Tributes continue to pour in for Barbadian cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers, who passed away on 17 July 2026 at the age of 89.
The news of his death was announced by Cricket West Indies and later confirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC). At this stage, his family and officials have not publicly shared where he died or the cause of his death.
Trinidadian cricketer Brian Lara described Sir Garfield Sobers as a” father figure” in his life and career.
“He was a father figure, a general, and a mentor in my life. So even though I’m here today, I’m sad, but 89 years is not a bad score for a great man. 89 is a great score.
“I want to tell the whole of the Caribbean that we need to celebrate his life”.
Sobers is famous for being one of the greatest all-round cricketers in the history of the game. He played international cricket for the West Indies from 1954 to 1974 and represented Barbados and several other domestic and county teams, including South Australia, Nottinghamshire, and Radcliffe Cricket Club.
During his career, he played 93 Test matches, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78, including 26 centuries. He also took 235 Test wickets and held 109 catches. In 1958, he set a world record by scoring an unbeaten 365 runs against Pakistan, which was the highest individual Test score at the time.
Sobers captained the West Indies in 39 Test matches and helped make the team one of the strongest in world cricket. Although there was no Cricket World Cup during most of his international career, he won several domestic and first-class competitions with the teams he represented and was knighted in 1975 for his outstanding services to cricket.
Asked what Sobers meant to the world of West Indies Cricket, Lara replied,” In each era of West Indies cricket, there’s a different motivational factor. In the 50’s, in the 60’s, in the 70’s.
“I mean Clive Clive Llyod and Sir Vivian Richards and all these guys, they wanted to be the best team in the World. I knew for a fact that what I read that during the 50’s and 60’s is all about making ourselves independent of that rule, that English rule.
“And Sir Garfield Sobers, Frank, and Sir West Hall, they fought for a different purpose. And for me, Sir Garfield Sobers is the most amazing person that I’ve ever met.
“As a cricketer, I’ve never seen him play. A friend, a father figure, just unbelievable”.
