Sobers, the Cricket ‘Goat’ has completed his Final Innings!

Since the passing of Sir Garfield Aubrun Sobers on July 17, 2026, the number of tributes paid to him from all over the Cricket World and the replay of comments made earlier are overwhelming. According to John Arlott, Sobers “has more runs in him than debris at the bottom of the sea”. He stated too that he had “seemingly infinite, boundless ability to accommodate runs and dominate … batting attack effortlessly. Arguably the greatest player to ever play the game”. I have started with John Arlott who I believe was the greatest Cricket commentator ever. At a time when televisions were not common or in fact, not available, we had to depend on the likes of Arlott to bring the games to us. The beauty of those commentaries which came by radio, was that you believed you were actually seeing what was happening. The best example I could think of from Arlott was not about Sobers but about Clive Lloyd in the ODI finals against Australia in 1975. He made a century off 82 balls, treating Denis Lillee with utter contempt. Arlott, describing the Australian field placing, said the “field was spread out like the National Society of Missionaries”. You knew exactly what he meant. Other outstanding commentators were Roy Lawrence of Jamaica and Tony Cozier of Barbados. Fortunately for us, the Lyric Cinema before starting their movies would show ‘Shorts’ courtesy the BBC. I remember as a young Grammar School boy seeing excerpts from the historic West Indies/Australia series of 1960-61 in Australia. I called it historic because of the tied test and Lance Gibbs’ hattrick in the fourth test.

I was fortunate enough to have seen Sir Gary bat in Barbados, a year before his retirement. I couldn’t remember against whom Barbados was playing. As far as I can remember Gary scored a fifty. There was a joke that was circulating at that time. It was about a fan who wanted to see Gary bat. He got into Kensington and left immediately after Gary got to the wicket. When asked about it after he said, to see Gary walk to the wicket with his collars up was enough for him. He listened to the rest. There are many stories about Gary. One writer called him ‘hedonist’.

In his autobiography Gary referred to being out from the ‘camp’/hotel one night and getting back when the team was just about to leave to go to wherever they were playing. This was during the period when Worrell was captain. He said on such occasions he knew he had to perform which he almost always did. Worrell recognised and allowed him such privilege. In 1973 at Lords, he made 150 not out which helped the West Indies to win by an inning and 226 runs. Gary, we are told,later revealed that it was done after a full night drinking, no sleep, and two very large port and brandies mid innings.

Sobers’ maiden test century was in the third test against Pakistan at Sabina Park, Jamaica, in 1958 where he went on to score 365 not out. Few people remember that in that same innings Conrad Hunte had scored 260 runs. In the fourth test against Australia in 1965 he became the first player to score 4,000 runs and take 100 wickets in test matches. In 1968 he became the first cricketer to hit six/sixes in one over, playing for North Hampshire in Swansea. The unfortunate bowler was Malcolm Nash. Sobers told a reporter that after hitting five sixes he just felt he should hit the next one for six.

When the three W’s were dominating West Indies cricket as batsmen, Weekes was my hero. With the appearance of Sobers after his 365 runs I became a true fan. What we had in common was that we were both left handers, but that world batting record meant a lot. I remember very much the fourth test against England at Lords. I listened carefully. Sobers started slow but then got into his full stride as he neared the century. I looked forward to what I believed would happen next. I expected fireworks. After getting to 102 to mark his century. Locke continued. The next ball from Locke he spanked. Locke put out his hand and, according to the Commentator, the ball literally stuck in his hand. The fireworks did not come then.

I also hold vivid memories of the 1960-61 test series against Australia since I stayed up late at nights to listen to the matches. In the first tied match he scored a memorable century. In the third test he scored 168 of high quality, according to the commentators and sports writers. I particularly enjoyed when Lance Gibbs was bowling and Gary was at leg slip where he took some memorable catches. I looked forward to the Colonial games (as I think they were called). Barbados against Guyana was highly anticipated because Gibbs’ guile confronted the versatility of Sobers.

The Guardian newspaper of the UK quoted Kishore Shallow, president of Cricket West Indies: “In the story of Cricket there are great players. There are champions. Then there are those rare individuals who redefine the very meaning of greatness. Sir Gary Sobers was the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen”.

I have concentrated on Sobers the Cricket genius, but let us not forget that he was named National Hero of Barbados in 1998. He was, according to Shallow, a symbol of Caribbean excellence, resilience, and possibility.

•  Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian