Sir Garfield Sobers dies aged 89 as ‘greatest innings comes to an end’
The West Indies star made his Test debut against England.
Sir Garfield Sobers has died at the age of 89, Cricket West Indies has announced.
Barbados-born Sobers, who is widely regarded as one of the finest cricketers ever to play the game, played for the West Indies for 20 years, making both his first and last Test appearances in 1954 and 1974 respectively against England.
A statement on Windies Cricket’s official X account simply said: “A great innings has come to an end. In our hearts, now and forever, Sir Garfield Sobers.”
Perhaps modern cricket’s finest all-rounder, Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, who died just 11 days short of his 90th birthday, was an elegant batsman, a versatile bowler, a brilliant fielder and a respected captain.
In all, he made 93 Test appearances and scored 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78, while his 235 wickets came at a cost of 34.03.
He burst on to the scene with Barbados, making his first-class debut as a 16-year-old before being elevated to the West Indies ranks a year later, although he was 23 by the time he registered his first Test century, a world record 365 against Pakistan.
Sobers is perhaps best remembered in England, where we spent six seasons with Nottinghamshire from 1968 to 1974, for the six successive sixes he hit in a single over from Glamorgan’s Malcolm Nash.
Nottinghamshire said in a statement on their official X account: “Cricket’s greatest-ever all-rounder, and an iconic figure in Nottinghamshire history. We are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Garfield Sobers.”