Tuesday 6 March 2012

Retrospective - Viv Richards

Retrospective - Viv Richards
Former West Indies captain Sir Viv Richards was born on 7 March 1952 in St. John's, Antigua. His nicknames include Master Blaster, Smokey, Smokin Joe and King Viv
Retrospective - Viv Richards
Richards was voted as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts, along with Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Jack Hobbs and Shane Warne
Retrospective - Viv Richards

Retrospective - Viv Richards

Retrospective - Viv Richards
Richards was not only an attacking batsman with strong forearms, but was also an excellent fielder and a handy off-spin bowler. He played his entire career without a helmet, and is considered by many to be the best ever batsman against fast bowling. Former Pakistan captain and pace bowling legend Wasim Akram rates Richards the greatest batsman he ever bowled to, ahead of Sunil Gavaskar and Martin Crowe
Retrospective - Viv Richards
His aggressive style of play, and relaxed but determined demeanour made him a great crowd favourite and an intimidating prospect for opposition bowlers. The word "swagger" is frequently used to describe his batting style
Retrospective - Viv Richards
Richards made his Test debut in 1974 against India in Bangalore. He made an unbeaten 192 in the second Test of the same series in New Delhi. He scored 8540 runs, including 24 centuries, in 121 Test matches at an average of 50.23
Retrospective - Viv Richards
Richards has scored the fastest-ever Test century - from just 56 balls - against England in Antigua during the 1986 tour. His highest innings of 291 is sixth on the list of West Indies' highest individual scores
Retrospective - Viv Richards
Richards scored 6721 runs, including 11 centuries in 187 ODIs at an average of 47. He also took 118 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls, at an average of 35.83
Retrospective - Viv Richards
He didn't do much with the bat in the final of the 1975 World Cup, but made up with his brilliant fielding as he ran out Alan Turner, Ian Chappell and Greg Chappell as West Indies were crowned champions. He scored a century in the final of the 1979 World Cup as West Indies retained their crown
Retrospective - Viv Richards

Retrospective - Viv Richards
Richards captained the West Indies in 50 Test matches; and is the only Windies captain never to lose a Test series
Retrospective - Viv Richards
Richards had a long and successful stint in the County Championship in England with Somerset from 1974 to 1986. But, in 1987, new Somerset captain Peter Roebuck stirred controversy when he decided against renewing the contracts of Richards and Joel Garner. As a result, Richards's close friend the legendary all-rounder Ian Botham left Somerset and joined Worcestershire
Retrospective - Viv Richards
After his sacking from Somerset, Richards spent the 1987 season in the Lancashire League playing as Rishton CC's professional. Richards returned to county cricket towards the end of his career to play for Glamorgan, helping them to win the AXA Sunday League in 1993
Retrospective - Viv Richards
Richards twice refused offers to play for a rebel West Indies squad in South Africa during the Apartheid era in 1983 as well as in 1984
Retrospective - Viv Richards

Retrospective - Viv Richards
Richards was one of the 55 inaugural members of the ICC's Hall of Fame
Retrospective - Viv Richards
He has a stadium named in his honour - The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua - which was built in time to be one of the venues in the 2007 Cricket World Cup
Retrospective - Viv Richards

Retrospective - Viv Richards

Retrospective - Viv Richards
Richards had a brief relationship with Indian actress, Neena Gupta, with whom he has a daughter Masaba
Retrospective - Viv Richards
Masaba Gupta, who was born in 1989, is now a fashion designer