Sir Garry Sobers, the former West Indies all-rounder widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers in history, died at his home in Barbados on Friday at the age of 89.

Cricket West Indies announced his death, prompting tributes from across the cricketing world for a player whose batting, bowling and fielding set a standard that few have matched.

Sobers played 93 Tests for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78 and taking 235 wickets.

He could bowl left-arm pace, orthodox spin and wrist-spin, and was also considered one of the finest close-in fielders of his era.

Former Australia captain Richie Benaud once described him as “the greatest all-round cricketer the world has seen,” while Sir Donald Bradman called him a “five-in-one cricketer” because of his range of skills.

Born in Barbados in 1936, Sobers made his first-class debut at 16 and his Test debut the following year. In 1958, he scored 365 not out against Pakistan, setting a world record for the highest individual score in Test cricket.

The mark stood until fellow West Indian Brian Lara surpassed it in 1994.

In 1968, Sobers became the first player to hit six sixes in an over in first-class cricket while playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan in Swansea.

His first-class career included 383 matches for Barbados, the West Indies, Nottinghamshire and South Australia, during which he scored 28,314 runs and took 1,043 wickets.

Sobers captained the West Indies in 39 Tests and was knighted in 1975 for services to cricket. The ICC’s award for the men’s cricketer of the year is named the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in his honour.

Cricket West Indies president Kishore Shallow described Sobers as “the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen” and said his achievements became a symbol of Caribbean excellence and possibility.