Full Name

Garfield St Aubrun Sobers

Born

July 28, 1936, Chelsea Road, Bay Land, St Michael, Barbados

Age

86y 240d

Also Known As

Sir Garry Sobers

Batting Style

Left hand Bat

Bowling Style

Left arm Fast medium, Slow Left arm Orthodox, Left arm Wrist spin

Playing Role

Allrounder

Height

5ft 11in

RELATIONS

DAJ Holford

(cousin)

A cricketing genius, Garry Sobers excelled at all aspects of the game, and few would argue his claim as the finest allround player in modern cricket. 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. He was knighted for his services to cricket in 1975.
Dave Liverman

Career Averages
Batting & Fielding
FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100s50s4s6sCtSt
Test93160218032365*57.78--2630--1090
ODI110000.0060.00000010
FC3836099328314365*54.87--86121--4070
List A9592212721116*38.32--118--410
Bowling
FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
Test931592159979992356/738/8034.032.2291.9860
ODI11633111/311/3131.002.9563.0000
FC383-707892894110439/49-27.742.4567.8-361
List A95-438723931095/435/4321.953.2740.2410
Garfield St Aubrun Sobers
Explore Statsguru Analysis
Test
ODI
Debut/Last Matches - Player
FC Matches
Span
1952/53 - 1974
List A Matches
Span
1963 - 1974
Photos
The statue of Sir Garfield Sobers outside the Kensington Oval
John Campbell receives his Test cap from Sir Garfield Sobers
John Campbell with his new Test cap
Sir Garfield Sobers was spotted at West Indies' nets
Sir Garfield Sobers demonstrates his wrist position to West Indies' coaching staff
A statue of Sir Garry Sobers outside the Kensington Oval