West Indies cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards turned 70 last month. He was born Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards on March 7, 1952, in St John's, Antigua, and is a son of Malcolm Richards, Antigua’s leading fast bowler. He seemed to follow a family tradition that included two brothers who also played cricket for Antigua.
Performances
Richards distinguished himself as one of the most feared and productive batsmen of all time. He entered the international cricket in 1974 when he was 22. The debut was a Test match against India at Bengaluru on November 22 - 27, 1974. Debut One Day International (ODI) match was with Sri Lanka at Manchester, England on June 07, 1975. He scored an unbeaten 192 in his very second game in Tests against India.
He retired from international cricket in 1991, and the last Test match was against England at the Oval held from August 8 to 12, 1991. The last ODI match was with England at Lord's held on May 27, 1991. Within the seventeen years of his Test career he played 121 matches and scored 8540 runs at an average of 50.23. This includes 24 centuries and 45 half centuries, along with 291 highest score.
The number of sixes he hit in Tests is 84.
As for ODI matches, he played is 187 ODIs and scored 6721 runs with 11 centuries and 45 half centuries including unbeaten 189 highest score. There, his average is 47, and strike rate is 90.20. At the time there wasn't T20 format (the cash-rich postmodernist version of the game), but Richards is considered the original destroyer that led to create T20s. As for bowling, he took 32 Test wickets at 2.27 economy rate, and 118 ODI wickets at 4.49 economy rate.
In terms of First Class matches, he played 507 FC matches and scored 36212 runs with 114 centuries and 162 half centuries, including 322 highest score.
The average of them is 49.40. In bowling of FC matches, he took 223 wickets and economy rate is 2.60.
Records
There are so many records to his name, though most of them were broken later. Yet, he is still at the 2nd place in most Test runs in a calendar year (1976). There, he scored 1710 runs at an average of 90 with 7 centuries from 11 Tests. It remained a record for almost 30 years, until it was broken by Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan in 2006. He is at the 2nd place in most Test hundreds in a calendar year (7), while at the 3rd place in Test fifties (11) in consecutive matches. He also scored the fastest ever Test century, when he smashed a ton in just 56 balls against England in 1986. This was later broken by Brendon McCullum of New Zealand when he scored hundred in 54 balls.
In ODIs, Richards had a strike rate of 90+ when he retired, a feat which wasn’t too easy in those days. He was part of the World Cup winning West Indies sides of 1975 and 79, and even scored a century in the latter edition's final to help his side to the title.
Batting
How was Richard's batting? It is the most attractive and unusual so far in the world. Following is how Mike Selvey describes his batting for ESPN:
"His strengths were on the front foot. So far forward could he get that he was able to plant that left foot outside the line of off stump, at once eliminating lbw and creating his own leg stump line from where he would flick bowlers relentlessly through midwicket. Or he might send a similar ball skimming through extra cover. Straighten the ball down the line of the stumps and the bowler stood a chance, but he rarely missed and they ran a terrible risk."
Selvey said: "His power was awesome, he hooked devastatingly and never wore a helmet, rocking back from his front-foot base to take the ball from his eyeline in front of square. Occasionally, for no apparent reason, he would block an over in immaculate fashion, seemingly in defensive position before the ball had left the bowler's hand. Then, refreshed, off he would go again."
Definitely, when playing, he never wore a helmet. This was not a simple matter at the time, because it was an era when some of the game’s most dominant fast bowlers thrived such as Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson from Australia and Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Wayne Daniel from West Indies itself.
Aggression
When speaking about his batting, the word swagger is used extensively to describe his batting. Aggressive batting was not a very common sight in the 1970s and 80s, but the term aggression is an understatement when it comes to describing Viv’s batting, according to the ESPN journalist Karthik Lakshmanan. He says, "Devastating would be a better term".
Was he a slogger?
Viv Richards is also described as a slogger. But can a slogger score 8,000+ Test runs at a 50+ average with 24 centuries? Add to that the five centuries he made in World Series cricket, and Richards will comfortably fall into one of the all-time best Test batsmen.
As Karthik Lakshmanan puts, Viv Richards is not only a great batsman, but one of the best captains for West Indies. In the period between 1984 and 1991, when he was the captain for 50 Tests, West Indies never lost even a single series. Richards also played County cricket in England for the Somerset team. He is one of the 4 non English batsmen to made 100 first class centuries. In 2000, he was named as one of the 5 Wisden Cricketers of the Century.
Birth day wishes from cricketers
Though Richards took his birth day for granted, the cricketing stars never neglected to remind it and wish him. For instance, Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian cricket legend tweeted: "Happy birthday to the one who dominated bowlers across the world & had a swagger unlike anyone else. It's been an honour to know you personally Sir Viv."
Another Indian cricket star Yuvraj Singh tweeted: "Here’s wishing Vivian Richards - the Legend with a larger than life persona - a very Happy Birthday. Hope the coming year keeps you in good health and high spirits sir. My warmest regards."
Rashid Latif, a former Pakistani wicket keeper-batsman, wished him: "Greatest player of all time. Happy Birthday @ivivianrichards R E S P E C T."
"A very very happy birthday to All times Great Sir @ivivianrichards Stay cool and energetic like always," wrote Kamran Akmal, another Pakistan wicket keeper and batsman.
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Sing's birthday wish is: "As much as I admire the batting giant @ivivianrichards I am glad we played during different eras and I never had to bowl to him. Wishing you a very happy birthday, sir! Wish you good health and love."
Vivian Richards never regarded money over professionalism. During the Apartheid period in 1983-84, he was offered a blank cheque to play for the rebel West Indies tour to South Africa, but he refused. So, he is much deserved to be conferred with a Knighthood by Antigua and Barbuda, and to be appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.