Sir Garry On The Greens

We sit and wait - the photographer and I - waiting five, ten, 15, 20 minutes for the man to surface.

The man - Sir Garry Sobers - had promised to have a "chat" with us, and we had arrived half-hour early. It was turning into a stakeout. And then he finally arrived.

"Hi, gentlemen," he said, "see you are back."

With his familiar gait (torso thrown forward and smooth movement), which became trademark worldwide, "Sir G", as he let us call him, escorted us to a quieter area of the Royal Westmoreland Golf Course, where we would not be distracted by the many autograph seekers or those offering him a drink.

Golf is the topic nowadays with the island's only living national hero. The memories of his cricketing exploits are not forgotten and will never be, but he prefers to talk about golf and other things.

For the record, he had 8,032 runs (average: 57.78) with 26 centuries in 93 Tests. Attach to that 235 wickets and 109 catches, and you have cricket's most complete performer. But cricket later, Sir G said.

"I play golf now," he said with a tone of familiarity, as if we were friends for years. "When you suffer from arthritis, you have to go and hit ball for about half-hour, and then you can go out and play."

This wasn't one of his better days on the course, but Sir G, now 64, finds the sport quite relaxing when he is not working for the Barbados Tourism Authority.

"I'm working for the tourism board as sports consultant and doing promotions, and enjoy doing it. If there is anything I can do to help the island bloom, I am willing.

"When you look at all West Indians who played cricket, all of us were all ambassadors working for the country. When you go overseas and people ask you about your country, and you tell them about it, you are being an ambassador."

Sir Garry does not speak of himself; he doesn't have to. His record on and off the field, his gentle nature, the fact that he walked with kings but never lost the common touch, speak for themselves.

He was one of four boys and two girls who grew up in Bayland, St. Michael. He was brought up in humble surroundings to be a humble man by his mother, Thelma.

"When I was a youngster, you heard about people like Everton Weekes, Frank Worrell, and they became idols," he said. "And because they were famous and travelling [they] got mentioned all the time, and you thought they were something different, somewhere far off, someone that you could not talk to.

"Some players were like that, who believe because you played to a certain level they were far different to anybody else. That is not so. We are all human beings, we are all people who come from the grassroots like myself.

"Not because you are admired by people all over the world that you have to forget the people you knew from birth. I don't believe in that. I am one who believes I will live my life the way I've always lived it."

The photographer's cellular phone goes off, and the topic switches.

Finally, Sir G gave a few words on cricket.

"You are the greatest cricketer of all time..." I was about to begin a question.

He stopped me.

"Well, I have never looked at myself as the greatest cricketer of all time," he said as our eyes met. "People might look at my performances and what I've done, and projected that kind of image. I've always played the game for the team I play for, and tried to do my best and make sure my team was being helped.

Praise

"If in trying to do so I have been given this title and praise, well, then, so be it. It is nice to know that you have been able to achieve things in your field of endeavour.

"I am pleased that I played the game well."

In fact, he played more than well. On the field, he exhibited total concentration. He focused strictly on what to be done.

Always the showman but never a showoff, his idea was always to win though, not at all cost.

Then there's the small matter of six sixes in one over.

The bowler was 23-year-old Malcolm Nash, and Sir Garry came in at 308 for five for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan at Swansea on August 31, 1968.

Before then, no one had achieved the feat. Only Indian allrounder Ravi Shastri has done it since.

The question was asked, and Sir Garry paused, gave it some thought, and then responded: "Everybody asks about six sixes... To be honest, I don't know what all the fuss was about.

"When I went in, I just wanted to get quick runs. The sixes were never on my mind. I was not worried if I got out or not, I did not go out looking to break records."

Actually, he said, that in his book, six sixes is not good cricket.

"I would never advise a youngster to go out there and hit six sixes and think that would make him a world champion. There is a lot more to it than that."

And Sir G, of all people, should know.