West Indies cricket legend Michael Holding has delivered heartfelt tribute to the late Garry Sobers, who passed away at the age of 89, describing him as a humble great whose achievements transcend any written or spoken words.

Sobers, widely regarded as the greatest all-rounder to have played the game, was remembered through the eyes of Australian great Ian Chappell, who held the Barbadian in exceptionally high regard.

"Ian Chappell in particular revered the man and once told me, 'Mikey, this talk about Garry being the best all-rounder there is, he's the best batsman I've seen.' The all-round tag was obvious but he didn't want it to just end there, he singled him out as a batsman as well," Holding said.

Coming from an Australian, that unqualified praise carries special significance, given that Australians have long considered Don Bradman the greatest batsman of all time.

The statistics of Sobers' career speak for themselves. He scored 8,032 runs at an remarkable average of 57.78 in 93 Test matches. In addition to those runs, he claimed 235 wickets at an average of just over 34, cementing his status as cricket's ultimate all-rounder.

"There aren't enough words that can be written or said to fully give the great man justice but his humility is something that cannot be left out of any story," Holding (72) said in a text message. "I remember him as a great, who never spoke about himself. Never kept telling people what happened 'in his time'. He left others to talk about his greatness."

"Every West Indian cricketer would have and should continue to walk proudly knowing the best ever came from the same place they're from. His brilliance couldn't be matched by us lesser mortals but at the same time, you strive to uphold your own standards to as high a level as possible."

Holding's international career, spanning 60 Tests and 102 ODIs from 1975 to 1987, began after Sobers had ended his illustrious two-decade career in 1974. One of the most feared bowlers of his time, Holding admitted he missed the opportunity to play alongside Sobers.

"Sir Garry was a bit before my time and I probably only saw him at Sabina Park twice when I was still at school. His greatness to me was exemplified by how the greats of his era spoke about him," Holding concluded.