The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will pay tribute to Sir Garfield Sobers, widely regarded as the greatest all-rounder the game has ever produced, with a minute’s applause ahead of the first match at each tournament location this season.
The gesture will be observed once in every host territory as CPL travels across the Caribbean, ensuring fans in each country the tournament visits have the opportunity to honour Sir Garfield’s life and legacy. For many supporters, this will be the first chance to come together and publicly show how much Sir Garfield’s contribution to Caribbean cricket meant to them, applauding a man who shaped the game they love.
Sir Garfield passed away on July 17, 2026, at his home in Saint Michael, Barbados, at the age of 89. Over a 20-year international career (1954–1974), he played 93 Test matches for West Indies, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78 with 26 centuries, and took 235 wickets. His unbeaten 365 against Pakistan in 1958 stood as the highest individual score in Test cricket history for 36 years, and he remains the first player to hit six sixes in a single over in first-class cricket, a feat achieved for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan in 1968. He captained West Indies from 1965 to 1972.
Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League CEO Pete Russell said: “Sir Garfield Sobers did not just play cricket, he defined what was possible in the sport. He gave West Indies cricket its identity on the world stage and inspired generations of players across the region to believe in their own greatness. It is only fitting that every ground we play on this season pauses to honour him.”
CPL will continue to find further ways to honour Sir Garfield’s contribution to West Indies and world cricket throughout the season, including at the tournament final, which returns to his home ground of Kensington Oval, Barbados, in 2026. (CPL)
