North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) Chairman and former national and international cricketer Dr. Tim Gopeesingh has paid tribute to Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers following the cricket legend’s passing, describing him as, in his view, the finest all-round cricketer the world has ever produced.
In a statement issued Friday, Dr. Gopeesingh said he joined the people of Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean and the international sporting fraternity in mourning Sir Garfield’s death, calling him one of only two men who can truly be spoken of alongside Sir Donald Bradman. He recalled that Bradman himself once described Sir Gary as the greatest all-round cricketer he had ever seen, adding that there could be no greater tribute than that.
Dr. Gopeesingh noted that the scorebooks will forever record Sir Garfield’s unbeaten 365, his more than 8,000 Test runs, his 235 Test wickets, and his unforgettable six sixes in an over. But he stressed that even those remarkable achievements only tell part of the story, Sir Gary’s true greatness, he said, lay not simply in the records he set, but in the elegance, courage, brilliance and joy with which he played, as the rare complete cricketer capable of changing a match with bat, ball or in the field.
Dr. Gopeesingh shared that as a young cricketer, he was among the thousands who watched Sir Gary play at the Queen’s Park Oval, leaving each time wanting to bat, field and play with the same confidence and flair. That inspiration, he said, stayed with him through his years at Queen’s Park Cricket Club and into his own career representing Trinidad and Tobago against Australia in 1978, and UWI combined against New Zealand in 1972 and Australia in 1973.
He recalled being given the honour of meeting Sir Gary personally in Guyana in 1998, finding him just as warm, gracious, humble and generous off the field as he was celebrated on it. A second meeting followed in 2016, when Sir Gary attended Queen’s Park Cricket Club’s 125th Anniversary celebrations at the Queen’s Park Oval, an encounter Dr. Gopeesingh described as a treasured blessing that reinforced that true greatness is measured not only by records, but by humility and character.
Dr. Gopeesingh said that with Sir Garfield’s passing, Barbados has lost one of its greatest sons, the West Indies has lost one of its greatest ambassadors, and cricket has lost one of its greatest masters. Still, he maintained that while Sir Gary’s earthly innings has ended, his legacy will never be declared out, living on in every young player who dreams of wearing the maroon cap and every Caribbean citizen who understands that excellence comes through discipline, perseverance and humility.
He closed his tribute with a prayer for Sir Garfield’s eternal rest, expressing hope that the example he set will continue to inspire others to play life’s innings with courage, dignity, humility and an unwavering pursuit of excellence.