Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar paid tribute to West Indies great Sir Garfield Sobers after his death on Friday, calling him the greatest cricketer to ever play the game and the player every child aspires to be.Mr Sobers, known as a cricket legend, died at his home in Barbados, 11 days short of his 90th birthday. During his two decades of career, he set new standards with his batting, bowling and fielding.“This is perhaps the saddest day in cricket. The greatest player in the world has left us. No words can do justice to Sir Garfield Sobers, the great cricketer.“He was everything we aspired to be when we picked up a ball or a football as kids,” Gavaskar said, according to news agency PTI.“The memories come back and are ones I will hold close to my heart forever. Rest in peace, Sir Garfield. You will be in our hearts forever,” he added.Sobers represented the West Indies in 93 Test matches between 1954 and 1974. He scored 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78, including 26 centuries, and also took 235 wickets.A left-handed batsman, Sobers was also useful as a left-arm medium bowler, orthodox left-arm spinner and left-arm spinner. He was also known as one of the best fielders and closers in the history of the game.His unbeaten 365 against Pakistan in 1958 was the highest scorer in cricket at that time. This record lasted for 36 years.Another landmark came in 1968 when, while playing county cricket for Nottinghamshire, he became the first player to hit six sixes in an hour in first-class cricket. The feat came against Glamorgan’s Malcolm Nash.Sobers was recognized by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975 for his services to cricket. In 2000, he was named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the 20th Century.His name lives on through the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, an annual ICC award given to the best men’s international cricketers in all formats.
