Full Name

Garfield St Aubrun Sobers

Born

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

Age

87y 235d

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

(cousin)

A cricketing genius, Garry Sobers excelled at all aspects of the game, and few would argue his standing as the finest all-round player in modern cricket. His exceptional Test batting average tells little about the manner in which he made his runs: he had an elegant yet powerful style and all the shots, and a superb off-side game.

As a batter he was great, as a bowler, merely superb, though he 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 wristspin, but he 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.

Sobers was an enterprising captain - at times maybe too enterprising, as when a generous declaration allowed England to win a decisive match in Port-of-Spain.

Born with an extra finger on each hand (removed at birth), Sobers excelled at most athletic activities, playing golf, soccer and basketball for Barbados, made his first-class cricket debut at the age of 16, and appeared in Tests a year later. He was played initially mostly as a bowler, but at the age of 23 he set the world record for an individual batter with a mammoth 365 against Pakistan - his maiden Test hundred. He reeled off five more hundreds in his next five Tests, including two in the same match. His achievements are numerous - 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, a stylish hundred at Lord's against Bob Willis and Co while nursing a hangover, 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.

Garry Sobers Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100s50s4s6sCtSt
Tests93160218032365*57.78--2630--1090
ODIs110000.0060.00000010
FC3836099328314365*54.87--86121--4070
List A9592212721116*38.32--118--410

Bowling

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
Tests931592159979992356/738/8034.032.2291.9860
ODIs11633111/311/3131.002.9563.0000
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 of Garry Sobers

FC Matches

Span
1952/53 - 1974

List A Matches

Span
1963 - 1974

Recent Matches of Garry Sobers

MatchBatBowlDateGroundFormat
Notts vs WORCS841/4031-Jul-1974WorcesterList A
Notts vs Warwickshire53/3810-Jul-1974BirminghamList A
Notts vs MC North69*0/3501-Jun-1974LakenhamList A
Notts vs Lancashire160/2811-May-1974ManchesterList A
Notts vs Derbyshire260/3827-Apr-1974NottinghamList A

Photos of Garry Sobers

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