Lara calls for celebration of ‘father figure’ Sobers

Brian Lara has urged the “whole of the Caribbean” to celebrate Garry Sobers following the death of the West Indies legend.

Sobers, widely regarded as cricket’s most outstanding all-rounder, died aged 89 on Friday, sparking a flood of tributes from all over the world.

Among his many achievements, Sobers’s 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958 stood as the highest individual innings in Test cricket for 36 years.

That record was eventually broken by fellow West Indies left-hander Lara, who made 375 against England in 1994, with Sobers walking on to the ground to congratulate him after he had gone past 365.

Lara, who first met Sobers as a boy while taking part in a youth cricket competition set up by the Barbados national hero, told Sky Sports: “He was a father figure, a general, a mentor in my life, so even though I am sad, 89 is a great score.

“I want to tell the whole of the Caribbean that we need to celebrate his life.”

He added: “In each era of West Indies cricket there is a different motivational factor. Sir Clive Lloyd and Sir Vivian Richards wanted to be the best team in the world.

“But I read that in the 1950s and 60s it was about making ourselves independent of English rule and Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Wes Hall fought for a different purpose.

“Sir Garfield is the most amazing person I have ever met. Just unbelievable.”