By Vivek Prabhakar Singh
Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 18 (ANI): Legendary Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev on Saturday paid tribute to cricket icon Sir Garfield Sobers, describing him as one of the greatest all-rounders the game has ever seen and recalling a memorable golfing experience that reflected Sobers’ extraordinary talent.
Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the Kapil Dev Sunil Gupta Super Speciality Hospital, Kapil said Sobers inspired generations of cricketers and remained one of the sport’s biggest legends.
“One of the finest cricketers, for people like us, an all-rounder who wants to bat, bowl and field, I think nobody can come close to him. What a fine cricketer. Not in our era, one era before he played, and till today we talk about him. I think he taught us one thing: how to get runs. And he looked so passionate. Whatever footage I have seen, he used to enjoy sport,” Kapil told ANI.
The 1983-World Cup winning skipper said Sobers’ love for the game set him apart from many others.
“Sometimes we see these cricketers not enjoying so much, but he was one legend who enjoyed the sport more than anything else. Yes, it’s a great loss but he has given us so many happy moments in our lives,” he added.
Recalling a personal memory, the former Indian captain narrated how Sobers’ exceptional sporting ability extended well beyond cricket.
“I always say that after he stopped playing cricket, he used to play golf. He was in India and said, ‘Kapil, I want to play golf.’ I took him to the golf course. He said, ‘I don’t have a set.’ So I asked what kind of set he wanted. He said, ‘Doesn’t matter, any set. I just want to play.’ I asked, ‘Left-hand?’ He said, ‘Doesn’t matter, right hand or left hand,'” Kapil recalled.
The great all-rounder said he was amazed to see Sobers play golf equally well with either hand.
“So I was shocked because I play a little bit of golf. How can a man who’s a left-hander play right-hand golf? But his handicap was one playing left-handed and two playing right-handed. That much I remember. I thought, what a talent. Unimaginable and a great human being,” he said.
Kapil also praised the spirit of West Indies cricketers.
“Anyway, all the West Indians are great because they live their life, don’t take pressure. They just want to play well, enjoy hard and live happily,” he added.
Sobers represented the West Indies in 93 Test matches between 1954 and 1974, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78, including 26 centuries, while also claiming 235 wickets.
His ability to excel as a left-handed batter, a versatile left-arm bowler capable of seam, orthodox spin and wrist spin, and a brilliant fielder earned him universal acclaim as one of the game’s complete cricketers.
Among his greatest achievements was his unbeaten 365 against Pakistan in 1958, then the highest individual score in Test cricket, a record that stood for 36 years.
In 1968, while playing county cricket for Nottinghamshire, he became the first player to hit six sixes in a single over in first-class cricket, achieving the feat against Malcolm Nash of Glamorgan.
Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975 for his services to cricket, Sobers was later named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the 20th Century in 2000.
His legacy also lives on through the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, the ICC’s annual award presented to the outstanding men’s international cricketer across all formats.
Sobers’ passing marks the end of one of cricket’s most celebrated chapters, with tributes continuing to pour in from across the sporting world. (ANI)
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