Sir Garry Sobers, an undisputed cricketing great and widely regarded as the sport’s greatest all-rounder, has died aged 89.
Sobers will forever be associated with the feat he achieved in 1968 at Glamorgan’s St Helen’s Ground in Swansea, when he became the first batsman to hit six sixes in a single over of six consecutive balls in first-class cricket. However, his achievements during a long and illustrious career were numerous.
The late Richie Benaud, the revered broadcaster and former Australia captain, described Sobers as “the greatest all-round cricketer the world has seen”. He wrote: “Sobers was a brilliant batsman, splendid fielder, particularly close to the wicket, and a bowler of extraordinary skill, whether with the new ball, bowling orthodox left-arm spin or wrist spin.”
Sobers made his first-class debut for Barbados at the age of 16 in 1953. Such was his extraordinary talent that he was quickly called up to the West Indies team and made his Test debut the following year.
It did not take him long to make his mark on the world stage. Against Pakistan in 1958, Sobers scored his maiden Test century, eventually finishing unbeaten on 365, a new record for the highest individual score in a Test innings. The record stood until Brian Lara surpassed it in 1994.
Sobers retired relatively early for a player of his stature and ability, ending his career at the age of 38 in 1974. Wisden commented a year later: “Some great players of the past continued appreciably longer. Simply enough, mentally and physically tired, he had lost his zest for the sport which had been his life – and was still his only observable means of earning a living.
“Ostensibly he had a damaged knee; in truth he was the victim of his unique range of talents – and the jet age. Because he was capable of doing so much, he was asked to do it too frequently.
He did more than any other cricketer, and did it more intensively because high-speed aircraft enabled him to travel halfway across the world in a day or two. Perhaps the long sea voyages between seasons of old had a restorative effect.”
In total, Sobers played 93 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78 and taking 235 wickets at an average of 34.03. He has the fourth-highest batting average in Test cricket among players with more than 5,000 runs.
In 383 first-class matches, he scored more than 28,000 runs and took over 1,000 wickets, having represented South Australia and, towards the end of his career, Nottinghamshire. Sobers was knighted in 1975 for his services to cricket.
The International Cricket Council awards the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy to the men’s Cricketer of the Year. (The Guardian)
