WALL OF FAME

Versatility personified: Southpaw from Barbados

Gary Sobers

Regarded as the greatest all-rounder who played the sport, Sobers could do virtually anything on a cricket pitch.

Monday, January 14, 2008



Sir Garfield Sobers


Sportz Interactive

Full name: Garfield St Auburn Sobers
Birth: July 28, 1936, Barbados
Major Teams: West Indies, Barbados, Nottinghamshire, South Australia
Batting style: Left-hand middle order
Bowling style: Left-arm medium/orthodox
Height: 5 ft 11 in   | Photo-gallery |
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  • Aged 21 years, 213 days, Sobers became the youngest player in history to score a triple hundred.
  • His innings of 365 not out against Pakistan was the highest maiden hundred by any batsman in the history of Test cricket.
  • Sobers was the fastest batsman to reach the magical figure of 8,000 Test runs in just 157 innings. He held on to the record for 28 years until Sachin Tendulkar achieved the same in 154 innings.
  • The Barbadian emerged as only the second cricketer in history to complete the all-rounder’s double – 2,000 runs and 200 Test wickets – Australia’s Richie Benaud was the first to accomplish the coveted feat.
  • Sir Garfield Sobers received 90 of the maximum of 100 votes in a poll conducted by ex-players to adjudicate the Wisden Cricketer of the Century. He was declared the second greatest player to have graced the game, closely behind Don Bradman.
  • In 1975, just a year after his retirement, the Barbadian was knighted for his services to cricket by Queen Elizabeth II.
  • In 1999, Sobers was declared a ‘national hero’ in his home country of Barbados by Prime Minister Owen Arthur.

    • He was born with an extra finger on each hand which was removed at birth. On March 30 1954, 17-year old Garfield Sobers arrived against England in front of a capacity crowd in Kingston, Jamaica and began what went on to be identified as one of the most celebrated cricketing careers in the history of the sport, receiving a knighthood in honour.

    The flamboyant southpaw was as astute leader, remembered as someone who lifted the spirits of his teammates and commanded respect by delivering consistently. Sobers would fit into pertinent shoes based on the state of affairs and conditions of the match. Also, he would anchor into number six in the batting lineup, to encounter any potential collapses. 

    Sobers was the first cricketer to bowl left-arm fast, orthodox and chinaman in accordance to situations, and the outstanding actuality was his triumph at whatever endeavored. Also rated one of the greatest close in fielders to have graced the game, Sobers played his final Test match in 1974 against England at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

    “Sobers was unsurpassed as an all-rounder, he always played cricket the way the Gods intended - absolutely straight, absolutely hard, but never with malice,” said former English Test cricket Trevor Bailey.

    Elaborating on him being a ‘genuine all-rounder’, as a batsman he was graceful, yet belligerent, as a bowler, was inventive, Sobers was capable of making the strong West Indies outfit or any other side at the point in time as bowler or batsman alone. In fact, the Barbadian was primarily used as a bowling option during his early years.


    © Pradeep Mandhani
    He is an absolute genius of the game, an inspiration for any young cricketer, a great leader, and one of the most successful captains to have ever played the game. The award for the ‘ICC Player of the Year’ has been named after the legend as a mark of respect.

    Sobers, as an expressionist, has been keenly involved in the development of West Indies cricket and also authored a children's novel about cricket – ‘Bonaventure and the Flashing Blade’, in which computer analysis helps a university cricket team become unbeatable.

    Chiefly a batsman, Sobers rolled his arm over as a first change bowler, but took the new cherry at times. He was the first all-rounder in history to claim 200 Test wickets and amass 8,000 Test runs – a feat that was recently accomplished by Jacques Kallis.

    He played 93 Test matches and notched up 8,032 runs at an astonishing average of 57.78 and at the same time he also claimed 235 wickets at a healthy strike rate. To add to all those statistics he also took over 100 catches virtually fielding in any position.

    The dazzling batsman had an uncanny ability to inspire tailenders to bat around him, in order to prolong the innings. Sobers was an integral member of 31 Test victories with the West Indies – scoring over 3,000 runs at an average of 77, along with 104 wickets @ 24.


                  © Pradeep Mandhani

    Sobers was selfless and had to battle prejudice in the sport for as long as anyone can remember. And yet, he emerged as the most respected of the lot who played in his era.

    “Players have to start thinking about the game as a team game and go out there and try and play the best for their team and forget self performances.”

    It is well documented that he used to volunteer different roles and led West Indies cricket to great heights. Het truly believed in putting the team ahead of personal endeavors.

    In 1968, Sobers became the first-ever batsman to hit six sixes off consecutive deliveries in first-class cricket. He was playing as captain of Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan in Swansea; the unfortunate bowler was Malcolm Nash.  

    He was knighted for his services to cricket in 1975 and he was selected as one of the top five greatest cricketers to have ever played the game in 2000 by Wisden.

    "People used to copy my walk but it was just the way I walked. I walked the same way off the field or down the street.”

    the great man was quoted as saying during the 1970s.

    As a tribute to one of the greatest Barbadians of all time, there is a roundabout named after this living legend. It is called the ‘Sir Garfield Auburn Sobers Roundabout’ and features a monumental statue of the cricketer in action. Beneath the statue is a plaque that details his life as well as his major achievements in the sport.

    A true legend – A cricketing genius

    HIGHS

  • In his first-ever century, Sobers scored 365 not out against Pakistan a record which he held for over 25 years.
  • The versatile cricketer could field at any position with downright ease and bowl finger spin, wrist spin and also took the new ball, bowling pace at times.
  • He was touted as the ‘redeemer’ as he invariably came to the rescue of his team.
  • Sobers emerged as the first all-rounder to finish with 8,000 runs and 200 wickets.
  • The left-hander scored most of centuries batting at number three but after becoming captain started doing the same from number six.
  • A fantastic record playing in testing conditions, with 4 centuries, 45 wickets in 10 Tests in India.
    • LOWS

  • Some detractors feel that Sobers was not the greatest of captains since he overshadowed the other players with his sheer presence.
  • West Indies’ record under his captaincy is poor, especially when compared to successors Rohan Kanhai and Clive Lloyd.
  • There were reports of rift in the West Indies outfit between senior players Lance Gibbs, Alvin Kallicharran and Rohan Kanhai. Sobers eventually gave up his captaincy to Kanhai.
  • He started his career as a bowler for West Indies but subsequently emerged as the supreme batsman in the side. He might have lost the sting in his bowling, which resulted in his bowling average dropping to the mid 30s from the initial early 20s.

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