Steve Smith proves all you need is solid defence: Sir Garfield Sobers

Sir Garfield Sobers is a living legend of the game of cricket. The former West Indies all-rounder was the pioneer of six hitting machines. The first man to ever hit 6 sixes in an over, Sobers was an equally capable bowler. The legendary cricketer is currently in Australia and is set to witness the pink-ball Gabba Test later this month.

On the occasion, Garfield Sobers caught up with the Daily Telegraph and spoke his heart out about the game of cricket. He talked about the pink ball day-night Tests in the conversation. Sobers, however, maintained that he always associates red ball with the game. Hence, he finds himself in no position to judge the pink ball game.

“I am looking forward to seeing it but I played with the red ball all my life and appreciated the fact that it has been used for centuries. I am one of the old believers who believe the red ball is the name of the game. I never played under lights so it is difficult for me to really assess it,” quoted Sir Garfield Sobers.

Sobers was a big name in cricket. His capabilities with both and the ball were unmatchable. Having scalped over 200 wickets and batted with an average of close to 60, he was an asset to the team. Had he been a part of the IPL at the present situation, he would have been a million dollar man.

Commenting on this, he remarked, “I don’t know about that. That (sort of money) would give me a great chance to settle in and enjoy it. But the game needs Twenty20. The way finances are going in Test and first-class cricket, you need Twenty20 to pay the bills. English county cricket would be in huge trouble without T20 cricket.”

The West Indies cricket team has always been known for the deadly pace bowlers that it generated in the past. Sir Garfield Sobers was asked who his favorite pacer has been. The humble man found ample qualities of each bowler to like in his team.

“Very difficult. If you asked all the players who faced them all, they would say Malcolm Marshall. The most dangerous of all was Sylvester Clarke. The fastest was Wayne Daniel, even though he struggled to make the team. My hero was Wes Hall, then there was (Andy) Roberts and (Michael) Holding,” he mentioned while asked to pick his favorite bowler of his generation.

Currently, there has been a big debate about who the current best player is. The likes of Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson often come as the forerunners for the answer. Mr. Sobers believes it is Aussie skipper Steve Smith who tops the list for him. The solid technique of Steve Smith makes him the best batsman, he feels.

“I like your young boy Steve Smith. He proves something I have long believed, that the only thing you really must have in cricket is a solid defence. After that, it does not matter what shots you have or how you play them. Smith will improvise in his other shots and that’s fine because when it matters, he can defend well. I like seeing people who have the ability to improvise do it and play shots others can’t,” conceded the legendary cricketer.