Viv Richards

{{InfobLink titleox cricketer biography | playername = Viv Richards | image = Vivian richards crop.jpg | country = West Indies | fullname = Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards | nickname = Master Blaster, Smokey | living = true | dayofbirth = 7 | monthofbirth = 3 | yearofbirth = 1952 | placeofbirth = St John's | countryofbirth = Antigua | heightft = 5 | heightinch = 10 | role = Batsman | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm medium/off-break | international = true | testdebutdate = 22 November | testdebutyear = 1974 | testdebutagainst = India | testcap = 151 | lasttestdate = 8 August | lasttestyear = 1991 | lasttestagainst = England | odidebutdate = 7 June | odidebutyear = 1975 | odidebutagainst = Sri Lanka | odicap = 14 | lastodidate = 27 May | lastodiyear = 1991 | lastodiagainst = England | club1 = Glamorgan | year1 = 1990–1993 | club2 = Queensland | year2 = 1976–1977 | club3 = Somerset | year3 = 1974–1986 | club4 = Leeward Islands | year4 = 1971–1991 | club5 = Combined Islands | year5 = 1971–1981 | deliveries = balls | columns = 4 | column1 = Tests | matches1 = 121 | runs1 = 8540 | bat avg1 = 50.23 | 100s/50s1 = 24/45 | top score1 = 291 | deliveries1 = 5170 | wickets1 = 32 | bowl avg1 = 61.37 | fivefor1 = 0 | tenfor1 = 0 | best bowling1 = 2/17 | catches/stumpings1 = 122/– | column2 = ODI | matches2 = 187 | runs2 = 6721 | bat avg2 = 47.00 | 100s/50s2 = 11/45 | top score2 = 189* | deliveries2 = 5644 | wickets2 = 118 | bowl avg2 = 35.83 | fivefor2 = 2 | tenfor2 = n/a | best bowling2 = 6/41 | catches/stumpings2 = 100/– | column3 = FC | matches3 = 507 | runs3 = 36212 | bat avg3 = 49.40 | 100s/50s3 = 114/162 | top score3 = 322 | deliveries3 = 23226 | wickets3 = 223 | bowl avg3 = 45.15 | fivefor3 = 1 | tenfor3 = 0 | best bowling3 = 5/88 | catches/stumpings3 = 464/1 | column4 = LA | matches4 = 500 | runs4 = 16995 | bat avg4 = 41.96 | 100s/50s4 = 26/109 | top score4 = 189* | deliveries4 = 12214 | wickets4 = 290 | bowl avg4 = 30.59 | fivefor4 = 3 | tenfor4 = n/a | best bowling4 = 6/24 | catches/stumpings4 = 238/– | date = 18 August | year = 2007 | source = http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1435/1435.html cricketarchive.com }}

Viv Richards' career performance graph.

Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, (born St John's, Antigua on 7 March 1952) is a former West Indian cricketer. Better known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, simply as Viv Richards, he was voted as one of the five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, along with Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Jack Hobbs and Shane Warne, which is just the tip of the iceberg as far as his reputation goes. After being unanimously chosen the greatest ODI batsman of all time by Wisden in 2002, in 2004, he was also voted the third greatest ever cricketer after Bradman and Sobers, and the second greatest ever batsman after Bradman.

In the opinions of most, he was the best ever player of genuinely very fast bowling which gains strong support from his stirring performances during the Packer Series. The Packer Series organized by the Australian tycoon Kerry Packer in the mid and late 1970s and early 1980s was easily the greatest concentration of pure cricketing genius and greatness ever seen in cricketing history. This tournament saw Vivian Richards take on, on the uncovered and the fastest and bounciest pitches ever, the likes of which have not been even remotely seen in the 1990s and this decade, the fastest, greatest and most dangerous bowlers ever like John Snow, Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson and Imran Khan, as also several others like Gary Gilmour, Max Walker, Len Pascoe, Rodney Hogg, Alan Ward, Bob Willis, Garth LeRoux, Mike Procter, Sarfraz Nawaz and Richard Hadlee. At one point he averaged over 100 against that kind of bowling without even a helmet and with minimal protective gear. His performances were 'Bradmanesque' that led to his being hailed as the 'Black Bradman' besides his other nicknames like 'The King', 'The Batting Emperor', 'Master Blaster', 'Black Blaster' etc, which stay on rightly to this day.

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.

International career

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. The West Indies saw him as a strong opener and he kept his profile up in the early years of his promising career.

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 of 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 Lord's, 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 Lord's 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 it is said that his fierce will to win contributed to this 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 .

English county cricket

Richards had a long and successful career in the County Championship in England, playing for many years for Somerset. In 1983, the team won the NatWest Bank Trophy, with Richards and close friend Ian Botham having a slugging match in the final few overs.

However, the performances declined, and the county finished bottom of the County Championship in 1985, and next to bottom in 1986. New captain Peter Roebuck became the centre of a controversy when he was instrumental in the county's decision not to renew the contracts of Richards and compatriot Joel Garner for the 1987 season, whose runs and wickets had brought the county much success in the previous eight years. Somerset proposed to replace the pair with New Zealand batsman Martin Crowe, and consequently all-rounder Botham refused a new contract and joined Worcestershire. After many years of bitterness and the eventual removal of Roebuck from the club, Richards was honoured with the naming of a set of entrance gates and a stand after him at the County Cricket Ground, Taunton.

After his sacking from Somerset, Richards spent one season in the Lancashire Cricket League playing as Rishton CC's professional in preparation for the West Indies tour the following season. Richards returned to county cricket for the 1990 season towards the end of his career to play for Glamorgan, helping them to win the AXA Sunday League in 1993.

Retirement

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).

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

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.

Personal life

Richards had a brief relationship with a renowned Indian Bollywood actress, Neena Gupta, with whom he has a daughter Masaba (born: 1989).

Honours

• 1999 Richards was knighted in his native Antigua.

External links

• Viv Richards at ESPNcricinfo
• Viv Richards at IMDB