Sir Garfield Sobers

 

Sir Garfield Sobers (1936-2026)

Cricket was not always as widespread a sport as it is today. For several decades, it was activity limited to very few countries; most of them British colonies. It was played only in England, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa. It was played in the Carribean islands like Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Jamaica and several other small islands spread over the area. Though they are separate independent countries and participate as such under their respective flags in Olympics and similar other sports, they come together as a single team while taking part in cricket contests. They are collectively referred as a "West Indies" team, to distinguish from the India (East India) team. 

Cricket was played in countries like Sri Lanka, Rhodesia (Later became Zimbabwe), Afghanistan, Nepal, and many other countries, but they did not have test playing status until much later. Partition of India brought in Pakistan as one more cricket playing country. From the original seven Cricket playing countries now there are several test match playing countries. It has spread to other parts of the world also and now there is much money in Cricket. Today Cricket is 24x7x365 day sport. It was not so fifty years ago. There were specific seasons in which it was played in different parts of the world. Now it has even become a profession for many aspiring youngsters. Things were not like this until fifty years ago. 

South Africa was under "Apartheid Policy" and hence played most of its cricket against England and Australia.  Leading a West Indian team in those days was a far greater challenge than leading any other country's cricket team. It was in this background that one has to see the efforts and legacy of Sir Frank Worell, the great West Indian cricket captain. The legacy of Sir Frank was passed on to Sir Garfield Sobers, who passed away three days ago, on 17th July, 2026. 

For further details of Sir Frank Worell's personality and achievements, Please click here to read a blog post titled "Black and White" written six years ago. The life and times of Sir Garfield Sobers can be truly appreciated only when one understands the background in which Sir Gary Sobers became a cricketer. 

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Born on 28th July, 1936 in Bridgetown, Barbados, Sobers's father was killed in a boat accident ("torpedoed" as he used to say) when he was only five years old. Sobers as a young boy was good at many sports. In fact, he was good at any sport or game he played. The moving ball captivated him and he was  good at Football, Basketball and Table Tennis. His quick reflexes made him a wonderful player against any moving ball. When he was stationed as a goalkeeper in football matches, it is said that not a single goal went in! He loved football and used to say "You play for 90 minutes. Even if you don't kick a ball, someone will kick you!". Yet, he chose cricket as he believed that by playing cricket "You can see the world, without paying for it".

As a 12 year old boy, he was already recognised as a good player in cricket. Sobers was more of a bowler in his younger days, though he batted very well too. His brother was considered a better batsman. His mentor Frank (not Frank Worell) made him sit on the bar of the bicycle and took him to practice sessions. Frank kept a one shilling coin on the pitch and told him: "You hit the coin and it is yours". The urge to get the shilling coin instilled accuracy and consistency in him as a bowler. Those were the days of uncovered pitches and no helmets. The big fast bowlers were more interested in knocking him down than getting him out. But his sharp eye and lightening reflexes often saved him. 

Sobers was included in a Police Band at that young age so that he could be included in the Police cricket team. Once he was hit on the face while playing cricket and had a swollen cheek. He did not go to police band practice for three days because he could not blow a trumpet. Police band captain had a daughter and she was troubled by some young boys in the neighbourhood. He suspected that Sobers was one of them and had been hit in some brawl among the boys!

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Sobers always wanted to be active on the field. Those were the days when fast bowlers bowled when the ball was new and were usually stationed at deep fine leg or deep third man on the boundary line, for the rest of the fielding time. What to do to be always in action? He started bowling spin as well and took more interest in close catching positions. As a bowler who could bowl five different varieties (speed, swing, varieties of spin and chinaman) captains often called him to bowl. Being in close catching positions always made him to be in the eye of the captain!

He was already a talking point in cricket circles of Barbados by the time he was 15 years old. He was selected to play first class cricket at the age of 16. Next year he was called to play for West Indies in test matches against England! Ace spinner Alf Valentine had reported sick and Sobers was picked as a bowler for the last test. He went to the test venue (Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica) two days before the test. As he entered the dressing room, there was Everton Weeks on the left side, Clyde Walcott on the right side, Frank Worell in front, and Jeff Stollmeyer on the other side. He himself summed up his reaction in an interview four decades later: "Oh, Boy! You have made it!"

Chosen as a bowler, he got a wicket in his first over, and took 4 wickets in first innings. Batting at No. 9, he made 14 not out and 26 in the two innings. West Indies lost the match, but his utility as an allrounder at the highest level was thus established. 

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When Australia toured West Indies in 1954-55, Sobers missed tests when senior players returned. As luck would have it, Star opener Jeff Stollmeyer twisted his ankle while fielding in a match before the fourth test and the team needed a opener for the test match. On the day of the match, Captain came to Sobers and told him to open the innings! Sobers had batted at No. 9 till then, but was now to open the innings against the feared fast bowler duo of Keith Miller and Ray Lindwall! 

Sobers walked into open the innings with JKC Holt after Australia had amassed 668 in the first innings. Incidentally Miller (137) and Lindwall (118) had both scored centuries in that innings! Their confidence was too high after such scores. Young Sobers went in and took guard from the umpire, marked it and looked up. There was only Keith Miller behind the umpire ready to bowl, but there were no fielders! Sobers wondered what happened to all the fielders and looked back. There were four slips and two gully on the off side. There were two leg slips and short leg on the leg side!

Sobers thought this indeed was some opening slot! He instantly decided; he would hit anything looking red. He made 43 and had 10 fours in that. That made him fearless. Australia won the match but Sobers, the batsman, had arrived. No one sledged him (not even the greatest sledging Australians) for the rest of his career. The opponents knew that he won't talk when sledged but will only make his bat talk. 

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Sobers was now a regular member of the test squad, but had not scored a century so far. Pakistan toured West Indies in 1958. Third test was played in Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica on February 26 - March 4, 1958. It was a 6-day test with a rest day in between. Pakistan made 328 in the first innings with a century by Imtiaz Ahamed (122). Conrad Hunte opened the innings with Rohan Kanhai. Kanhai was out for 25, when the score was 87. Sobers walked in one down. Sobers and Hunte added 446 runs for the second wicket, when Hunte was unfortunately run out for 260. Sobers added another 69 for third wicket with Everton Weeks (39). Score was 602-3, a lead of 274. Sobers thought declaration would come now.

Clyde Walcott walked in instead. As he crossed Sobers on the pitch, he told him: "Son, you need another 90 runs. Go on". Sobers well and truly went on. He got past the long standing individual record score of 364 in the name of Sir Len Hutton. As he finished his 365th run, spectators invaded the field and match was stopped. Sobers had added 188 runs for the unfinished 4th wicket with Walcott (88). West indies had to declare at that point. Otherwise, no one knows how long Sobers would have chugged on, especially since Walcott was also in sight of a century.

Match resumed after repairs to the pitch were carried on. Pakistan made 288 in the second innings with Wazir Ahamed making 106. West indies won by an innings and 174 runs. Sobers's first hundred in tests was a big 365. He went on to make another 25 centuries later on.

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As Sobers took over as captain of the West indies team, the firm of Conrad Hunte and Garfield Sobers marched on. There were also Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher and Seymour Nurse. They became a formidable batting machine. Clive Lloyd joined them later. Then there were others. With bowlers like Wesley Hall, Charlie Griffith and Lance Gibbs, they became a world beating team. 

At the end of Day one of the Manchester test in England in 1966, we as schoolboys remember the newspaper headline. "Hunte gets a century. Sobers in sight of it" it said. So it happened on the next day. 

Sobers came to Bangalore in 1966 as captain of the West Indies team. We as schoolboys were unable to see him in action as he did not play against South Zone team there. We were utterly disappointed. 

There was a test match at Brabourne Stadium in Bombay on December 13-18, 1966. Wankhade stadium was not yet constructed then. B S Chandrashekar had taken seven wickets in the first innings and all the four of second innings. Last day of the match was on 18th December, a Sunday. Clive Lloyd was playing his first test match. Sobers walked in when nightwatchman Gibbs got out as the fourth wicket. Score 4-90. Another 102 to win. 

As he crossed Lloyd on the pitch, Sobers told him: "It is Sunday and race day at Mahalaxmi. Hurry up!". He himself smashed a quick-fire 53 not out. Lloyd was 78 not out. West Indies won by six wickets. 

Mahalaxmi Race Course was a ten minute drive. Some eight miles away. Sobers was at the race course well in time for the first race. He played his game like he lived his life!

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Sobers played for South Australia in local cricket when Sir Don Bradman was administrator. Whenever South Australia was in trouble, Sobers was there to rescue the team. 

When English counties were allowed to hire overseas players, Sobers was approached by eight county teams. Nottinghamshire won him. It is said that they paid him one GBP for every run he made. A century would get him a bonus of 100 GBP. It was big money then. The joke was: One pound for every run, but 101 for the 100th run!"

His quick reflexes and standing totally still till the ball was delivered gave him ample time for playing any ball. He had two or three shots for each ball. Even a defensive push could become a scoring stroke by a mere twist of the wrist or angling of the bat at the last minute. He could go forward to a ball, change to back foot in the last second if it fell short, and yet hit it. His footwork was an absolute delight. Great fielders like Ross Edwards or Paul Sheahan, stationed 40 yards away at covers found the ball whiz past him when hit by Sobers, before they even bent to stop it. 

In 20 year period, he played 93 test matches and scored 8,032 runs with 26 centuries and 30 fifties. He averaged 57.78 runs per innings. Took 235 wickets as well along with 109 catches. 

He cannot be compared to the statistics of today, when cricket is played non-stop and many test playing countries. As he himself used to say: "the game has changed a lot". He even lost a test match with a sporting declaration, which cannot even be imagined today. He was a true ambassador of the sport and rightly knighted for his services to the game. 

He guided Brian Lara in the initial days when Lara had problem with outside off stump balls. Lara later on beat Sober's record by scoring 400 not out. 

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The best innings ever played by Sir Garfield Sobers was his 254 against Australia at MCG for a World XI in 1972. Better not to talk about it and watch an analysis by none other Sir Don Bradman. Bradman said it was "probably the greatest exhibition of batting ever seen in Australia". 

Spare a few minutes and watch that innings here, (click on the link)  along with Sir Don Bradman's comments:

Sobers gave pleasure of watching cricket to generations of cricket lovers. He has left a rich and long legacy. He was indeed unique!