Sir Garfield Sobers has died (Image: Getty)
West Indies cricket icon Sir Garfield Sobers has passed away aged 89-years-old. He has died just two weeks before his 90th birthday, leaving behind two sons, Matthew and Daniel, and his adopted daughter Genevieve.
Sobers will go down in the history books as one of the greatest ever to pick up a cricket bat. He skippered the West Indies between 1965 and 1972, and is fourth in the list of highest individual test innings, where he finished 365 not out when he faced Pakistan, aged 23. In England, he became a Nottinghamshire legend after hitting 7,041 first class runs in the County Championship. After his death was confirmed, the cricket world lined up to pay tribute.
Announcing the news, Barbados sports reporter Anmar Goodbridge-Boyce stated on X: “Sir Garfield Sobers, the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen passed away at the age of 89. Just two weeks shy of his 90th birthday.” Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club paid a tribute of their own. The statement read: “Nottinghamshire are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Garfield Sobers, at the age of 89.
“Widely regarded as cricket’s greatest ever all-rounder, Sobers amassed 7,041 First-Class runs for Notts – more than he scored for any other domestic team – including 18 centuries. He also contributed 281 wickets at 25.62 with his mixture of fast-medium pace and canny left-arm spin. In List A cricket, he hit 2,553 runs and took 103 wickets.
“Arriving at Trent Bridge shortly after rules on overseas players appearing in the County Championship were relaxed, Sobers was immediately appointed captain, and lifted Notts from 15th place to fourth in his first summer of English domestic cricket. That season ended with Sobers becoming the first batsman ever to hit six sixes in a single over of six consecutive balls in First-Class cricket, as he put Glamorgan to the sword at Swansea.
“He topped his county’s batting averages in all-but two of his seasons with the club, whilst also remaining the fulcrum of the West Indies Test side, which he captained from 1964 to 1972. His 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958, his first Test century, remained a world record until Brian Lara struck 375 against England in 1994.
Sir Garfield Sobers is considered by many to be the greatest all round player of all time (Image: Getty)
“Knighted for services to cricket soon after retiring, Sobers is one of only 11 individuals to have been awarded Barbados’ Order of National Heroes. He was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1964, recognised as a Cricketer of the Century by the same publication in 2000, and has lent his name to the ICC trophy for the leading men’s cricketer of the year since 2004.”
Sobers is also known for becoming the first person to hit six sixes in one over, achieving the feat in Swansea in 1968. Another incredible record was the unbeaten 365 he recorded against Pakistan in 1958, a record which ws the highest under fellow West Indian Brian Lara surpassed in 1994.
Sobers was the fifth child of a merchant seaman, who was killed in 1942 when his ship was torpedoed. The cricket icon was born with an extra finger on each hand, but they were removed when he was a young boy. His cricket career started by playing in the streets with friends and took him to the biggest grounds in the world.
The first team he played for was a police side after officer Wilfred Farmer spotted him playing and told him to join his colleagues’ team. From there, he never looked back and it was not long until he made waves for Barbados, where he took four wickets for 50 in his first ever innings and three for 92 in 67 overs in the second.