AUSTRALIAN REPORTS BELIED Sobers Tired, But Far From Jaded

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31920, 22 February 1969, Page 15

AUSTRALIAN REPORTS BELIED Sobers Tired, But Far From Jaded

Australian newspaper reports that the West Indian captain, G. S. Sobers, was jaded and had lost interest in cricket were certainly not confirmed when the great all-rounder arrived with his team-mates at Christchurch Airport yesterday.

He was cheerful and relaxed, talked easily to reporters and bantered with the other players.

I Also, he readily swapped reminiscences with the former West i Indian test cricketer, S. I C. Guillen, who now i lives in Christchurch and was at the airport to welcome his countrymen. “The last time we were here New Zealand finished one up; I hear that they intend to keep it that way,” Sobers said, with a broad smile.

In fact, Sobers was being too generous to New Zealand cricket. New Zealand did win one of the tests on the 1955-56 tour, but West Indies took the other three. The West Indians arrived from Sydney an hour and a quarter late, and after checking through customs boarded a special flight to Dunedin for the match against the South Island, which will begin today. The manager of the team, Mr H. Gaskin, said the players were generally fit and well. Sobers was troubled with corns on his right foot and the spinner, L. S. Gibbs, had bruised the second finger of his bowling hand, but it has not affected his bowling. Mr Gaskin dispelled doubts about the fitness and interest of Sobers towards cricket, after a full year of county championship matches in England, the M.C.C. tour of the West Indies, double-wic-ket tournaments, and the tour of Australia.

“But it would be only

human for a man to be somewhat tired,” he said. It was reported in Australia after Sobers stayed in Melbourne for several days while the team travelled on, that he was tired of cricket and a disinterested captain. In fact, he had the permission of the tour committee to stay in Melbourne for business reasons.

There was also criticism after he arived late for practice on the day before the first test in Brisbane.

“The team was to practise on the morning the day before the test and Sobers made an appointment to see a chiropodist in the afternoon. It rained in the morning and he still had to keep his appointment and so arrived late at the practice,” Mr Gaskin said.

No-one fielded better in Australia than C. Lloyd or Sobers, not even in the Australian side Mr Gaskin said. However, the fielding as a whole in the Australian side was better.

“Our batting, except for the Adelaide test, did not click. There were many brilliant performances Sobers's century in the last test was probably his greatest—but these performances came singly

and rarely were strung together.” The West Indies team had certainly benefited from the tour of Australia, he said. The players who had not toured before—Fredericks, Davis, Edwards, Findlay, and Comacho had improved. There was no better wicketkeeper than Hendricks anywhere in Australia.

Sobers said he expected the pitches in New Zealand to be trickier than those he had played on in England. “From my memories of the last tour, I found the pitches a little less predictable. It should help our spinners and the quick men while the ball still has shine,” he said.