Sir Garry Sobers | West Indies Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo 1963 - 1974 Profile A cricketing genius, Garry Sobers excelled at all aspects of the game, and few would argue his claim as the finest allround player in modern cricket. His exceptional Test batting average tells little about the manner in which he made the runs, his elegant yet powerful style marked by all the shots, but memorably his off-side play. As a batsman he was great, as a bowler, merely superb, but would have made the West Indies side as a bowler alone. He was remarkably versatile with the ball, bowling two styles of spin - left-arm orthodox and wrist spin, but was also a fine fast-medium opening bowler. His catching close to the wicket may have been equalled but never surpassed, and he was a brilliant fielder anywhere. He was an enterprising captain - at times maybe too enterprising, as when a generous declaration allowed England to win a decisive match at Port-of-Spain.

Born with an extra finger on each hand (removed at birth), Sobers excelled at most athletic activities, playing golf, soccer and bastketball for Barbados, and made his first class debut at the age of 16, appearing in Tests a year later. He was played initially mostly as a bowler, but four years later set the Test record for an individual batsman with a mammoth 365 against Pakistan. His achievments are numerous - including the six consecutive sixes hit off an over from the unfortunate Malcolm Nash, a superb innings of 254 for the Rest of the World against Australia in 1971 that earned the praise of Don Bradman, and much more. Like many West Indians, he plied his trade abroad, playing for Nottinghamshire, and South Australia. He was knighted for his services to cricket in 1975.

Dave Liverman Cricket Hall of Fame: Sir Garfield Sobers and Graeme Pollock Sheranga Fernando's Cricket Hall of Fame Sheranga's Cricket Hall of Fame Contents SIR GARFIELD ST AUBRUN SOBERS COUNTRY-WEST INDIES BORN-28 JULY 1936 Generally it is perceived that Sir Garfield Sobers was the best all-rounder to play the game of cricket. He was a fine batsman and could play both up and down the order. He was also a great bowler, whether it be his genuine pace, his swing or his varieties of spin. Not to mention he was a brilliant fieldsman, a wise and astute captain and a superb role model. Sir Garfield had it all. Born in Bridgetown, Sobers first played first-class cricket for Barbados at the age of 16 as a slow left arm bowler who could bat a bit. He played his first test match in 1954 against England getting 4 wickets. Though Garfield showed signs of greatness while touring England in 1957 he didn�t come of age until the 1957-58 tour of Pakistan.

There he plundered the attack scoring 365no, which was the highest test score at that time. In doing so he broke the record for the highest West Indian partnership with Conrad Hunte scoring 446 together. In the series he scored 824 runs at 137.33 and became recognised as a fine elegant batsman, noted for his hard hitting and the best late cut the world had ever seen. Sobers then joined the Lancashire League where he started bowling extremely fast. However this type of bowling didn�t suit the Indian subcontinent. There he discovered �chinamans� while his batting form remained tremendous. In the following series against England he hammered 709 runs at 101.28. He also figured prominently in the tied test against Australia making 132. At that time he signed up for South Australia where he had a most successful time. He completed the double, that is 1000 runs and 50 wickets in an Australian season twice. A feat no one has done even once. He had successful all round series against England and Australia and took over the captaincy from Worrell in 1965.

Definitely his best series ever was the 1966 tour of England. It will remain as one of the greatest all round exhibitions. While scoring masterful and timely innings, he managed to bowl long spells filled with many wickets. An example of his heroics was in the Lords test where England was running though the West Indies� second innings. As all the front line batsman were dismissed, Sobers made a draw possible by scoring a excellent 163no. This is just one instance in where he worked brilliantly with the tail. In total he scored 722 runs at 103.14, took 20 wickets, made 10 catches and captained the team brilliantly winning the series 3-0. He then joined Nottinghamshire for seven seasons and immediately made them a formidable force. In 1968 he became the first person to hit every ball of an over for 6 by smashing Glamorgan�s Malcolm Nash. This has only been equaled once, by Ravi Shastri of India. That same year he topped the batting averages, was second in the bowling and took the most catches. In 1968 Sobers brought his team to Australia.

Sobers played and captained the team brilliantly but the teams old age was a factor. The West Indies were outclassed losing the series 3-1. As the 1970�s approached, Sobers was at the end of an illustrious career. Although failing in 1968-69 against New Zealand and England he returned to his best in the 1970-71 season against India. It was at this time Sobers took a short break from cricket and got married. It was a well earned break, after all he had combined test matches and domestic fixtures in three countries. In 1972 he was back in Australia playing for the �Rest of the World� team. There he would play one of the most spectacular innings ever seen. In the first innings of one match against Australia Sobers got bowled first ball by Lillee. In the second innings as his side was in trouble, Sobers compiled a magnificent 254 with Lillee receiving most of his treatment. Bradman described that innings as the ever in Australia. Troubled by a knee injury, Sobers retired from first class cricket in 1974 after a career of 20 years.

At that time he held the record for the most runs in a test career. He also was a truly international player that received a fair amount of money for his day. He played one more year in the Lancashire League before giving up cricket completely. That same year he got knighted for his services to cricket. Sir Garfield will be remembered forever as a true cricketing legend.

FIRST CLASS: 1952/53-1973/74 BATTING M I NO RUNS HS AVE 100 CT/ST 383 609 93 28 3153 365# 54.87 86 407/0 BOWLING RUNS WKT AVE 5WI 10WM BEST 28 941 1043 27.74 36 1 9/49 TEST: 1953/54 TO 1973/74 BATTING M I NO RUNS HS AVE 100 50 CT/ST 93 160 21 8032 365# 57.78 26 30 109/0 BOWLING RUNS WKT AVE 5WI 10WM BEST SR 7999 235 34.03 6 0 6/73 91.9 AS CAPTAIN P W D L T 

39 9 20 10 0 ROBERT GRAEME POLLOCK COUNTRY-SOUTH AFRICA 27 FEBRUARY 1944 Had it not been for South Africa�s exile in cricket due to its apartheid policy, South Africa would have rivaled even the West Indies as the strongest team.

This exile was suffered by players like Graeme Pollock the most. His test career was cut short right at his prime. Before his exile he had established himself as the best batsman of the latter 1960�s scoring over 2000 runs at an average of over 60. Imagine what he could have done with an extra few years of test cricket. Graeme grew up loving cricket, rugby, tennis and hockey in a sporting family. His brother Peter would later become one of the worlds finest fast bowlers. Even though he did everything right handed he straight away batted left handed despite his mother�s pleas. As a youngster his cricket, both batting and bowling was phenomenal and at the age of 13 he made his school�s first eleven. Born in Natal he started his first class career in 1961/62 for Eastern Province. There he became the youngest person to score a century in the Currie Cup. At nineteen he became the youngest South African to score a double century and was now ready test cricket. His opportunity came on the 1963/64 tour of Australia. Instantly he made an impression with his elegant classical batting.

Pollock was known for his timing, placing and the ease in which he batted but could also put all of his 6ft2 frame into a shot. Plying against a combined Australian 11 at Perth, Pollock hit a merciless 127no which took just 85 minutes. Bradman told him, �If you ever score another century like that again, I hope I�m there to see it.� Though the Meckiff throwing incident became the most notorious in the test series, Graeme impressed many scoring 399 runs at 57 with two centuries. His first test century came in the third test at Sydney where he caressed a glorious 122. More was to come in the 4th test where he smashed 175 this time scoring 341 runs with Eddie Barlow which was a South African record. Not only did this help South Africa tie the series, it revolutionised cricket showing that quick scoring won matches. Later on the tour the Australians found that bowling to Graeme�s leg stump was more successful. Pollock soon overcame that hurdle scoring 1018 first class runs at 53.57.

The whole series fulfilled his boyhood vow : �One day I am going to show these Aussies just what it is like to play against a Neil Harvey.� Pollock failed in the one off test against New Zealand but was back to his best in the second half of the test series against England the next season. The highlight being his 137 and 77no in the fifth test at his home ground in Port Elizabeth. South Africa lost the series 1-0 despite Pollock�s 459 runs at 57.37. The following year the South African�s were out for revenge touring England. They did so captained by Peter Van der Merwe winning the three test series 1-0, making it their first series win against England since 1935. Graeme again was brilliant scoring 291 runs at 48.50. His best innings being his 125 out of 269 in the second test at Trent Bridge coming in at 2/16. This further showed his lack of nervousness coming in at pressure situations. During the series at the age of 21 he became the youngest ever batsman to score 1000 test runs.

His first class innings were spectacular. His 203no against Kent and his 122 against Sussex were the most notable. In total he topped the South African batting averages with 1147 runs at 57.35 and also surprisingly topped the bowling averages with 2 wickets at 14.5. At that time he was compared to Gary Sobers as the greatest all-rounder which I think was far from the truth as Graeme hardly ever bowled his leg breaks. Pollock�s next two series, both against Australia were to be his best scoring over 500 runs in each one. Van der Merwe�s men performed admirably becoming the first South African team to defeat Australia in a series, winning 3-1. Apart from Pollock, names like Goddard, Lindsay and Bland starred. Pollock�s 90 in the first test helped South Africa win its first home test against Australia in 64 years. His 209 in the second test in a losing side was spectacular. He hit 30 boundaries and shared an 85 run 9th wicket stand with his brother.

In the fifth test where Australia had a good chance of tying the series, Pollock played a great careful century. In total Pollock smashed 537 runs at 76.71 in the tests. In 1968-69 Pollock took over the captaincy of Eastern Province and scored 1000 runs in a very short season. The 1970 test series against Australia would be the Grand Finale for South Africa for some 21 years. That South African side will remembered as one of the greatest ever. Captained by Ali Bacher, it contained greats like the Pollock brothers, Eddie Barlow, Trevor Goddard, Denis Lindsay, Mike Procter and challenging Pollock as the greatest South African batsman-Barry Richards. South Africa humiliated Australia by whitewashing the series 4-0. In the second test at Durban, after watching Richards smash a century, Pollock came in and scored 274. This being the highest test score ever by a South African. Ian Chappell regarded this as the best innings he saw an opponent play.

He also noted that Pollock�s 222 runs of 165 balls in a limited over game would also be up there. In that series Graeme scored 517 runs at 73.85. It would be a farewell to cricket for a number of great cricketers. The following years Graeme would play lesser first class cricket than his team-mates. He refused to play county cricket for family commitments. Due to the political pressure that canceled the South Africa tour, English administrators organised a tour for the �Rest of the World� team. This gave a chance to see two great left handed batsman, Sobers and Pollock playing side by side. Pollock surprisingly didn�t impress until the last game where he scored 114 runs shared a 165 run stand with Sobers. The following season he played for another �Rest of the World� team, this time in Australia. From then on his cricketing career was restricted to first class fixtures which included �rebel� tours. Graeme Pollock will be remembered as a great batsman whose talents were somewhat wasted.

FIRST CLASS: 1960-1986 BATTING I NO RUNS HS AVE 100 50 CT/ST 437 54 20 940 274 54.67 64 99 248/0 BOWLING RUNS WKT AVE 5WI 10WM BEST 2062 43 47.95 0 0 3-46 TEST: 1928/29 TO 1948 BATTING M I NO RUNS HS AVE 100 50 CT/ST 23 41 4 2256 274 60.97 7 11 17/0 BOWLING RUNS WKT AVE 5W 10WM BEST SR 204 4 51.00 0 0 2/50 103.5 My Favourite site on the Net You are visitor Sir Garry Sobers Profile - Cricbuzz | Cricbuzz.com vs England at Headingley,

 Sep 05, 1973 Profile Cricket is an illustrious guest, which has basked in the royal company of quite a handful of legends.

The versatility personified Garry Sobers, once described as a 'five in one cricketer' by Donald Bradman himself, was a legend in the truest sense of the word. With wicket-keeping aside, there was nothing he couldn't pull off on a cricket field. Then happened the emergence of Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan, Kapil Dev and the more recent, Jacques Kallis but Sobers would arguably tower over every other claimant to the title of the greatest all-rounder of all time. Sobers was a batsman of rare genius, a wily bowler - who could deliver left-arm orthodox spin as well as left-arm swing. Oh wait, add left-arm wrist spin to the list too. He was a super agile fieldsman to boot. Believe it or not, Garry Sobers displayed the same gladiatorial intensity at multiple fielding positions. What's more? He was an aggressive skipper as well. The fifth child in a typically large West Indian family, Sobers threw himself to beach cricket with his siblings.

After making a sound statement in school cricket and the Barbados Cricket League thanks to a string of all-round displays, Sobers propelled himself to the international stage at the age of 17, donning the cloak of a man at a period when most of his peers were packing their bags for school. Sobers made his Test debut against England at Jamaica, predominantly as a bowler. In his early days, bowling was his leading suit with batting playing the sidekick to it. As his glorious career progressed, the roles reversed - an indication of Sobers' adaptive abilities. His batsmanship reached its peak when he struck an imperious, unconquered 365 versus Pakistan at home, a record that stood for 36 long years as the highest individual score in Test cricket until Brian Lara snatched the honour in 1994. It marked the beginning of a Bradmanesque run as Sobers piled up 500+ runs in each of the subsequent five series with the cover-drive and hook standing out among an array of other shots. Sobers nailed three centuries on the tour to India in 1958-59, taming Subash Gupte like how a ringmaster does his animals.

He did not miss out with the ball either, efficiently exploiting the Indian surfaces with his googlies and chinaman. Next, he elevated his game to an even higher plane against the John Snow-led English bowling unit in the Caribbean. He churned out 709 runs at an average of 101.28, including an epic 226 in a 399-run association with Frank Worell, which lasted a total of nine and a half hours. The Aussie challenge came calling and Sobers was at it again. He cracked 132 in the fairy-tale Brisbane Test - the first ever tied Test- before the counter-attacking 168 at the SCG in 1961. His finest bowling figures (6-73) also arrived against Australia when he opened the bowling at Brisbane in 1968-69. Notably, his fitness came to the fore in the 'Tied Test' series where Sobers sent down 22-8-ball overs on the bounce amidst sultry conditions in which several other players were caught napping. Following the departure of Sir Frank Worell, Sobers was enlisted with the task of leading the team.

He had considerable success as a captain, leading West Indies in 39 Tests until Clive Llyod rose to take his tally to 74. Having established himself as a man for all seasons, it came as no surprise that Sobers was sought after outside the Caribbean too. Sobers represented Nottinghamshire in addition to his stints with Radcliffe Cricket Club and Norton Cricket Club in UK. He also served South Australia with distinction, becoming the first cricketer Down Under to boast a rare double of 1000 runs and 50 wickets in the same season in 1962-63. His multi-dimensional skills, which were worth its weight in gold, drew massive crowds in Australia. However, it was in English County cricket that Sobers hit a perfect 6, smashing 36 runs off a Malcom Nash over for Nottinghamshire against Glomorgan in 1968, thus adding another first to his hefty CV. Deservedly, he was knighted in 1975, shortly after his final Test against England.

After being anointed as the National Hero of Barbados by the Cabinet of Barbados, Sir Garfield Sobers was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the century in 2000. Interesting facts: 1. Sobers had an extra finger that was removed at the time of birth. 2. Post retirement, he authored a children's novel about cricket, Bonaventure and the Flashing Blade. By Deivarayan Muthu Garfield Sobers (Cricketer) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Garfield Sobers Male Born Jul 28, 1936 Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, also known as Gary or Garry Sobers, is a former cricketer who played for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974, and is widely considered one of cricket's greatest all-rounders. Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, Sobers made his first-class debut for the Barbados cricket team at the age of 16 in 1953, and his Test debut for the West Indies the following year.

Originally playing mainly as a bowler, he was soon promoted up the batting order.… Read More related links West Indies Great Sobers Leads Lord's Tribute To Muhammad Ali Yahoo News - Jun 10, 2016 ' <mark>Garfield Sobers</mark>, arguably cricket\'s greatest all-rounder, on Friday led a special tribute to Muhammad Ali at Lord\'s on the day of the boxing legend\'s funeral. The two sporting icons met at Lord\'s back in 1966 when Sobers was a member of the West Indies side playing England in a Test match at \"the home of cricket\" and heavyweight star Ali was in London for his second fight with Britain\'s Henry Cooper. During the lunch interval of Friday\'s second day play in the third Tes... Australia Skipper Steve Smith Named Icc Cricketer Of The Year Yahoo News - Dec 23, 2015 ' Australia captain Steve Smith was named ICC Cricketer of the Year for 2015 on Wednesday after scoring a world leading 1,734 runs at an average of 82.57 with seven centuries over the voting period.

The 26-year-old right-hander kept the Sir <mark>Garfield Sobers</mark> Trophy in Australia for the third straight year after pace bowler Mitchell Johnson and his predecessor as skipper, Michael Clarke, won in 2014 and 2013. Smith also scored four centuries and 1,249 runs in 25 one-day internationa... Sachin Faces Stiff Competition For Icc's Top Honour Ndtv.Com Google News - Aug 28, 2011 'The four batsmen were nominated after a voting done by an independent 25-person academy and the eventual winner will recieve the Sir <mark>Garfield Sobers</mark> Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year. Tendulkar recieved the honour in the previous edition of the ...&nbsp;-&nbsp;-' News From The Sporting Arena Calcutta Telegraph Google News - Aug 25, 2011 'While on tour to England as part of a South African school side, they volunteered to be dressing-room attendants and ended up putting the shine back on the shoes of <mark>Garfield Sobers</mark>.

Another gem has Vishwanathan Anand describing Gary Kasparov&#39;s' Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Garfield Sobers. CHILDHOOD 1936 Birth Garfield St Aubrun Sobers was born on 28 July 1936 to Shamont and Thelma Sobers of Walcott Avenue, Bay Land, St Michael, Bridgetown, Barbados, and was the fifth of six children. … Read More At birth he had two extra fingers, one on each hand, which he removed himself during childhood, "with the aid of catgut and a sharp knife." Read Less 1942 5 Years Old Sobers was only five when his father died at sea in January 1942, after his ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat. … Read More From an early age, Sobers demonstrated the talent and ability to play with great skill almost any sport involving a ball, particularly cricket, football and basketball. He and his similarly talented brother Gerald helped their Bay Street Boys' School team to win the primary school Inter-School Cricket championship for three consecutive years. When he was 13, he was recruited to play for two cricket teams.

These were the Kent St Philip club in the Barbados Cricket League (BCL) and the Wanderers club, located at Bay Land, in the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA). Garnet Ashby, captain of Kent St Philip, told him that this was his opportunity to play cricket with "the big boys".<br /><br /> Sobers gained useful experience by bowling to Wanderers batsmen, including West Indies Test player Denis Atkinson, at practice in the nets and soon developed his great skill as a left arm spin bowler. More importantly for his career, he was observed by Inspector Wilfred Farmer, captain of the Police team in the BCL First Division. Read Less TEENAGE 1951 - 1952 2 More Events 1951 14 Years Old Farmer offered Sobers a chance to play for Police in the 1951â52 season while he was still only 15. 1952 15 Years Old In the 1952â53 season, Sobers was invited to the Barbados trials for the colony's tour match against the Indian touring team at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown.

… Read More He was initially selected as 12th man but then made the team itself when Frank King was forced to withdraw. Read Less Show Less Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, Sobers made his first-class debut for the Barbados cricket team at the age of 16 in 1953, and his Test debut for the West Indies the following year. … Read More Originally playing mainly as a bowler, he was soon promoted up the batting order. Against Pakistan in 1958, Sobers scored his maiden Test century, progressing to 365 not out and establishing a new record for the highest individual score in an innings, which was not broken until Brian Lara scored 375 in 1994. He was made captain of the West Indies in 1965, a role which he would hold until 1972.

He would also captain a Rest of the World XI during their 1970 tour of England.<br /><br /> Overall, Sobers played 93 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 8032 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 in the list of cricketers with more than 5,000 runs. In his 383 first-class matches, he scored over 28,000 runs and took over 1000 wickets, having spent time with South Australia and Nottinghamshire towards the end of his career. Sobers was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975 for his services to cricket. Read Less He therefore made his first-class debut on 31 January 1953, aged only 16.

… Read More Batting at number nine, he scored 7 not out in his only innings but made an immediate impression as a bowler, taking 4/50 and 3/92.<br /><br /> A full year passed before Sobers, now 17, made his second first-class appearance, again playing against a touring team. He batted at number five against Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), scoring 46 and 27; and took two wickets in the match. He had shown enough talent in these two matches to be selected for West Indies and his third first-class appearance was his Test debut. Read Less Show Less Sobers had progressed quickly and made his Test debut in March 1954, aged 17, against England at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica for the Fifth and final Test, after Alf Valentine had fallen ill. … Read More Sobers was selected as a bowler, despite only mediocre performances against England for Barbados. He made a good impression by taking 4/75 in England's first innings, including a wicket in his opening over.

Sobers also scored 14 not out and 26 batting at number nine; however, England won the match by nine wickets. Read Less Australia toured the West Indies in 1954â55, and their all-rounder Keith Miller thought that Sobers would become a better batsman than bowler despite batting in the lower-order. … Read More Sobers was not selected for the First Test, which the West Indies lost by nine wickets. However, he regained his place for the Second Test in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The match was a high-scoring draw, with Sobers scoring 47 and eight not out. He was barely used with the ball, bowling three overs for ten runs, as Australia amassed a first-innings total of over 600. Sobers was given a further opportunity in the next Test in Georgetown, Guyana (British Guiana at the time) in South America. Despite scoring only 12 and 11 with the bat, he took three wickets in the Australians' first innings. Nevertheless, Australia won by eight wickets.

West Indian captain and opening batsman Jeff Stollmeyer twisted his ankle after treading on a ball ahead of the Fourth Test in Barbados, "triggering huge debate about who should open." Eventually, Sobers was chosen to open the innings after Australia had amassed another total of over 600. Sobers had a suspicion he might be asked to do the job. "I couldn't see them sending in anyone else â I was a bowler with a little ability as a batsman and they wanted someone to help see off the shine and protect the three W's." Sobers struck his first three deliveries for boundaries, all from the bowling of Miller. In the fast-bowler's second over, Sobers hit him for another three fours. Read Less 1956 19 Years Old Sobers went on his first overseas tour in the early months of 1956 when, aged 19, he was part of the West Indian tour of New Zealand. … Read More The series was not successful personally for Sobers, who struggled on the foreign batting wickets. West Indies pitches had little or no grass to speak of, while in New Zealand the pitches were green.

"I took one look and asked myself how I could possibly bat on that? How could I make runs? I was out before I even walked to the crease," Sobers later wrote. Playing in all four Tests, he totalled 81 runs and two wickets. As a batsman, Sobers needed time to develop at Test level and, in nine Tests as a teenager, he scored only one half century, and averaged 29.33 with the bat.<br /><br /> He was sent home from New Zealand early to play an unofficial Test match against an England team that included feared fast-bowler Frank Tyson. After struggling to cope with Tyson's pace, Sobers managed to score a half-century, raising hope that he would be selected for the upcoming tour to England, something he considered unlikely after his lack of form. In the first trial match to help select the squad for the upcoming tour, Sobers scored a century in Trinidad. The matches also saw Sobers get his first look at West Indian cricket politics.

Wes Hall and Frank Mason were competing for a single place in the touring party, and Sobers and Everton Weekes decided they "would take on Mason and knock him out of the firing line to try and get our fellow Bajan (countryman) Wes in the team." Read Less TWENTIES Show Less Sobers toured England for their summer in 1957. … Read More He played his first match against the Jim Swanton XI in April, and was surprised about how cold the conditions were, often causing him to wear two or three jumpers. His performances with the bat throughout the five Test series were classed as mediocre, scoring 320 runs at 32, with three half centuries. On the bowling front, Sobers struggled, taking five wickets at 71. It was in the final Test at The Oval that Sobers gained the attention of critics with defiant batting amid a disappointing team performance. The condition of the pitch was subject to criticism and described by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack as "a strange sight".

After England had scored 412, the West Indies were easily dismissed for 89 and 86 by the Surrey spinners Jim Laker and Tony Lock, who were playing on their home ground. Batting at number 3, Sobers made 39 and 42, while none of his colleagues passed 30 in either innings. In its summary of the tour, Wisden said: "(of the newcomers) Collie Smith, Sobers, Rohan Kanhai and Roy Gilchrist were particularly impressive"; adding that "to Sobers, a tall left-handed all-rounder, fell the distinction of hitting the highest score of the tour: 219 not out against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. Sobers undoubtedly was a very fine stroke-player who should go far". Read Less … At this stage of his career, Sobers had frustrated his admirers by failing to convert good starts into high scores. He had reached double figures in 18 of his 22 Test innings, although his highest score was still only 66. Read Less But, in the three years following the 1957 tour, he fulfilled his promise.

… Read More In his next 24 Tests, he scored 2,250 runs at the exceptionally high average of 93.75. Read Less Show Less In 1958, he scored his maiden Test century against Pakistan in Kingston and expanded it to an unbeaten 365, breaking the world record Test score of 364 set by England's Len Hutton in 1938. … Read More Sobers batted for 614 minutes and scored 38 fours but, unusually in such a large total, no sixes. At 21 years and 216 days, he is the youngest player to break the individual scoring record in Tests, and remains the youngest triple-centurion. Read Less He made 824 runs with three centuries in the five Tests against Pakistan, and followed this with 557 runs and three more centuries on the West Indies tour of India in 1958â59. Show Less Sobers underwent trauma following the death of Collie Smith in September 1959, but he continued to play cricket successfully.

In the home Test series against England in 1959â60, he scored three centuries in five matches, totalling 709 runs. While he was engaged at Radcliffe, Sobers underwent emotional trauma after a road accident in September 1959 on the A34 near Stoke-on-Trent which resulted in Collie Smith's death. … Read More Sobers was driving a car in which Smith and another West Indian Test player Tom Dewdney were passengers. Smith's back was broken by the collision and he died three days later. Sobers could not recall much about the crash and was fined 10 pounds for driving without due care and attention. He "began drinking more" and there were concerns, expressed by himself and others, that the experience might affect his cricket career. He got over the trauma by deciding that he would be letting his country down if he "disappeared into the mists of an alcoholic haze" and he resolved to play not just for Garfield Sobers but for Collie Smith as well, thus setting himself the task of playing for two men.

He recovered well and, after an outstanding home Test series against England in 1959â60, he returned to Radcliffe where he continued as club professional for the next three seasons. Read Less Show Less Largely inspired by new West Indies captain Frank Worrell, who was a close personal friend, Sobers had an outstanding 1960â61 series in Australia. … Read More He scored a celebrated 132 on the first day of the First Test at Brisbane Cricket Ground, the match which resulted in the first Tied Test. Wisden confirmed that "some observers considered it the best hundred they had ever seen". Sobers scored 430 runs in the series, which Australia won 2â1, with two centuries; his fielding was outstanding and he took 12 catches. He felt he had "had a good series, starting badly but then coming on" and a very positive outcome for him was to receive an invitation from Don Bradman to play for South Australia in 1961â62.

Read Less Sobers took 15 wickets in the 1960â61 series, including a best analysis of 5/120, at an average of 39.20, and his bowling allowed Worrell to play an extra batsman in the final three Tests, thus using Sobers for the first time as a designated all-rounder, a role in which he became the dominant player in world cricket over the next decade, being awarded the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World title (retrospectively) eight times in 13 years. … Read More Sobers was never a prolific wicket-taker in Test cricket, and his average of three wickets per game in this series typified his whole career. Overall, he took 235 wickets in his 93 Tests at an average of 34.03 and was more effective when operating as a pace bowler. His best performance was 6/73 and, although he achieved five wickets in an innings six times, he never took ten in a match.

Read Less His success continued in the next two series at home to India in 1961â62 and away to England in 1963. … In January 1972, in the Third (unofficial) Test between Australia and the Rest of the World XI at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Sobers played an innings of 254 which was described by Don Bradman as "probably the greatest exhibition of batting ever seen in Australia". He reached his century in 129 balls and after a rest day, reached 254 in 326 balls. It was "one of the most magnificent innings seen on the Melbourne Cricket Ground" and his "superb display of forceful cricket" lasted 376 minutes and included two sixes and 33 fours. <br /><br />Sobers spent several seasons in English league cricket. Having completed his first tour of England with West Indies in 1957, he followed the advice of his mentor Frank Worrell and became the professional at Radcliffe Cricket Club in the Central Lancashire League, staying for five seasons from 1958 to 1962.

This experience enabled him to hone his skills in varying conditions and Sobers says that playing in the league furthered his cricket education. He enjoyed considerable success at Radcliffe. Read Less In 1961, he achieved a rare "double" by scoring 1008 runs and taking 144 wickets, his performances being instrumental in Radcliffe winning both the league's championship title and its supplementary Wood Cup competition. 1963 - 1965 3 More Events 1963 26 Years Old After touring England with West Indies in 1963, he moved to the North Staffordshire and South Cheshire League in 1964 to play for Norton Cricket Club, who duly won the league title. … Read More Sobers made 549 runs in 18 innings at 49.90, finishing second in the league averages behind only his amateur brother Gerald, also playing for Norton, who averaged 50.12.

Read Less 1964 27 Years Old He was elected Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1964, and then succeeded Worrell, who had retired, as West Indies captain for the 1964â65 home series against Australia. … Read More Sobers enjoyed immediate success as West Indies captain when his team defeated Australia by 179 runs in the First Test at Sabina Park. West Indies went on to win the series 2â1 and so claim the new Frank Worrell Trophy. This was the first time West Indies had beaten Australia in a Test series.<br /><br /> He enjoyed spectacular success in England in 1966 and was widely acclaimed as "King Cricket". In the five Tests he scored 722 runs at an average of 103.14 with three centuries, and had 20 wickets at 27.25, as well as taking 10 catches. West Indies won the series 3â1, with one match drawn.

His status was celebrated at that time by the Trinidadian calypso artist Mighty Sparrow, with his song "Sir Garfield Sobers".<br /><br /> In 1966â67, Sobers captained the West Indies team to India in 1966â67 and they won the series 2â0 with one match drawn. Read Less 1965 28 Years Old Gary Sobers did even better with the ball, his 97 wickets at 8.38 heading the league averages. 1965 saw a repeat performance with Norton again winning the league and, though Sobers only averaged 25.38 with the bat, he again topped the league bowling averages with 76 wickets at 8.03. Show Less Norton lost the league title in 1966 while Sobers was touring England with West Indies but regained it in 1967 when he returned.

… Read More He was fourth in the 1967 league batting averages with 41.83 and third in the bowling with 95 wickets at 9.37 (the two bowlers with better averages took only 22 and 24 wickets).<br /><br /> In the 1961â62 Australian season which followed the 1960â61 West Indies tour, Sobers and his West Indian colleagues Wes Hall and Rohan Kanhai returned to Australia to take part in the Sheffield Shield. Sobers played for South Australia and had an enormous impact on attendances, causing an 89% increase with gate receipts rising "by two and a half times". He topped both the batting and bowling averages at South Australia, his best performance being against champions New South Wales at the Adelaide Oval when he scored 251 and took 3/51 and 6/72.<br /><br /> He was even more outstanding in 1963â64 when, largely due to his efforts, South Australia won the Sheffield Shield.

Sobers was the season's leading runscorer with 973 at 74.84 and the leading wicket taker with 47 at 28.27. Read Less Sobers played intermittently for Barbados throughout his first-class career. He made his first appearance in the inaugural season of the new Shell Shield competition in February 1966. … Read More His last appearance for Barbados came in the 1973â74 Shell Shield match against Jamaica, at Kensington Oval.<br /><br /> At the end of the 1967 English cricket season, it was agreed that each county club could immediately sign a non-English player for the 1968 season. Read Less Sobers was briefly engaged to Indian actress Anju Mahendru after he met her on the 1966â67 tour of India. THIRTIES 1967 30 Years Old Seven clubs approached Sobers and, on 14 December 1967, Nottinghamshire announced that he had signed for them and had been appointed club captain.

… Read More Sobers stated that, although he had enjoyed his time in league cricket, he had a definite preference for the first-class game and he looked forward to restoring Nottinghamshire's fortunes. Read Less Show Less Though details were undisclosed, Wisden 1968 speculated that his contract would run for three years and be worth Â£7000 a year (a very high income at the time), including an apartment and a car. On 31 August 1968, Sobers became the first batsman ever to hit six sixes in a single over of six consecutive balls in first-class cricket. … Read More The feat consisted of five clean hits for six and one six where the ball was caught but carried over the boundary by Roger Davis. Sobers was playing as captain of Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan at St. Helen's in Swansea; the unfortunate bowler was Malcolm Nash. This tally of 36 runs in an over broke a 57-year-old record of 34 runs, held by Ted Alletson. The ball was collected from a garden by 11-year-old Richard Lewis; he later gave the ball to Sobers.

In 1984â85, Indian batsman Ravi Shastri equalled the record by scoring six sixes in an over while playing for Bombay versus Baroda.<br /><br /> An outstanding all-rounder, Sobers was left-handed as both batsman and bowler. His versatility enabled him to bowl all varieties of left-arm bowling from spin to fast-medium. As a fielder he was usually stationed close to the wicket but he was also a very capable outfielder. Read Less … Richie Benaud described Sobers as "the greatest all-round cricketer the world has seen". Sobers, wrote Benaud, was "a brilliant batsman, splendid fielder, particularly close to the wicket, and a bowler of extraordinary skill, whether bowling with the new ball, providing orthodox left-arm spin or over-the-wrist spin". <br /><br />Fred Trueman enjoyed a great rivalry with Sobers and later described him as a "sublime left-hand batsman" who was "one of the greatest cricketers ever to have graced the game, certainly the greatest all-rounder".

Trueman went on to say that Sobers as a batsman "has a great cricketing brain and his thought processes are lightning quick". <br /><br />C. L. R. James, when describing the batsmanship of Wilton St Hill, commented upon St Hill's ability to judge the ball early in its flight and so quickly decide which stroke to play. In James's view, only Don Bradman and Sobers were comparable with St Hill in having this capability of "seeing" the ball. Wisden 1969 described the "lightning footwork" of Sobers as he got into position for his stroke. Read Less Commenting upon Sobers' six sixes in an over against his team in 1968, Glamorgan captain Tony Lewis said: "It was not sheer slogging through strength, but scientific hitting with every movement working in harmony." … Read More As a bowler, Sobers began as an orthodox left arm spinner (SLA) and later developed the ability to bowl left arm wrist spin or chinaman and googlies. Sobers could also operate as a seamer, sometimes using medium pace, but he was much more effective when he bowled fast.

With the new ball, he could make the delivery curve late in flight at high speed; his action being a loose, springy run followed by a "whiplash" delivery.<br /><br /> Though he mostly fielded close to the wicket, Sobers was an exceptional outfielder who was seen on one occasion, when he had fielded the ball on the boundary, to "bend his hand back almost parallel with his arm before flipping the ball a full seventy yards to the wicketkeeper".<br /><br /> Following his success as captain of West Indies on the 1966 tour of England, the 1967 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack declared that for Sobers "(the 1966 Tests) were one triumph after another with bat and ball, as well as in the field as a master tactician and fantastic catcher close to the bat". Sobers' exploits in 1966 earned him the media-bestowed sobriquet of "King Cricket", which soon afterwards became the title of a book about him. Read Less 1969 32 Years Old He married Prue Kirby, an Australian, in September 1969.

… Read More They had two sons, Matthew and Daniel, and an adopted daughter, Genevieve. Read Less 1975 38 Years Old In the 1975 New Year Honours, Queen Elizabeth II created Sobers a Knight Bachelor for his services to cricket. The award was made in the British Diplomatic and Overseas section of the list, rather than on the nomination of the Government of Barbados, which had stopped putting forward recommendations for British honours. This caused the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office some unease, as shown by papers released by The National Archives in 2005. However, since Barbados had not yet introduced its own system of honours, the Prime Minister of Barbados was pleased that an honour would be forthcoming for Sobers. The award was originally intended to be made in the 1975 Queen's Birthday Honours, but since there was a royal visit to Barbados planned for February 1975, it was moved forward to the New Year list so that Sobers could be knighted by the Queen in person during the visit.

… Read More The very short turnaround between the decision to make the award and its announcement meant that the Governor-General of Barbados was not informed of the award before the public announcement, which caused some hurt feelings between London and Bridgetown. Read Less FORTIES 1980 43 Years Old He became a dual Barbadian-Australian citizen through marriage in 1980. … Read More By an act of Parliament in 1998, Sobers was named as one of the ten National Heroes of Barbados. Read Less FIFTIES 1990 53 Years Old The marriage ended in divorce in 1990 after the couple broke up in 1984; however, Sobers acquired dual Australian citizenship through marriage in 1980. … Read More He says that his was a multi-sporting family who were all good at football, basketball, table tennis and tennis. His own favourite sport is golf and he has been an enthusiastic gambler. He is the author of a children's novel about cricket, Bonaventure and the Flashing Blade, in which computer analysis helps a university cricket team become unbeatable.

Read Less LATE ADULTHOOD 1998 - 2000 2 More Events 1998 61 Years Old Sobers was made a National Hero of Barbados by the Cabinet of Barbados in 1998 and is thus accorded the honorary prefix "The Right Excellent". … Read More He is one of only ten people to have received this honour and the only recipient still living. Read Less 2000 63 Years Old In 2000 Sobers was named by a 100-member panel of experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century. … Read More He received 90 votes out of a possible 100. The other four cricketers selected for the honour were Don Bradman (100 votes), Jack Hobbs (30), Shane Warne (27) and Viv Richards (25). Read Less 2003 66 Years Old Sobers coached internationally, having a one-time stint with Sri Lanka. In 2003 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, where he had played many first-class games for South Australia.

… Read More Among the awards that Sobers won during his playing career were: Read Less 2004 67 Years Old In 2004, the International Cricket Council (ICC) inaugurated the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy which is awarded annually to the player selected by ICC as its Player of the Year. … Read More The recommendation to name the award after Sobers was made by a panel consisting of Richie Benaud, Sunil Gavaskar and Michael Holding, who were asked by the ICC "to select an individual with whom to honour cricket's ultimate individual award". Read Less 2007 70 Years Old In 2007 Wisden retrospectively selected the Leading Cricketer in the World for every year dating back to 1900 (except 1915â18 and 1940â45), Sobers being selected for eight years (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964â66, 1968 and 1970).

… Read More Only Sobers and Bradman (10) received the accolade more than three times. Read Less Original Authors of this text are noted on . Wisden - Sir Garfield Sobers WISDEN Sir Garfield Sobers John Arlott Sir Garfield Sobers, the finest all-round player in the history of cricket, has announced his retirement from full time county cricket at the age of thirty-eight. Circumstances seem to suggest he will not be seen again in Test Matches. He was not with West Indies on their recent tour of India and Pakistan; and they have no other international commitment until 1976, when their full length tour of England might well prove too physically trying for a forty-year old Sobers, most deservedly given a Knighthood in the New Year Honours. So it is likely that international cricket has seen the last of its most versatile performer. For twenty years -- plus, to be precise, seven days -- he served and graced West Indian cricket in almost every capacity. To review his career compels so many statistics as might mask the splendidly exciting quality of his play. Nevertheless, since many of his figures are, quite literally, unequalled, they must be quoted.

Between March 30 1954 and April 5 1974, for West Indies, he appeared in 93 Tests -- more than any other overseas cricketer: he played the highest Test innings -- 365 not out against Pakistan at Kingston in 1958; scored the highest individual aggregate of runs in Test matches; and captained his country a record 39 times. His 110 catches and -- except for a left hander -- his 235 wickets are not unique: but his talents in those directions alone justified a Test place. I quote his West Indies figures. Garfield Sobers was seventeen when he first played for West Indies -- primarily as an orthodox slow left arm bowler (four for 81) though he scored 40 runs for once out in a losing side. His batting developed more rapidly than his bowling and, in the 1957-58 series with Pakistan in West Indies, he played six consecutive innings of over fifty -- the last three of them centuries. Through the sixties he developed left-arm wrist-spin, turning the ball sharply and concealing his googly well.

Outstandingly, however, at the need of his perceptive captain, Sir Frank Worrell, he made himself a Test-class fast medium bowler. Out of his instinctive athleticism he evolved an ideally economic action, coupling life from the pitch with late movement through the air and, frequently, off the seam. Nothing in all his cricket was more impressive than his ability to switch from one bowling style to another with instant control. He was always capable of bowling orthodox left arm accurately, with a surprising faster ball and as much turn as the pitch would allow a finger spinner. He had, though, an innate urge to attack, which was his fundamental reason for taking up the less economical but often more penetrative chinaman, and the pace bowling which enabled him to make such hostile use of the new ball. As a fieldsman he is remembered chiefly for his work at slip -- where he made catching look absurdly simple -- or at short leg where he splendidly reinforced the off-spin of Lance Gibbs. Few recall that as a young man he was extremely fast -- and had a fine arm -- in the deep, and that he could look like a specialist at cover point. Everything he did was marked by a natural grace, apparent at first sight.

As he walked out to bat, six feet tall, lithe but with adequately wide shoulders, he moved with long strides which, even when he was hurrying, had an air of laziness, the hip joints rippling like those of a great cat. He was, it seems, born with basic orthodoxy in batting; the fundamental reason for his high scoring lay in the corrections of his defence. Once he was established (and he did not always settle in quickly), his sharp eye, early assessment, and inborn gift of timing, enabled him to play almost any stroke. Neither a back foot nor a front foot player, he was either as the ball and conditions demanded. When he stepped out and drove it was with a full flow of the bat and a complete follow through, in the classical manner. When he could not get to the pitch of the ball, he would go back, wait -- as it sometimes seemed, impossibly long -- until he identified it and then, at the slightest opportunity, with an explosive whip of the wrists, hit it with immense power. His quick reactions and natural ability linked with his attacking instinct made him a brilliant improviser of strokes.

When he was on the kill it was all but impossible to bowl to him -- and he was one of the most thrilling of all batsmen to watch. Crucially, Garfield Sobers was not merely extremely gifted, but a highly combative player. That was apparent on his first tour of England, under John Goddard in 1957. Too many members of that team lost appetite for the fight as England took the five-match rubber by three to none. Sobers, however, remained resistant to the end. He was a junior member of the side -- his twenty-first birthday fell during the tour -- but he batted with immense concentration and determination. He was only twice out cheaply in Tests: in two Worrell took him in to open the batting and, convincingly, in the rout at the Oval, he was top scorer in each West Indies innings. He was third in the Test batting averages of that series which marked his accession to technical and temperament maturity.

The classic example of his competitive quality was the Lord's Test of 1966 when West Indies, with five second innings wickets left, were only nine in front and Holford -- a raw cricketer but their last remaining batting hope -- came in to join his cousin Sobers. From the edge of defeat, they set a new West Indies Test record of 274 for the sixth wicket and, so far from losing, made a strong attempt to win the match. Again, at Kingston in 1967-68, West Indies followed on against England and, with five second innings wickets down, still needed 29 to avoid an innings defeat. Sobers -- who fell for a duck in the first innings -- was left with only tail-enders for support yet, on an unreliable pitch, he made 113 -- the highest score of the match -- and then, taking the first two English wickets for no runs, almost carried West Indies to a win. For many years, despite the presence of some other handsome stroke-makers in the side, West Indies placed heavy reliance on his batting, especially when a game was running against them.

Against England 1959-60 and Australia 1964-65, West Indies lost the one Test in each series when Sobers failed. His effectiveness can be measured by the fact that in his 93 Tests for West Indies he scored 26 centuries, and fifties in 30 other innings; four times -- twice against England -- averaged over one hundred for a complete series; and had an overall average of 57.78. There is a case, too, that he played a crucial part as a bowler in winning at least a dozen Tests. To add captaincy to his batting, different styles of bowling and close fielding may have been the final burden that brought his Test career to an early end. He was a generally sound, if orthodox, tactician but after thirty-nine matches as skipper, the strain undoubtedly proved wearing. In everyday life he enjoys gambling and, as a Test captain, he is still remembered for taking a chance which failed. It occurred in the 1967-68 series against England, when he made more runs at a higher average -- and bowled more overs than anyone else except Gibbs -- on either side.

After high scores by England, the first three Tests were drawn, but in the fourth, after Butcher surprisingly had bowled out England in their first innings with leg spin, Sobers made a challenging declaration. Butcher could not repeat his performance and Boycott and Cowdrey skilfully paced England to a win. Thereupon the very critics who constantly bemoaned the fact that Test match captains were afraid to take a chance castigated Sobers for doing so -- and losing. The epilogue to that failure was memorable. With characteristic confidence in his own ability, he set out to win the fifth Test and square the rubber. He scored 152 and 95 not out, took three for 72 in the first England innings and three for 53 in the second -- only to fall short of winning by one wicket with a hundred runs in hand. Students of sporting psychology will long ponder the causes of Sobers' retirement. Why did this admirably equipped, well rewarded and single-minded cricketer limp out of the top level game which had brought him such eminence and success? He was only thirty-eight: 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 concentratedly because high speed aircraft enabled him to travel half across the world in a day or two. Perhaps the long sea voyages between seasons of old had a restorative effect. In a historically sapping career, Sobers has played for Barbados for twenty-one seasons; in English league cricket for eight, for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield for three, and Nottinghamshire for seven; he turned out regularly for the Cavaliers on Sundays for several years before there was a Sunday League in England; made nine tours for West Indies, two with Rest of the World sides and several in lesser teams; 89 of his 93 Tests for the West Indies were consecutive and he averaged more than four a year for twenty years.

There is no doubt, also, that his car accident in which Collie Smith was killed affected him more profoundly and for longer than most people realized. The wonder was not that the spark grew dim but that it endured so bright for so long. Though it happened so frequently and for so many years, it was always thrilling even to see Sobers come to the wicket. As lately as 1968 he hit six sixes from a six ball over. In 1974 on his farewell circuit of England he still, from time to time, recaptured his former glory, playing a lordly stroke or making the ball leave the pitch faster than the batsman believed possible. As he walked away afterwards, though, his step dragged. He was a weary man -- as his unparalleled results do not merely justify, but demand. Anyone who ever matches Garfield Sobers' performances will have to be an extremely strong man -- and he, too, will be weary. An amazing man, he still insists, "As long as I am fit and the West Indies need me, I will be willing to play for them." Only time will tell if we shall see him in the Test arena again.

In October last he joined the executive staff of National Continental Corporation to promote the company's products in the Caribbean and United Kingdom. And now he has joined his lamented compatriots Sir Learie Constantine and Sir Frank Worrell with the title Sir Garfield Sobers. © John Wisden & Co Virat Kohli, Anil Kumble, Dwayne Bravo wish Caribbean legend Sir Garry Sobers on his 80th birthday - YouTube Virat Kohli, Anil Kumble, Dwayne Bravo wish Caribbean legend Sir Garry Sobers on his 80th birthday Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jul 29, 2016 Cricketers from both Indian and West Indies teams wished legendary West Indies cricketer Sir Gary Sobers, who celebrated his 80th birthday in his hometown Barbados.

Indian test captain Virat Kohli who met Sir Viv few days back in Antigua, expressed his desire to meet the legendary cricketer one day and discuss on cricket. Also joining Kohli was Indian coach Anil Kumbke and Rohit Sharma who also wished the legendary cricketer on his grand 80th birthday. Category

Question: In which country was West Indian cricket captain Sir Garfield Sobers born?
Answer: Barbados