Viv Richards

Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander
(Viv) Richards

Source: [1], 23 June 2005

Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, (born St John's, Antigua on 7 March 1952) is a former West Indian cricketer. He is better known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, simply as Viv Richards.

Richards, also known as the "Master Blaster", was a forceful right-hand batsman with an attacking style, a good fielder, a handy off-spin bowler and a successful captain. His impressive style of play, and relaxed but determined demeanour, made him a great crowd favourite.

The word "swagger" is frequently and aptly used to describe his batting style.. An inspiring figure, endowed with very keen eyesight, his batting often dominated opposing bowlers. He had a great ability to drive good-length balls from outside off-stump through midwicket, his trademark shot. He was widely known for his habits of nonchalantly chewing gum while playing, and preferring to wear a cap rather than a cricket helmet even against the fastest bowlers, regardless of the personal danger.

Richards made his Test match debut for the West Indian cricket team in 1974 against India in Bangalore. He made an unbeaten 192 in the second Test of the same series in New Delhi.

In his Test career, he scored 8,540 runs in 121 Test matches at an average of 50.23 (including 24 centuries). Richards also scored 5 centuries in World Series Cricket between 1977-79. These are not recognised by the ICC as "official" Test centuries, but the high standard of cricket played in this series means that they can arguably be ranked alongside his 24 Test centuries. Richards won 27 of 50 matches as a Test captain, and lost only 8. He is also the scorer of the fastest-ever Test century, from just 56 balls against England in Antigua during the 1986 tour. He hit 84 sixes in test cricket. His highest innings of 291 is sixth on the list West Indies' highest individual scores.

In 1975 Richards helped the West Indies to win the inaugural Cricket World Cup, a feat he later described as the most memorable of his career. He starred in the field, running out Alan Turner, Ian Chappell and Greg Chappell. The West Indies were again able to win the following World Cup in 1979, thanks to a Richards century in the final at Lords, and Richards believes that on both occasions, despite internal island divisions, the Caribbean came together.. He was until 2005 the only man to score a century and take 5 wickets in the same one-day international, against New Zealand at Dunedin in 1986-87. He rescued his side from a perilous position at Old Trafford in 1984 and, in partnership with Michael Holding, smashed 189 to win the game off his own bat.

1976 was perhaps Richards' finest year: he scored 1710 runs, at an astonishing average of 90.00, with seven centuries in 11 Tests. This achievement is all the more remarkable considering he missed the second Test at Lords after contracting glandular fever; yet he returned to score his career-best 291 at the Oval later in the summer. This tally stood as the world record for most Test runs by a batsman in a single calendar year for 30 years until broken by Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan on November 30, 2006.

Richards captained the West Indies in fifty test matches from 1980-1991. He is the only West Indies captain never to lose a Test series, and his fierce will to win was a major contributory factor in achieving this remarkable achievement. His captaincy was, however, not without controversy: one incident was his aggressive, "finger-flapping" appeal leading to the incorrect dismissal of England batsman Rob Bailey in the Barbados Test in 1990, which was described by Wisden as "at best undignified and unsightly. At worst, it was calculated gamesmanship" . This behaviour would nowadays be penalised according to Section 2.5. of the Rules of Conduct of the ICC Code of Conduct .

He had a long and successful career in the County Championship in England, playing for many years for Somerset. Towards the end of his career Richards played for Glamorgan, helping them to win the AXA Sunday League in 1993.

Apart from his very exciting style of play, Richards is held in great public esteem for his personal principles in refusing a "blank-cheque" offer to play for a rebel West Indies squad in South Africa during the Apartheid era in 1983, and again in 1984.

He was chosen as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1977.

In 2000, Richards was named by a 100-member panel of experts one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century. He received 25 votes, behind Sir Donald Bradman (100 votes), Sir Garfield Sobers (90 votes), Sir Jack Hobbs (30 votes) and Shane Warne (27 votes).

Richards also had a spell in the Lancashire Cricket League, playing as Rishton CC's professional.

He also played football for Antigua, appearing in qualifying matches for the 1974 World Cup.

Richards had a brief relationship with a renowned Indian Bollywood actress, Neena Gupta, with whom he has a daughter.

Richards is regularly heard on BBC's Test Match Special (TMS). He is well-liked by listeners, for his insightful views and knowledge of the game.

Viv Richards' career performance graph.

External links

• Viv Richards at ESPNcricinfo
• Viv Richards at IMDB