PARIS (France) (AFP) – The late Garry Sobers “stood out” even among cricket’s greats but remained humble despite his standing in the game, former West Indies bowler Michael Holding told AFP on Friday._x000D_
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The Barbados-born Sobers, who has died at the age of 89, featured in 93 Tests between 1954 and 1974, amassing 8,032 runs and taking 235 wickets._x000D_
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Holding, 72, never played with Sobers but said he was struck by the way he was revered in the game._x000D_
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“Among the great cricketers he stood out,” the former paceman told AFP by phone from his Cayman Islands home._x000D_
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“Look at his numbers, and they are impressive but he too was impressive. I know other cricketers whose numbers are good but who I would not be impressed by.”_x000D_
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Holding, who was part of a fearsome West Indies pace attack in the 1970s and 1980s, said: “People who played against him said he was number one._x000D_
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“Ian Chappell, whom I saw on a regular basis when we worked for Channel 9 in Australia, said ‘Mikey do not worry about the question, Is Garry Sobers the best all-rounder? He was more than that — he was the best cricketer that ever lived’._x000D_
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“Those are big words coming from someone who was a former Australian captain and lived in Australia, the country that Don Bradman came from.”_x000D_
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Holding, who took 249 wickets in 60 Tests, said he had enjoyed Sobers’ company._x000D_
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“It was always good to be around Sir Garry,” he said. “One thing I noticed is he never spoke about himself. There are so many cricketers who do and start with ‘In my time’._x000D_
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“He did not like to talk about the game a lot unless he was asked a question. He was a very humble man.”_x000D_
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Sobers averaged an impressive 57.78 with the bat and 34.03 with the ball in Test cricket._x000D_
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He also captained West Indies in 39 Tests between 1965 and 1972, winning nine and losing 10._x000D_
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And his career was littered with extraordinary feats._x000D_
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In 1958 he broke Len Hutton’s record for the highest individual Test score by making 365 not out against Pakistan, a mark that stood for 36 years._x000D_
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He was also the first player to hit six sixes in an over in a first-class match when he played for English county Nottinghamshire._x000D_
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Holding said that while Sobers may have inspired young West Indians to take up the game, they would have been crazy to imagine it was possible to emulate him._x000D_
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“Nobody could do what he did. If you did try, you would fall flat on your face,” he said._x000D_
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“You could look up at him on the pedestal and be proud he is from the Caribbean.”
