BARBADOS: Sir Garfield Sobers, widely regarded as the greatest all-rounder in cricket history, one of the game’s finest batsmen and a former West Indies captain, has passed away on Friday at the age of 89. He would have celebrated his 90th birthday on July 28, but breathed his last just 10 days before the milestone. Through the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, Sobers transformed the game with his extraordinary performances and immense influence. He is universally recognised as one of the most gifted cricketers the sport has ever produced. Among cricket’s all-time greats, Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Gary Sobers, Sachin Tendulkar, Sir Vivian Richards and Sunil Gavaskar are widely regarded as five of the finest players in history.
The news of Sir Gary Sobers’ demise was confirmed by his son, Daniel. Born on July 28, 1936, on the island of Barbados, Sobers also passed away in his homeland.
26 Test Centuries, 235 Wickets
Sobers was a left-handed batsman and a remarkably versatile bowler, capable of delivering left-arm medium pace, left-arm orthodox spin and left-arm wrist spin. Between March 1954 and April 1974, he played 93 Test matches, remaining unbeaten on 21 occasions. He amassed 8,032 runs at an outstanding average of 57.78, including a highest score of an unbeaten 365, along with 26 centuries and 30 half-centuries.
He played only one One-Day International, in 1973, in which he claimed the wicket of England’s Chris Old. Sobers also took 110 catches in international cricket and captured 235 wickets in Test cricket. On his Test debut against England in 1954, he announced himself with a four-wicket haul. The inaugural Cricket World Cup was held in 1975, but Sobers had already brought down the curtain on his ODI career before then.
28,314 Runs in First-Class Cricket
Including his Test career, Sobers played 383 first-class matches, scoring 28,314 runs with the help of 86 centuries and 121 half-centuries.
Sobers Scored More Than the Entire Pakistan Team
Sobers made just 14 runs in his maiden Test innings in 1954. However, when he reached his first Test century, he turned it into a historic unbeaten 365 against Pakistan at Kingston in 1958. Pakistan were bowled out for 328, but Sobers, batting at No. 3, surpassed the entire Pakistan team’s total on his own.
His magnificent 365 not out came off 614 balls and included 38 boundaries. He also shared a then world-record 446-run partnership for the second wicket with opener Conrad Hunte, who scored 260. West Indies went on to win the Test by an innings and 174 runs. Sobers continued his dominance in the same series, scoring 125 and an unbeaten 109 in his next two innings against Pakistan.
First Cricketer to Hit Six Sixes in an Over
Sir Gary Sobers became the first batsman in first-class cricket history to hit six sixes in a single over. He achieved the remarkable feat in 1968 while playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan, creating one of the most iconic records in the history of the game.
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