West Indies great Sir Garfield Sobers passes away at 89
What's the story
Sir Garfield Sobers, a legendary former West Indies cricketer and one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history, has passed away at the age of 89. He played 93 Tests between 1954 and 1974, scoring over 8,000 runs and taking more than 200 wickets. His record-breaking innings of 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958 remained the highest individual score in Test cricket for 36 years.
Acclaim
Named 1 of Wisden's 5 cricketers of the 20th century
Sobers was not just an entertaining left-handed batsman but also a highly versatile bowler who could bowl spin and seam.
He played county cricket for Nottinghamshire.
He was knighted in 1975 for his contributions to the sport. He was also named one of Wisden's five cricketers of the 20th century.
In 1968, during his time at Nottinghamshire, Sobers became the first player to hit six sixes in an over in a First-Class match.
Career start
Sobers's early career and record-breaking Test innings
Sobers made his First-Class debut for Barbados at just 16 years old in 1953.
His extraordinary talent saw him being called up by the West Indies team, making his international debut the following year.
He quickly made a name for himself on the world stage, scoring a maiden Test century against Pakistan in 1958.
His record-breaking innings of 365 not out set a new benchmark for the highest individual score in a Test innings until Brian Lara broke it in 1994.
Numbers
Sober's numbers in Tests
Sobers retired from international cricket at the age of 38 in 1974.
He played a total of 93 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78 and taking 235 wickets at an average of 34.03.
As per Cricinfo, he has the fourth-highest batting average in Test cricket in the list of players with more than 5,000 runs.
Sobers smashed 26 Test hundreds alongside 30 fifties. With the ball, he claimed six five-wicket hauls.
Lasting influence
His First-Class career stats, knighthood, and ICC trophy
In his 383 First-Class matches, Sobers ended up amassing 28,314 runs from 383 matches (609 innings) at 54.87.
He slammed 86 hundreds and 121 fifties.
With the ball, Sobers managed 1,043 scalps at 27.74. He picked 36 five-wicket hauls.
He played for South Australia and later Nottinghamshire toward the end of his career.
In recognition of his contributions to cricket, Sobers was knighted in 1975.
The International Cricket Council also honors the men's cricketer of the year with the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.
Words
'A great innings has come to an end'
"A great innings has come to an end. In our hearts, now and forever, Sir Garfield Sobers," Cricket West Indies said.
Nottinghamshire described Sobers as "cricket's greatest-ever all-rounder and an iconic figure in Nottinghamshire history".
"We are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Garfield Sobers," the club said.
Twitter Post
Gone!
Cricket's greatest-ever all-rounder, and an iconic figure in Nottinghamshire history.
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) July 17, 2026
We are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Garfield Sobers.https://t.co/iFz4m9jCyy pic.twitter.com/5kb6rfYJZU