New Delhi. The world of modern cricket today is bound by strict rules, strict diet charts, yo-yo test and strict disciplinary guidelines. In today’s time, no player can even think of staying out till late night or drinking alcohol during match days. But there was a period in the history of cricket, when for some players the discipline of the field and the intoxication of the night were not two different shores. He used to organize parties all night among the Sura and Sundari and the next morning, with a heavy head and faltering steps, he would come down to the field and perform such a charisma that the world would be stunned. The undisputed king of this ‘masculine’ brigade was Sir Garfield Sobers.
West Indies’ greatest all-rounder Gary Sobers never restricted himself to any restrictions. His simple principle was that life is to be lived with full passion and joy. There is a very famous incident from the Lord’s Test of 1973, which completely describes his carefree lifestyle. The test match against England was going on, but as soon as the game ended, Sobers went straight to a nightclub. The drinking binge lasted the whole night and he returned to the hotel early in the morning. Forget about getting complete sleep, he was not even able to stand properly. When he reached the field, West Indies’ batting was going on.
Gary Sobers scored several centuries under the influence of alcohol.
Brandy’s ‘dose’ and storm of 150 runs at Lord’s
When Sobers reached the crease after the dismissal of captain Rohan Kanhai, his condition was very bad. He could not see the balls properly and was suffering from stomach pain. But on the basis of his amazing talent, he kept playing and within no time he came close to a century. When the pain became unbearable, he returned to the dressing room for some time. There Captain Kanhai arranged ‘brandy’ for him instead of medicine. Sobers’ pain disappeared as soon as a few sips of brandy went down his throat. He returned to the crease again and died after playing a magical inning of 150 runs. West Indies won that match by a huge margin of one innings and 226 runs.
Night with girlfriend, sleep in dressing room and then 132 runs!
This was not the only story of Sobers. Earlier in 1968, when the West Indies team was on a tour of Australia, a similar incident happened. Sobers stayed with his girlfriend all night and reached the hotel in the morning when the team bus had left for the ground. He reached the stadium straight away, wore pads and slept on the chair in the dressing room. He was woken up when the wickets fell. Sobers went to the field rubbing his eyes and scored a quick 132 runs in just 113 minutes. After finishing the innings, he returned and started completing his incomplete sleep in the dressing room again. Even during the tour of India in the year 1958-59, after drinking alcohol till 2 o’clock in the night, he batted for five hours the next day and played an innings of 198 runs.
Herschelle Gibbs’s intoxication just before the historic 438-run match
But Sobers was not the only hero of this rebellious and colorful style. Times changed, era changed, but new faces kept joining this ‘intoxicating group’ of cricket. South Africa’s explosive opener Herschelle Gibbs has openly admitted in his autobiography ‘To the Point’ that he drank heavily a few hours before many big matches of his career (which included the historic 438-run match). Despite this, his class and timing never diminished on the field.
Andrew Flintoff scored a century with a hangover and wandering on the streets
England’s aggressive all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was very fond of pubs and parties. One of his memorable Test centuries against South Africa came when he was completely hungover. Many times he was found roaming on the streets in an inebriated state, but when he had a ball or bat in his hand, his opponents would tremble.
Andrew Symonds used to give headache to his captain Ricky Ponting
Captain Ricky Ponting was often troubled by the unbridled lifestyle of this most ‘unpredictable’ player of Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds cricket. Many times Symonds was found with a severe hangover on the morning of the match, but his amazing fielding and explosive batting always worked as a lifeline for the team.
Who lost his entire career due to alcohol addiction
For New Zealand’s extremely talented batsman Jesse Ryder, his drinking habit became his biggest enemy. He had to be dropped from the team several times during the IPL due to his late night partying, and ultimately this indiscipline brought a premature end to his brilliant career.
