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Garry Sobers, West Indies cricketing legend, dies aged 89
One of cricket's greatest allrounders, Sobers represented West Indies in 93 tests in an international career spanning two decades
- PUBLISHED: Fri 17 Jul 2026, 7:41 PM UPDATED: Fri 17 Jul 2026, 8:45 PM
Garry Sobers, widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest allrounders, has died at the age of 89, West Indies Cricket announced on Friday.
"A great innings has come to an end. In our hearts, now and forever, Sir Garfield Sobers," West Indies Cricket posted on social media on Friday.
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Known for his aggressive top-order batting, the ability to bowl medium fast and spin, and excellent fielding, Sobers represented West Indies in 93 tests in an international career spanning two decades, from 1954 to 1974.
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He scored 26 centuries, and his knock of 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958 was the highest individual score in a test innings until Brian Lara broke his record in 1994.
In a poll of 100 cricket experts in 1999, both Bradman and Sobers were chosen in Wisden's Five Cricketers of the 20th Century with the West Indian all-rounder garnering 90 votes.
Bradman had an extraordinary 100 votes and yet before his own death in 2001, the Don paid the ultimate tribute to Sobers.
"He is, in my opinion, the greatest cricketer of all time," said the Don.
That tribute is based not just on the statistics or on style — of which Sobers had plenty — but on the breathtaking breadth of his cricketing ability.
As a batsman Sobers scored 8,032 runs in his 93 Tests at an average of 57.78, numbers that on their own that would guarantee him a place in any pantheon.
On top of that, Sobers was a bowler, who took 235 wickets at 34.03 runs each.
Sometimes he would open with fast left-arm but, if the pitch was breaking up, he would switch to the left-arm spin -- orthodox or wrist -- that first brought him to the attention of the West Indian selectors as a teenager.
"The bloke could do just about anything on a cricket field except umpire," Australian all-rounder Alan Davidson told The Cricket Monthly on the occasion of Sobers' 80th birthday in 2016.
"He was a complete cricketer, magnificent fielder, bowled all types of bowling, and when in form, he absolutely decimated great bowling attacks.
"You could not set a field to him because he just had that innate ability to be able to score runs whenever he wanted to."