Gary Sobers is regarded by cricket experts as the greatest all-rounder who has ever played the sport. He is also considered by many as even the greatest cricketer ahead of Don Bradman.
The great West Indian all-rounder turned 81 on Friday July 28,2017
Here are some unique facts about the man his teammates fondly called Soby.
1)Gary Sobers was born on July 28,1936 in Bridgetown,Barbados with six fingers in each of his hands. While he lost the extra finger on one hand because of a minor accident as a young boy, the extra finger in the other hand was gone after it was cut when he was a teenager!
2)Gary Sobers was not just a run machine but was also a batsman with daringness to thrash apart the best of attacks. He became the first man ever to smash six sixes in a domestic match. It happened in 1968 when Sobers captained Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan
3) Gary Sobers found love in India and got engaged to veteran Indian actress Anju Mahendru. The engagement was later called off and the West Indian married an Australian girl.
4) Gary Sobers was unique as a bowler. He was the true all-rounder as apart from being a great batsman, he was the complete bowler who bowled seam ups, orthodox spin and chinaman at the top level. He of course used to operate as a left hander with both bat and ball.
5)Gary Sobers had a tough upbringing. He was one of six siblings in the family. He also lost his father in a ship accident when he was just five years old.
6) Gary Sobers played 93 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 8032 runs at an average of 57.78, and taking 235 Wickets at an average of 34.03.
7)In his 383 first-class matches, he scored over 28,000 runs and took over 1000 wickets
8)Gary Sobers made his Test debut in March 1954, aged 17, agains England at Sabina Park in Kingston ,Jamaica for the Fifth and final Test, after Alf Valentine had fallen ill.
Gary Sobers was selected as a bowler, despite only mediocre performances against England for Barbados. He made a good impression by taking 4/75 in England's first innings, including a wicket in his opening over. Sobers also scored 14 not out and 26 batting at number nine; however, England won the match by nine wickets
9)In 1958, Gary Sobers scored his maiden Test century against Pakistan in Kingston and expanded it to an unbeaten 365, breaking the World Record Test Match Scored of 364 set by England's Len Hutton in 1938.
Gary Sobers batted for 614 minutes and scored 38 fours but, unusually in such a large total, no sixes. At 21 years and 216 days, he is the youngest player to break the individual scoring record in Tests, and remains the youngest triple-centurion
Gary Sobers set the world records for the highest maiden test ton(365*) as well as becoming the first batsman in test history to convert his maiden test ton into a triple ton
10)On 31 August 1968, Gary Sobers became the first batsman ever to hit six sixes in a single over of six consecutive balls in First Class Cricket
Gary Sobers was playing as captain of Nottinghmshire against Glamorgan at St Helen's in Swansea in and the unfortunate bowler was Malcolm Nash
11)Gary Sober Career Statistics
Tests
Matches 93
Runs Scored 8032
100/50 26/30
Topscore 365*
Average 57.78
Wickets Taken 235
Bowling Average 34.03
5-Wkt Haul 06
Best Bowling 6/73
No comments:
Post a Comment