Garfield Sobers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers NH AO OCC
Sobers in 2012
Born	(1936-07-28) 28 July 1936 (age 88) Bridgetown, Colony of Barbados
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Spouse(s)	Prudence Kirby ​ ​ (m. 1969; div. 1990)​
Children	3
Awards	Wisden Cricketer of the Year (1964) Wisden Cricketer of the Century (2000) ICC Cricket Hall of Fame (2009) Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (named after him)
Personal information Full name Garfield St Aubrun Sobers Batting Left-handed Bowling Left-arm fast medium Slow left-arm orthodox Left-arm unorthodox spin Role All-rounder International information National side West Indies (1954–1974) Test debut (cap 84) 30 March 1954 v England Last Test 5 April 1974 v England Only ODI (cap 11) 5 September 1973 v England Domestic team information Years Team 1952/53–1973/74 Barbados 1961/62–1963/64 South Australia 1968–1974 Nottinghamshire Career statistics Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 93 1 383 95 Runs scored 8,032 0 28,314 2,721 Batting average 57.78 0.00 54.87 38.32 100s/50s 26/30 0/0 86/121 1/18 Top score 365* 0 365* 116* Balls bowled 21,599 63 70,789 4,387 Wickets 235 1 1,043 109 Bowling average 34.03 31.00 27.74 21.95 5 wickets in innings 6 0 36 1 10 wickets in match 0 0 1 0 Best bowling 6/73 1/31 9/49 5/43 Catches/stumpings 109/– 1/– 407/– 41/– Source: Cricinfo, 13 September 2007
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The Right Excellent Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, also known as Sir Gary or Sir Garry Sobers, is a famous former cricketer from Barbados. He played for the West Indies from 1954 to 1974. Sir Garry was an amazing all-rounder, meaning he was great at batting, bowling, and fielding. Many people think he is the greatest all-rounder in cricket history.

Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, on July 28, 1936, Sobers started playing first-class cricket for Barbados at just 16 years old in 1953. He made his Test debut for the West Indies the next year. At first, he was mostly a bowler, but he soon became a top batsman. In 1958, he scored his first Test century, reaching an incredible 365 runs without being out. This set a new world record for the highest individual score in a Test innings, a record that stood until 1994.

Sobers became the captain of the West Indies team in 1965 and led them until 1972. He played 93 Test matches, scoring 8,032 runs and taking 235 wickets. He also played in 383 first-class matches, scoring over 28,000 runs and taking over 1,000 wickets. In 1975, Queen Elizabeth II made him a knight for his contributions to cricket. In 1998, he was named one of the National Heroes of Barbados. He was also added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.

Early Life and Cricket Beginnings (1936–1954)

Garfield St Aubrun Sobers was born in Bridgetown, Barbados, on July 28, 1936. He was one of six children. Sadly, his father passed away when Garfield was only five years old.

From a young age, Sobers showed amazing talent for many sports, especially cricket, football, and basketball. He and his brother Gerald helped their school team win the primary school cricket championship three years in a row. When he was 13, he joined two local cricket teams.

Sobers got valuable experience practicing his bowling against top batsmen. He quickly became a skilled left-arm spin bowler. At just 15, he was invited to play for the Police team. In 1953, at 16, he made his first-class debut for Barbados against the Indian touring team. He took 4 wickets for 50 runs and 3 wickets for 92 runs, making a great first impression as a bowler.

A year later, at 17, Sobers played his second first-class match. He showed enough talent to be chosen for the West Indies team, and his third first-class game was his Test debut.

International Cricket Journey

Starting His Test Career (1954–1957)

Sobers made his Test debut in March 1954, at 17, against England in Jamaica. He was chosen as a bowler and took 4 wickets for 75 runs in England's first innings.

In 1954–55, Australia toured the West Indies. An Australian player, Keith Miller, believed Sobers would become a better batsman than bowler. Sobers started batting higher in the order. He scored 47 runs in one match and even opened the batting in another, hitting three boundaries in his first three balls.

In 1956, Sobers went on his first overseas tour to New Zealand. He found the green pitches difficult to bat on, as they were very different from the pitches in the West Indies. He struggled a bit, scoring only 81 runs in four Tests.

Later, in 1957, Sobers toured England. He scored 320 runs with three half-centuries in the five Test matches. He also took five wickets. In the final Test, he stood out with his batting even though his team struggled. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack praised him, saying he was a "very fine stroke-player who should go far."

The Record-Breaking 365 Not Out (1958–1964)

Before 1958, Sobers often got good starts but didn't turn them into huge scores. However, in the next three years, he truly shined. In 24 Tests, he scored 2,250 runs with an amazing average of 93.75.

In 1958, he scored his first Test century against Pakistan in Kingston. He kept batting and reached an unbeaten 365 runs, breaking the world record for the highest individual score in Test cricket. This record was previously held by England's Len Hutton. Sobers batted for over ten hours and hit 38 fours. At 21 years old, he became the youngest player to score a triple century in Tests.

He continued his success, scoring 824 runs with three centuries against Pakistan. He then scored 557 runs with three more centuries during the West Indies tour of India in 1958–59. In the home series against England in 1959–60, he scored three centuries and a total of 709 runs.

In 1960–61, Sobers had an outstanding series in Australia, inspired by his friend and captain, Sir Frank Worrell. He scored a famous 132 runs on the first day of the First Test, which ended in the first-ever Tied Test. Wisden called it "the best hundred they had ever seen." Sobers scored 430 runs in the series and took 15 wickets. His excellent all-round performance led to him being invited to play for South Australia.

Sobers was never a huge wicket-taker in Test cricket, but he was very effective, especially when bowling fast. He took 235 wickets in 93 Tests. His best bowling figures were 6 wickets for 73 runs. He was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1964. After Worrell retired, Sobers became the West Indies captain for the 1964–65 series against Australia.

Leading the West Indies (1965–1974)

Sobers quickly found success as captain. His team defeated Australia in the First Test and went on to win the series 2–1, claiming the new Frank Worrell Trophy. This was the first time West Indies had beaten Australia in a Test series.

In 1966, he had an amazing tour of England, earning the nickname "King Cricket." In five Tests, he scored 722 runs at an average of 103.14, with three centuries. He also took 20 wickets and 10 catches. West Indies won the series 3–1.

Sobers led the West Indies team to India in 1966–67, winning that series 2–0. He lost a series for the first time in 1967–68 when England surprisingly beat West Indies at home. Sobers made a controversial declaration in one match, which helped England win.

He continued to captain the team in Australia and New Zealand in 1968–69, and in England in 1969. His last series as captain was against India in 1970–71, which India won 1–0. All five Tests against New Zealand in 1972 were drawn.

Sobers played his last Test match in March 1974 against England.

Playing for the Rest of the World

When South Africa was banned from international cricket due to its apartheid policy, special "Rest of the World" teams were formed to play unofficial Test series. Sobers was chosen to captain these teams.

In 1970, leading the Rest of the World XI against England, he took 6 wickets for 21 runs with fast bowling. He then scored a "magnificent" 183 runs. In another match, he scored 114 and 59.

In January 1972, playing for The World XI against Australia, Sobers scored 254 runs. The legendary Don Bradman called it "probably the greatest exhibition of batting ever seen in Australia." Australian captain Ian Chappell also said it was the best innings he ever saw. Sobers believed these unofficial series should be given full "Test" status because of the high quality of the players involved.

Playing in English Leagues and Australia

Sobers spent several seasons playing in English league cricket. From 1958 to 1962, he was the professional player for Radcliffe Cricket Club. This experience helped him improve his skills in different conditions. In 1961, he achieved a rare "double," scoring 1008 runs and taking 144 wickets, helping Radcliffe win the league championship.

In September 1959, Sobers was involved in a car accident that sadly led to the death of fellow West Indies player Collie Smith. Sobers was driving the car. He recovered well and continued his successful cricket career.

After 1963, he played for Norton Cricket Club from 1964 to 1967, helping them win the league title twice. He topped the league bowling averages in 1964 and 1965.

Sobers also played for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield competition. In 1961–62, he had a huge impact, topping both the batting and bowling averages for his team. In 1963–64, he led South Australia to win the Sheffield Shield, being the top run-scorer and wicket-taker for the season.

County Cricket with Nottinghamshire

In 1968, Sobers joined Nottinghamshire and was appointed club captain. He wanted to help improve the team's performance.

Six Sixes in One Over

On August 31, 1968, Sobers made history by becoming the first batsman to hit six sixes in a single over (six consecutive balls) in first-class cricket. He was playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan in Swansea. The bowler was Malcolm Nash.

Sobers hit the first four balls out of the ground. On the fifth ball, a fielder caught it but fell over the boundary line, so it was ruled a six. Sobers then smashed the sixth ball clean over the East Terrace. This amazing feat of scoring 36 runs in one over broke a 57-year-old record.

Playing Style and Skills

Sir Garry Sobers was an incredible all-rounder. He was left-handed for both batting and bowling. He could bowl many different types of left-arm deliveries, from spin to fast-medium pace. As a fielder, he was excellent, often positioned close to the wicket, but also great in the outfield.

Richie Benaud, a famous cricketer, called Sobers "the greatest all-round cricketer the world has seen." He said Sobers was a brilliant batsman, a splendid fielder, and a bowler of amazing skill, whether bowling with the new ball, spin, or wrist spin.

Fred Trueman, another great cricketer, described Sobers as a "sublime left-hand batsman" and "one of the greatest cricketers ever." He noted Sobers' "great cricketing brain" and "lightning quick" thought processes.

As a bowler, Sobers started as an orthodox left-arm spinner. He later learned to bowl left-arm wrist spin and googlies. He could also bowl fast, making the ball curve at high speed.

In 1967, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack praised Sobers for his "triumph after another with bat and ball, as well as in the field as a master tactician and fantastic catcher." His achievements in 1966 earned him the nickname "King Cricket."

Personal Life

Sir Garry Sobers married Prudence "Pru" 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. Sobers became a dual Barbadian-Australian citizen in 1980.

He enjoys golf and has written a children's novel about cricket called Bonaventure and the Flashing Blade.

Honors and Legacy

Statue of Sobers outside Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

In 1975, Queen Elizabeth II made Sobers a Knight Bachelor for his services to cricket. This meant he could be called "Sir." He was knighted by the Queen herself during a visit to Barbados.

In 1998, the government of Barbados named Sobers a National Hero of Barbados. This is a very high honor, and he is one of only eleven people to receive it. He is also one of only two living recipients, along with Rihanna.

In 2003, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his contributions to cricket in Australia.

Cricket Awards and Recognition

Sir Garry Sobers has received many important awards for his cricket career:

• Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 1964
• The Cricket Society Wetherall Award for the Leading All-Rounder in English First-Class Cricket: 1970
• Walter Lawrence Trophy winner: 1974
• Wisden Cricketer of the Century: 2000

In 2000, a panel of 100 experts named Sobers as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century. He received 90 out of 100 possible votes. Other cricketers honored were Don Bradman, Jack Hobbs, Shane Warne, and Viv Richards.

In 2004, the International Cricket Council (ICC) created the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy. This award is given each year to the best player in international cricket. It was named after Sobers because a panel of experts recommended him as the perfect person to honor with cricket's top individual award.

In 2007, Wisden looked back and named the Leading Cricketer in the World for every year since 1900. Sobers was chosen for eight different years (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964–66, 1968, and 1970). Only Don Bradman received this honor more times.

To celebrate 150 years of the Cricketers' Almanack, Wisden also included him in their all-time Test World XI team.

See also

In Spanish: Garfield Sobers para niños