{"id":194285,"date":"2026-07-17T17:40:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T23:10:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=194285"},"modified":"2026-07-17T17:40:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T23:10:04","slug":"with-sir-garfield-sobers-demise-cricket-loses-its-original-superstar-all-rounder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=194285","title":{"rendered":"With Sir Garfield Sobers\u2019 demise, cricket loses its original superstar all-rounder"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

In cricket\u2019s deep memory, some players seem eternal and always relevant. The late Sir Donald Bradman was one, and Sir Garfield Sobers (89), who passed away in Barbados on Friday, was another. If batting\u2019s aura always vested with Bradman, Sobers held sway as the supreme all-rounder.<\/p>\n

Having last played for the West Indies in 1974, Sobers remained linked to cricket, an umbilical cord he retained with fervour. Touring squads in the Caribbean would often find Sobers walking in, curious to meet fresh talent, unaware of the awe he naturally generated, and eager to learn about how a sport he splendidly adorned, has evolved in a hyper-kinetic globe.<\/p>\n

Sobers held the bat as a southpaw, and from his left arm emanated both pace and the guiles of spin. And as a fielder, alacrity was his defining attribute. He was a man of many parts, specifically in the willow game. His 8,032 runs and 235 wickets in Tests are special numbers indeed, but more than the statistical heavy-lifting, it was the magic he lent to sport that drew in the crowds.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ: From the archive \u2014 Sir Garfield Sobers chats with Sportstar<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

His unbeaten 365 was the benchmark for the highest individual score in Tests for many years before Brian Lara went past the milestone in 1994. Sobers was not just about his massive presence in Tests, he could also, like the gun-slinging cowboys from those Western classics, swing the momentum within a blink of an eye.<\/p>\n

Sobers hoisted six sixes against Malcolm Nash in an over during his forays into county cricket, and it was a first in First Class history. A few others replicated it at different points, and from an Indian perspective, stars like\u00a0Ravi\u00a0Shastri\u00a0and\u00a0Yuvraj\u00a0Singh soared high with their plunder of 36 runs in an over.<\/p>\n

The West Indian magic of stunning cricket and pulsating calypso, often found expression through Sobers. His audacity at the batting crease, and the seduction of batters to their doom while turning up as a bowler, were unique. That the International Cricket Council\u2019s premier award in men\u2019s cricket is named after him, is a reflection of the deep roots and incandescent pull that Sobers always wielded.<\/p>\n

Sobers, \u2018Garry\u2019 to his close friends, \u2018great man\u2019 to the rest, redefined cricket. He played sport the hard way, but off the field he was grace personified. Cricket has lost its original superstar, and the sport will miss him forever.<\/p>\n

Published on Jul 17, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In cricket\u2019s deep memory, some players seem eternal and always relevant. The late Sir Donald Bradman was one, and Sir Garfield Sobers (89), who passed away in Barbados on Friday, was another. If batting\u2019s aura always vested with Bradman, Sobers held sway as the supreme all-rounder. Having last played for the West Indies in 1974,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":194286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-194285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Sobers_Obit_64151.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":194261,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=194261","url_meta":{"origin":194285,"position":0},"title":"\u2018The greatest cricketer of all time\u2019 \u2014 When Don Bradman paid tribute to Sir Garfield Sobers","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Garry Sobers, arguably the greatest all rounder of all time, has died aged 89 West Indies Cricket announced on Friday. \u201cA great innings has come to an end. In our hearts, now and forever, Sir Garfield Sobers,\u201d West Indies Cricket posted on X above a photograph of him titled \u2018Legend.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Sobers_Obit_39_1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Sobers_Obit_39_1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Sobers_Obit_39_1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Sobers_Obit_39_1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Sobers_Obit_39_1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":194221,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=194221","url_meta":{"origin":194285,"position":1},"title":"Remembering Sir Garfield Sobers: The man who could do everything","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"There was nothing he could not do on the cricket field. Garry Sobers, long after Don Bradman had stopped playing, brought a rare culture to the game - celebration of feats in every department, with respect in flow for the opponent too. Sobers loved his mastery. He loved his rivals\u2019\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-17T230820.278.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-17T230820.278.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-17T230820.278.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-17T230820.278.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-17T230820.278.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":194233,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=194233","url_meta":{"origin":194285,"position":2},"title":"Tributes pour in post passing away of cricket legend Sir Garfield “Garry” Sobers","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Tributes have poured in from across the world after the death of Sir Garfield \u201cGarry\u201d Sobers, with players, administrators, teams and boards describing his passing as an \u201cirreplaceable loss\u201d and celebrating him as one of the sport\u2019s greatest icons. Cricket West Indies led the tributes, posting: \u201cA great innings has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1_Sobers_Chandrasekhar_vb.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1_Sobers_Chandrasekhar_vb.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1_Sobers_Chandrasekhar_vb.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1_Sobers_Chandrasekhar_vb.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1_Sobers_Chandrasekhar_vb.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":194305,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=194305","url_meta":{"origin":194285,"position":3},"title":"West Indies legend Garry Sobers passes away at age 89","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Garry Sobers was born with two extra fingers \u2014 one on each hand. He removed them himself as a boy, using catgut and a sharp knife. Sobers would go on to become the most complete cricketer to play the game. A graceful and destructive left-handed batsman, \u200ba left-arm bowler equally\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HS4886.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HS4886.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HS4886.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HS4886.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HS4886.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":194907,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=194907","url_meta":{"origin":194285,"position":4},"title":"Brian Lara calls for celebration of \u2018father figure\u2019 Garry Sobers","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Brian Lara has urged the \u201cwhole of the Caribbean\u201d to celebrate Garry Sobers following the death of the West Indies legend. Sobers, widely regarded as cricket\u2019s most outstanding all-rounder, died aged 89 on Friday, sparking a flood of tributes from all over the world. Among his many achievements, Sobers\u2019s 365\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/LARA.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/LARA.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/LARA.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/LARA.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/LARA.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":194245,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=194245","url_meta":{"origin":194285,"position":5},"title":"West Indies legend Sir Garfield Sobers passes away","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Mr.\u00a0Jay Shah, ICC\u00a0Chairman, said: \"Today, the cricket world has lost one of its greatest icons. Sir Garfield Sobers was not only the finest all-rounder the game has ever known, but one of the greatest cricketers in history.\u00a0 \"On behalf of the International Cricket Council, I extend our deepest condolences to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/z3q0cckyssdcxe5v9pvl.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgnRh4-OxD","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=194285"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194285\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/194286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=194285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=194285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=194285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}