Cricket legend Sir Garry Sobers passes away

Sir Garfield (Garry) Sobers, one of the greatest all-rounders and legendary cricketers in cricket history, is no more. The West Indian great passed away at the age of 89.

Cricket West Indies confirmed his death through a post on social media platform X on Friday.

The organisation wrote, "An epic innings has come to an end. You are in our hearts and will remain forever, Sir Garfield Sobers."

In cricket history, many consider Sobers to be the greatest all-rounder of all time, and even the greatest cricketer ever. He was as brilliant with the bat as he was effective with the ball. He was proficient in three types of bowling—left-arm fast-medium, orthodox spin and wrist spin. His catching ability in the slips was also extraordinary.

Sobers played 93 Test matches for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78 and taking 235 wickets at an average of 34.03 .

In recognition of his contributions, the ICC's highest individual honour for the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year was named the 'Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy' .

Beyond cricket, he was also an extraordinary athlete, having represented his native Barbados in football, basketball and golf.

Sobers' versatility in cricket remains unparalleled. Even if he had never taken a wicket with the ball, he would still be remembered as one of the greatest batsmen in history. Conversely, even if he had not scored runs with the bat, his name would still be immortalised in cricket history as a versatile bowler. Apart from wicketkeeping, he displayed extraordinary skill in almost every role on the cricket field.

With the passing of Sir Garry Sobers, world cricket has lost a legend whom many consider the ultimate example of a complete cricketer in the history of the game.