Garfield Sobers
Cricket's ultimate all-rounder, a magnetic force who could single-handedly dominate a match with bat, ball, or breathtaking fielding.
Born 1936 (age 90)·Barbadian cricketer·Birthday: July 28·The Silent Generation
Biography
Sir Garfield Sobers didn't just play cricket; he performed it with a swashbuckling audacity that rewrote the rules of possibility. Born in Barbados, his natural talent was raw and explosive. As a batsman, he was both elegant and brutal, becoming the first man to hit six sixes in a single over in first-class cricket. As a bowler, he was a perplexing puzzle, delivering left-arm pace, orthodox spin, and wrist spin with equal menace. In the field, his reflexes were legendary. This unparalleled versatility made him the sport's most complete player. He captained the West Indies with a calm authority, leading a team transitioning into the powerhouse it would become. Sobers played the game with a joyful, attacking flair that captivated global audiences, transforming the all-rounder from a useful player into the central protagonist. His career is the benchmark against which every multi-skilled cricketer is measured.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Garfield was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Garfield Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Garfield's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Age 90 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958, a world record Test innings that stood for 36 years.
- Achieved the historic feat of hitting six sixes in a single over in first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire in 1968.
- Played 93 Test matches, scoring over 8,000 runs and taking 235 wickets, showcasing his unmatched all-round prowess.
- Knighted for his services to cricket in 1975, becoming Sir Garfield Sobers.
Did You Know?
He bowled with his left arm but wrote and played golf right-handed.
He played professional football (soccer) in Barbados as a goalkeeper for the national team.
His record 365* was made at the age of 21, and he batted for 614 minutes.
He was named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century in 2000.
“Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties, but the one certainty is that you must play it hard and play it fair.”
