Oct 18, – Legendary West Indies all-rounder, Sir Garry Sobers, will arrive here tomorrow where he will be the guest of honour for the second Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies.
Sir Garry, arguably the greatest Test all-rounder to have played the game, will be the guest of Sri Lanka Cricket and will spend a week here attending events and also witnessing the Test at the P Sara Oval from October 22-26.
“We are honoured to have Sir Garry as our guest. We will treat him like a king,” said Sidath Wettimuny, Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim committee chairman.
“We have several programs lined up for him as well as for the Test match. Sir Garry and Michael Tissera will be present in the middle at the time of the toss and he will also be hosted to a special dinner.”
Sri Lanka Cricket has named the series trophy after Sir Garry and Tissera, the former Sri Lanka captain. The pair led their respective teams during the unofficial Test in 1967 at the P Sara Oval.
Sir Garry also coached the Sri Lanka side at the 1983 World Cup in England when Wettimuny, a right-handed top-order batsman, was a member of the side.
Wettimuny said the players who comprised that side would be invited to be part of the festivities on Sir Garry’s visit.
The Barbadian, a former West Indies Test captain, scored 8032 runs at an average of nearly 58, captured 235 wickets and held 109 catches in 93 Tests.
He is Barbados’ only living National Hero.
