New Delhi. Former West Indies captain Brian Lara has expressed deep condolences on the demise of cricket great Sir Garfield Sobers, calling him the West Indies’ “best player”. Lara said that Sobers’ legacy will never be forgotten.
In his message shared on Instagram, Lara wrote, “Our greatest player has left us. My deepest condolences to every member of his family, who supported him through all the difficult times and gave him the strength he needed most.
I pray that his family finds peace and strength during this very difficult time. Rest in peace, great player. Your legacy will never be forgotten.”
Sobers was one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history
Sir Garfield Sobers played 93 Test matches for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974. During this period, he scored 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78, which included 26 centuries. In bowling also he took 235 wickets in his name.
Apart from being a brilliant left-handed batsman, Sobers was adept at fast bowling, left-arm orthodox spin and chinaman spin. Apart from this, his fielding was also extraordinary, due to which he is counted among the most complete players in the history of cricket.
Made many historical achievements in his name
Sobers played a historic inning of 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958. This was the highest individual score in Test cricket at that time and this record stood for 36 years.
After this, while playing county cricket for Nottinghamshire in 1968, he became the first batsman in the world to achieve this feat in first-class cricket by hitting six consecutive sixes in one over off Malcolm Nash of Glamorgan.
Honored with many big honors
In 1975, Queen Elizabeth II honored him with the title of ‘Knighthood’ for his incomparable contribution to cricket. In 2000, Wisden included him among the five greatest cricketers of the 20th century.
His great legacy still lives on in the form of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, which is awarded every year by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to the best men’s international cricketer across all formats.
Sir Garfield Sobers died on Friday. With his death, a golden chapter in cricket history came to an end. Many big personalities from the sports world are paying tribute to him and remembering his contribution.
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