17 Facts about Gary Sobers: Arguably the Greatest Cricketer

Sir Garfield Sobers, undoubtedly, is the greatest all-rounder to have ever graced the game of cricket. He defines versatility. He specialised in everything. The charismatic man was a proficient run scorer, a bowler with the ability to bowl fast and spin without any problem and a fielder who rarely leaked runs. The only thing which he never did on a cricket field was wicket keeping. Simply, said, he was cricketing genius who plied in all trades with supreme success. Career stats of 8032 runs at an average of 57.78 with 26 tons along with 235 wickets in 93 Tests speaks for the talent he possessed.

1.Born on:

Garfield St Aubrun Sobers was born on 28 July 1936 to Shamont and Thelma Sobers in Walcott Avenue, Bay Land, St Michael, Barbados.

2. Uncommon name:

‘Garfield St Auburn’ was an uncommon and Sobers in his autobiography says, “Most Barbadians have unusual names, and I was no exception,” he said. He was supposedly given the two names after a few relatives settled in the United States of America.

3. Early life:

Sobers was one of five siblings and he lost his father when he was a young boy. His father was in the merchant navy and killed when his ship was attacked by the Germans during World War II.

4. Born with six fingers in each hand:

Garry Sobers was born with six fingers on each hand. The first extra finger fell off before he was 10, jerked out with a piece of catgut wrapped around the base and hauled off with a sharp tug. He played his first serious cricket match with 11 digits. The remaining additional finger was severed with the help of a sharp knife when Sobers was 14.

5. Test debut:

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. He filled the place of Alf Valentine who missed the game after having fallen ill.

6. Gets spotted while playing street cricket:

Sobers was spotted by Inspector Wilfred Farmer, captain of the Police team in the BCL First Division while playing street cricket. Wilfred offered Sobers a chance to play for Police in the 1951–52 season while he was still only 15. He could be the part of the team after Wilfred made him join the police band where he would play music instruments.

7. First Class debut against India:

In the 1952–53 season, Sobers was invited to the Barbados trials for the colony’s tour match against the Indian touring team at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown. He was initially selected as 12th man but then made the team itself when Frank King was forced to withdraw. He, therefore, made his first-class debut on 31 January 1953, aged only 16. 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.

8. Immediate success as skipper:

Sobers became the captain of his side in 1965 and 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 2–1 and so claim the new Frank Worrell Trophy. This was the first time West Indies had beaten Australia in a Test series.

9. King Cricket:

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 3–1, with one match drawn. His status was celebrated at that time by the Trinidadian calypso artist Mighty Sparrow, with his song “Sir Garfield Sobers.”

10. Mesmerizes the ‘Don’:

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.

11. Six sixes in an over:

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. 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 Allenton. The ball was collected from a garden by 11-year-old Richard Lewis; he later gave the ball to Sobers.

12. The historic knock:

In 1958, A 21-year-old Sobers made history after he smashed 365 not out against Pakistan at Kingston, beating Len Hutton’s 364 to record the highest score in Test cricket. Hutton, the previous record-holder, got in touch with Sobers and wished him an even more successful time ahead. “From that moment on, I was instantly recognised throughout the Caribbean and the cricket world. It did not alter my bank balance. There were no bonuses in those days, just the 150 EC Dollars match fee I remember,” Sobers wrote in his autobiography.

13. Take a nap, hit a century and nap again:

During a tour game against Western Australia in 1968, Sobers had a night out and reported to the ground sleepless. He was supposed to bat at No. 6 and decided to catch up on some sleep in the dressing room.  Sobers’ teammates woke him up after a few wickets fell quickly. His teammates told him to go. “Chap named [Sam] Gannon has been taking a few wickets.” The legendary all-rounder said, “Who is he? Never heard of him.” He walked out to bat and smashed 132 against a quality attack comprising the likes of Tony Lock and Graham McKenzie to name a few. After getting out , he returned to the dressing room and went back to sleep.

14. Pens a children’s novel:

In 1967, Sobers authored Bonaventure and the Flashing Blade, a children’s novel in which computer analysis helps a university cricket team become unbeatable.

15. A cure for night outs:

One more interesting night out incidents of Sobers’ happened at Lord’s in 1973. Sobers, 31 not out at the end of the day, was approached by Clive Lloyd for a night out. The duo partied with their Guyanese friends and former off-spinner Reg Scarlett in a nightclub. The party carried till the wee hours.

“I have so much liquor in my head that if I go home to the hotel and go to bed, I am not going to wake up,” Sobers confessed to Scarlett. So, as the most obvious alternative, they went to Clarendon Court for some more drinks. And after a shower, Sobers padded up and walked out to resume his innings.

The next day, Sobers went to play without any sleep and found it difficult to settle in. He played and missed the first five balls of the first over bowled by Bob Willis. But, so, he began connecting well and made 132before he had to retire because of a desperate need to go to the toilet. In the pavilion, he had his medicine — two glasses of port and brandy mixed together and went back to the crease to finish unbeaten on 150.

16. The national hero of Barbados:

Sobers was made a National Hero of Barbados by the Cabinet of Barbados in 1998 and has the honorary prefix “The Right Excellent” to his name. He is one of only ten people to have received this honour and the only recipient still living.

17. Personal life:

Sobers was briefly engaged to Indian actress Anju Mahendru after he met her on the 1966–67 tour of India. However, the relationship never materialised. Sobers later married Prue Kirby, an Australian, in September 1969.  They had two sons, Matthew and Daniel, and an adopted daughter, Genevieve.The marriage ended in divorce in 1990 after the couple broke up in 1984.