National Hero the Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers has died at the age of 89 at his home after a period of illness.

Barbados TODAY has been reliably informed that the global cricket icon, widely regarded as the greatest cricketer of all time, passed away shortly  after 9 am on Friday.

Sobers represented the West Indies between 1954 and 1974 and was, for more than 36 years, the holder of the record for the highest  individual Test score after making an unbeaten 365 against Pakistan in 1958.