Bethell hails 'incredible' Sobers for turning point in England career

England all-rounder Jacob Bethell thanked the "incredible" Garry Sobers for the key role he played in forging his career following the death of the West Indies legend.

Sobers, widely regarded as cricket's most outstanding all-rounder, died aged 89 on Friday, sparking a flood of tributes from all over the cricket world to the Barbadian.

Bethell, who grew up in Barbados, got to know Sobers as a boy and the former West Indies captain wrote a reference to help him obtain a sports scholarship to Rugby School, Birmingham. 

That set Bethell, now 22, on a path that has seen the batting all-rounder become a mainstay of both England's Test and white-ball teams.

"I met him in Barbados, you know when I was about 11 or 12 maybe even slightly younger than that, my uncle was quite close to him," Bethell told reporters at Lord's on Saturday.

"He (Sobers) came down to watch me play (cricket) and I think liked what he saw," added Bethell on the eve of the third one-day international against India -- when England will wear black armbands in memory of Sobers.   

"The legend that he was, he had a presence about him and he you know when he came and watched he wanted you to do well."

Bethell added: "The major helping point for me personally was helping me get over to England. You know, he wrote wrote a reference for me in terms of backing me to come over here, so I think that went a long way towards getting me into school here and furthering my career over here. 

"That helped me a lot to get over here and do what I'm doing now."

Bethell, recalling how he had played golf with the "larger-than-life" Sobers at the Sandy Lane course in Barbados, added: "He was a very humble guy, that everybody gravitated towards. 

"Every time he walked into anywhere, the place would just come alive. 

"It was unbelievable be able to spend a bit of time with him and be around someone of that calibre... Wherever he walked he was seen as a legend."

While much too young to have seen Sobers play, Bethell knew from an early age he was an exceptional cricketer. 

"I've watched so many YouTube videos and seen what he was like as a player. I never got to watch him live obviously, but to see the flair he had -- he'd do everything, bowl both ways, spin and seam, catch everything in the slips. He was incredible," he said.

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© Agence France-Presse