Name:

Sobers, Garfield St A Sir

Nickname:

Garry

Date of Birth:

28 Jul 1936

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

St Michael, Barbados

Career:

Test: 1954 - 1974
ODI: 1973 - 1973
First Class: 1952 - 1974

Teams:

West Indies (Country)
Nottinghamshire (Regional)
Barbados (Regional)

Records by Sobers: 365 and 6 sixers

Sir Garry Sobers: Finest all-rounder was four specialists in one

Born : 28 July at 1936 Chelsea Road, Bay Land, St Michael, Barbados

Garry Sobers is widely regarded as the best all-rounder the game has seen. He was the ultimate threat - with bat, ball or in the field. It could be said he was a quadruple threat as he could bowl both seam and spin to great effect

An attacking left-hander, he would have been an all-time great purely for his batting. He set a then Test record highest score of 365* against Pakistan at Kingston in 1958 and went on to become the leading run-scorer in Tests.

In 1968, playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan at Swansea, he became the first batsman to hit six sixes in an over in first-class cricket. The unfortunate bowler was Malcolm Nash. He had incredible versatility as a bowler. He could take the new ball as a fast-medium let-arm bowler, bowl orthodox left-arm spin and bowl left-arm wrist-spin with equal ability. In addition he was a brilliant fielder, particularly as a close catcher.

His best all-round series was in 1966 in England when he led his team to a series victory with 722 runs at 103.14, 20 wickets at 27.25 and 10 catches. He captained West Indies in 39 Tests with mixed success.

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.

At the time of his retirement in 1974, Sobers was the leading run-scorer in Test cricket with the highest individual score also to his name. He was also the second-highest wicket-taker for the West Indies and third in the all-time list of catches taken in the field.

Sobers was knighted for his services to cricket in 1975.

Source: CricketCrowd Staff Reporter