Adieu Sir Garfield Sobers, You Will Always Live In The Hearts Of Cricket Fans As A Legend
· Free Press Journal
The wave of emotional and heartfelt tributes to the memory of Sir Garfield Sobers, who died in his native Barbados on Friday aged 89, shows in what esteem the legendary all-rounder is held by his contemporaries as well as fans and all those who knew, watched or read about him. Master opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar, who both played against and with him (for the World XI in Australia in 1971-72), called him ‘The Greatest’ to be ranked with Mohammed Ali (boxing) and Pele (football).
Sobers was described as a five-in-one cricketer. With his left-handed grace and skill, he could bowl both spin and pace, field anywhere but particularly at slip to fast bowlers and short leg to spinners, and, with the bat alone, be ranked among the all-time greats. He also captained the West Indies in 39 Tests from 1964-65 to 1971-72, as well as the World XI in England in 1970 and in Australia in 1971-72 in a total of ten unofficial Tests. This apart from 93 official Tests from 1954 to 1974 in which, for many years, he held the world record for both most runs (8,032) and highest score (365 not out). No wonder one of his many books is titled Twenty Years at the Top.
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Born into poverty in St. Michael, Barbados (where he also died), he lost his father aged 5, leaving his mother to bring up five young children alone. His prodigious talent saw him make a meteoric rise from street cricket to Test cricket when he debuted against England in Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica, in March 1954. It was at the same venue just four years later against Pakistan that he set the then world individual batting record. It also happened to be his maiden three-figure knock to which he would add another 25 over the years.
But more than mere numbers, it was the languid grace with which he did everything on the cricket field that captured the imagination of cricket lovers in every country in which he played. A full swing of the bat combined style with immense power; with the ball, after switching from spin to pace, he could bowl pretty quick, when in the mood, and, with his mastery over swing, trapped many a top batsman lbw or had them caught behind. In the field, he had the knack of making the more difficult catches look deceptively easy.
Sobers partied hard and played hard—but always fair. Considered the greatest of all Barbadians, he will be buried with full state honours in his beloved country.