Indian cricket has seen phenomenal growth on and off field, says Sir Garfield Sobers

Sir Garfield Sobers: the Man, the Legend

There are only a handful of cricketers in the history of the game who perhaps do not need any introduction. Sir Don Bradman, of course, would be the first one on any list and so too, Sir Garfield Sobers.

If Bradman is universally regarded as the best-ever batsman of all time, Sobers is arguably regarded as the greatest cricketer of all time. And, if you have any doubt about the pedigree of the man from Barbados, you should have been in the West Indies this week when stalwarts of Indian cricket had their fan-boy moments with the 86-year-old legend. “I love India from the very beginning, ever since my playing days. Some of my best friends like Bishan Singh Bedi and Farooq Engineer are from your land,” said Sobers to this writer in a special interaction in Bridgetown when the entire Indian team lined-up for individual photo-ops with the living legend.

Rahul Dravid, the Indian head coach, himself a modern legend, was visibly in awe when he met the legend on the side-lines of the practice session. Dravid, a keen student of the game and completely aware of the tradition and richness of the sport, introduced Shubman Gill as “the most exciting upcoming talent from India”. The likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were composed while meeting but the thrill and sparkle after meeting the legend did convey how much respect they have for the former West Indies captain who scored over 8000 runs and took 235 wickets in a career of 93 matches. “Although, I do not follow much cricket on TV these days; but yes, Virat and Rohit are very good players and always nice to connect with the new generation. You guys should be happy that now you have got a great team and some of the individuals are world beaters,” said Sobers in praise of the current Indian batsmen.

Sobers was accompanied by his wife who informs us that a couple of years back (before Covid-19) the pair was in Mumbai. Age has taken its toll on Sobers physically, but he keeps coming over to his beloved Kensington Oval where his big statue at the entrance is a major tourist attraction of Barbados. Sobers, while chatting to Indian captain Rohit Sharma, asked him when India is coming next for an international game. When told that the Indians would be back later in the month for two ODIs, Sobers promised to come and watch the team play.

Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in an over in a T20 match (against Stuart Broad in the 2007 World Cup), and Ravi Shastri’s six sixes off Tilak Raj in a Ranji trophy game, have become part of folklore. The original six-sixes in an over, however, was by Sobers against Malcolm Nash in an English county game, a deed that has made him immortal for his audacious style of batting. In many ways, he was way ahead of his times. Asked if he had ever thought India would become such a powerhouse of world cricket, Sobers said, “India always produced some fine players like Sunil Gavaskar and others but over the last two decades, the rise of Indian cricket- on and off the field, has been phenomenal” .

A child prodigy who made his first-class debut at the age of 16, and subsequently his international debut a year later, is incredibly athletic and excelled at golf, soccer, and basketball besides cricket for Barbados. He, along with Sir Vivian Richards, is one of the most iconic figures of the Caribbean. While Richards keeps visiting India and often expresses his views from different platforms, Sobers has been quiet because in this part of the world there is no celebrity culture.

It is only in the West Indies, perhaps, that you can meet such a humble legend without any hassles. After a mere introduction and simple request, Sobers agreed for a quick chat even though he had other events to attend. It’s the humility of the legend that stays as his enduring memory. The great man no longer goes out for a drink in local clubs but everyone in Barbados has their own Sobers story.