Viv Richards

West Indies|Batting Allrounder
Viv Richards
INTL CAREER: 1974 - 1991
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Full Name

Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards

Born

March 07, 1952, St John's, Antigua

Age

72y 12d

Also Known As

Sir Viv Richards

Batting Style

Right hand Bat

Bowling Style

Right arm Slow, Right arm Offbreak

Playing Role

Batting Allrounder

RELATIONS

(son),

(half-brother),

(brother)

Other

Coach

You knew when he was coming. The outgoing batsman would already have disappeared into the pavilion, and the expectation of what was to follow filled the air. Viv kept you waiting... time to ponder. Then he appeared, sauntering, swaggering, arms windmilling slowly. He would take guard, and then, head tilted back slightly and cudding his gum, he would walk a few paces down the pitch to tap it while looking the bowler in the eye. It was calculated menace and magnificent theatre from arguably the most devastating batsman of all time.

How to bowl to him? Get him to the other end, perhaps. Hold your nerve, do not take what might follow as personal. Occasionally he was vulnerable early on if his desire to dominate overwhelmed him. But he had no weakness until his eyesight infinitesimally but inevitably started to let him down and those eye shots became harder.

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.

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.
Mike Selvey October 2004

Viv Richards Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100s50s6sCtSt
Tests12118212854029150.23--2445841220
ODIs187167246721189*47.00745190.201145-1000
FC507796633621232249.40--114162-4641
List A5004666116995189*41.96--26109-2380

Bowling

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
Tests12110351701964322/173/5161.372.27161.5000
ODIs187131564442281186/416/4135.834.4947.8120
FC507-23220100702235/88-45.152.60104.1-10
List A500-1221488722906/246/2430.594.3542.1430
Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards

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Test
ODI

Debut/Last Matches of Viv Richards

Recent Matches of Viv Richards

Photos of Viv Richards

Viv Richards, the Gladiators mentor, catches up with Zalmi captain Babar Azam
Viv Richards and Ian Botham at the unveiling of the Richards-Botham Trophy
Sir Viv Richards and Sir Ian Botham are all smiles with the Richards-Botham Trophy
Sir Viv Richards and Sir Ian Botham unveil the Richards-Botham Trophy
Viv Richards walks out to bat in his final innings
Sir Viv Richards hands over the West Indies maroon cap to debutant Shamarh Brooks