debut: 3/6/03
9,995 runs
Garry Sobers was selected for the test match against England at Sabina Park in 1954 to replace the injured Alfred Valentine. Sobers was 17 years old at the time and it was a like-for-like replacement—one slow left-arm orthodox bowler for another. Sobers batted at number 9. This was March 1954, but by 1958-59 on the tour of India and Pakistan, Sobers watched the Indian wizard, Subhash Gupte, and decided to try his hand at bowling wrist spin. Thus a new weapon in his armament was created and Sobers the chinaman and googly bowler was born.
The Evolution of a Versatile Bowler
A mere two years later while playing in the English Leagues, Sobers started experimenting and found that he could get the ball to swing prodigiously both ways. He perfected his left-arm swing and seam bowling and soon became one of the best new ball bowlers in the world. Unfortunately for him, he had already established himself as one of the best batsmen in the world, so opening the bowling was out of the question, particularly with the fearsome Hall and dangerous Charlie Griffith leading the West Indies attack.
Many captains were reluctant to have their premier batsman opening the bowling, and as a result Sobers rarely opened the bowling except for a few cameos. One such cameo occurred in the Headingley test in 1963, when Sobers told his captain that he believed he could dismiss the England opener, Mickey Stewart, if he was given the new ball. Frankie Worrell agreed to try this tactic and Sobers duly had Mickey Stewart clean bowled for a duck in his first over.
Success with the New Ball
Sobers over the years took the new ball several times with notable success, dismissing Geoff Boycott in the first over of the innings on 3 occasions without scoring. In 1963-64 Sobers opened the bowling in all 9 matches he played for South Australia and dismissed 13 batsmen in his opening spell with the new ball. Here is a memorable opening spell against the powerful New South Wales team in 1964:
South Australia vs New South Wales, January 31 - February 4, 1964
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