The peerless batting great Donald Bradman said of him that with his long grip, high backlift and free swing of the willow, Sobers hit the ball harder than anyone and that the emphasis was on power and aggression more than technique. Besides, he could bowl fast medium swing, both orthodox and the Chinaman variety of leg spin, field anywhere and even keep wickets in an emergency
It was said of Garfield Sobers that God broke the mould after endowing the game of cricket its greatest gift. Having lost his father to World War 2, the Barbadian youth chased a dream on his way to becoming a national hero along with the likes of pop diva Rihana. History will willingly record that Sobers was indeed the best all-rounder in the history of the game.
The peerless batting great Donald Bradman said of him that with his long grip, high backlift and free swing of the willow, Sobers hit the ball harder than anyone and that the emphasis was on power and aggression more than technique. Besides, he could bowl fast medium swing, both orthodox and the Chinaman variety of leg spin, field anywhere and even keep wickets in an emergency.
The impact he had on the game was greater as his natural fitness allowed him to be the game’s ultimate professional with engagements in England and Australia besides turning out for the multi-islands team in Test matches, which he led with aplomb even if he did gamble sometimes with sharp declarations.
As Team India and Team England stood in silence before Sunday’s ODI at Lord’s in the Bajan’s honour, they might have also remembered that Sobers was — in an age in which commerce was catching up with the gentleman’s game — one of the most sporting of cricketers, never being involved in on-field controversies though he did once turn out in a competition in ‘white’ Rhodesia to earn a few dollars.
The record he set may have been broken, including his 365* as a young batsman that was later grabbed by his spiritual heir Brian Lara who stretched it to 401*. With 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78, which made him the fifth highest among batsmen who scored more than 4,000-plus Test runs, and 235 Test wickets, he set high benchmarks for the all-rounders to come.
An adornment to the game, he was knighted in England, honoured in Australia with the highest civilian award and revered in his home island of Barbados, leaving an ambassadorial legacy in his sport that was as telling as the six sixes he hit in an over in first-class cricket. The fact is they don’t make them like the gifted Sobers anymore.
