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Viv Richards

Vivian richards crop
Vivian richards crop Image: Wikimedia Commons. Original image by Pamri / Public domain

Overview

Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards (born 7 March 1952), commonly known as Viv Richards, is a retired Antiguan cricketer who represented the West Indies cricket team between 1974 and 1991. Usually batting at number three in a dominant West Indies side, Richards is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters in the history of the game. He was part of the squads that won the 1975 and 1979 Cricket World Cups, and finished as runners-up at the 1983 Cricket World Cup.

Key facts

Full name Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards
Born 7 March 1952
Nationality Antiguan
National team West Indies (1974–1991)
Batting position Usually number three
Test runs 8,540 in 121 matches at an average of 50.23
One Day International runs Nearly 7,000
First-class runs More than 36,000
World Series Cricket runs 1,281 at an average of over 55
Tests as captain 50 (27 won, 8 lost)
Knighthood 1999, for contributions to cricket
ICC Cricket Hall of Fame Inducted in 2009

Background

Richards is from Antigua and emerged as part of the great West Indies generation of the 1970s and 1980s. He made his Test debut in 1974 against India, in the same match as fellow West Indian opener Gordon Greenidge.

Career

Peak years

Richards's best years were between 1976 and 1983, during which time he averaged a remarkable 66.51 with the bat in Test cricket. In this period he established himself as the central figure of the West Indies batting line-up.

Eye surgery and later career

In 1984, Richards suffered from pterygium and underwent eye surgery, which affected his eyesight and reflexes. Despite this, he remained one of the best batters in the world for the remaining four years of his career, although his batting average in the second half of his career was significantly lower than in the first.

Captaincy

As captain of the West Indies, Richards led the side in 50 Test matches, winning 27 and losing only 8.

World Series Cricket

Richards scored 1,281 runs at an average of over 55 in World Series Cricket, a competition sometimes regarded as the highest and most difficult level of cricket ever played.

Career aggregates

  • Test cricket: 8,540 runs in 121 matches at an average of 50.23.
  • One Day Internationals: nearly 7,000 runs.
  • First-class cricket: more than 36,000 runs.

He retired as the West Indies' leading run-scorer in Test cricket, overhauling the aggregate of Sir Garfield Sobers.

Honours and recognition

  • 1999: Knighted for his contributions to cricket.
  • 2000: Voted one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Century by a 100-member panel of experts.
  • 2002: Wisden judged that he had played the best One Day International innings of all time.
  • December 2002: Chosen by Wisden as the greatest One Day International batsman who had played up to that date and as the third-greatest Test cricket batter.
  • 2009: Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
  • October 2013: Selected by Wisden at No. 5 in its best Test team across 150 years of Test history. He is one of only two batsmen of the post-war era — the other being Sachin Tendulkar — to feature in that team.

Significance

Richards's career coincided with the West Indies' era of dominance in international cricket. His sustained run-scoring across Tests, One Day Internationals, first-class cricket and World Series Cricket, combined with his record as captain and recognition by Wisden and the ICC, place him among the most influential batters the sport has produced.

References