Durrant Pate/Contributor

The cricketing world is in mourning today over the passing of the sport’s greatest legend, former West Indies captain and record-breaking all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers, who has died at age 89.

Widely regarded as the greatest all-rounder in the history of the sport, Sir Garry, as he is affectionately called, passed away at his home in Barbados this morning, just 11 days shy of his 90th birthday.  Sobers was the West Indies captain for seven years between 1965 72 and held the record for the highest individual Test innings with a score of 365 not out against Pakistan at the age of 23.

That long-standing test record, which was held for 36 years, was finally broken by Brian Lara on April 18, 1994, by scoring an incredible 375 runs against England at the Antigua Recreation Ground. Sir Garry’s record now stands at the fourth-highest individual test score.

Master class batsman 

Sobers amassed over 7,041 First-Class runs for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship. Sir Gary 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. He famously set the world record for the highest individual Test score with 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958 and became the first batsman to hit six sixes in a single first-class over in 1968. 

He played for the West Indies for 20 years, making both his first and last Test appearances in 1954 and 1974, respectively, against England. To his credit, the International Cricket Council, the sport’s global governing body, has awarded him, the ‘Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy’.

In 1998, Sobers was named as one of the 11 National Heroes of Barbados A statement on Windies Cricket’s official X account simply said: “A great innings has come to an end. In our hearts, now and forever, Sir Garfield Sobers.”

“Nottinghamshire are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Garfield Sobers, at the age of 89,” a statement from the club read.