Wisden Cricketer of the Year – 1978 Willis made 10 Championship appearances in the 1978 season, taking 37 wickets at 18.27. He was also third in the national averages for the Benson and Hedges Cup that year, with 16 wickets at 6.75, including four wickets for four runs in one innings. That year also saw Pakistan and New Zealand return to tour England between June and August. 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. He also earned a Man of the Match award for his 4/15 in the first ODI. In the second ODI Willis captained England in an international for the first time because of an injury to Geoff Boycott. 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. Against New Zealand, Willis took 12 Test wickets at 19.08, and passed 150 career Test wickets with his 4/16 in the third Test. Wisden noted Willis' achievements against Australia in 1977, stating that "the new-ball fire power of Bob Willis, which yielded 27 wickets, was of special significance in England's high summer of success. No England bowler of authentic speed can boast a comparable record in a home series against Australia". In continued: "It was singularly appropriate that team and personal triumph should go hand in hand, for few players have given such loyal and unstinted service to England as the wholehearted Willis... Happily determination is one virtue Willis does not lack, and his re-emergence as a top ranking fast bowler was well and truly deserved." Across all first-class matches that year, Willis had taken 65 wickets at 18.41, the most of any season of his career. His 35 List-A wickets was also the second highest he would achieve for a season behind the 45 of 1983. Wisden also praised him for refusing to partake in Kerry Packer's World Series cricket, and proclaimed him a Wisden Cricketer of the Year along with Botham, Hendrick, Alan Jones and Ken McEwan. 1978–79 Ashes In the winter of 1978/79, Willis travelled to Australia for that season's Ashes series, which England won 5–1 against