiar to global cricket fans as his bowling action once was, offering analysis that carries the weight of hard-earned experience.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Simon was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Simon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Simon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Took a career-best 7 for 65 against India in the 1998 Wellington Test.
- Represented New Zealand in 32 Test matches and 42 One Day Internationals.
- Successfully transitioned to a prominent career as an international cricket commentator and radio personality.
Did You Know?
His nephew, Jacob Duffy, is also a professional cricketer who plays for New Zealand.
He is known for his sharp, often humorous critiques of player fitness and running between the wickets during commentary.
Doull's final Test match was against Australia in March 2000.
“My body kept breaking down just as I found my rhythm with the ball.”
