This is a tribute to the original King Richards. The swagger before he steps foot on the ground, the crescendo that is built by the crowd in anticipation of the King taking the spot in front of the stumps where he belongs, the decisive but minimal foot movements and the brute power behind those shots, King Richards was a treat to watch even for the harshest of his critics. Michael Holding, the other great West Indian fast bowler, was offered to as poetry in motion. Viv Richards was no different either. In the Harry Potter series, the name Voldermort was considered to be a curse. So much so that no one dared pronounce his name.
Likewise, the opponents dare not pronounce the name Richards. The shiver of the sheer name sent down the body of his opponents must be seen to be believed. He made mincemeat of teams from Australia and England. What chances did lesser teams from Asia had against him?
The life story of Sir Vivian is emblematic of a symbiotic love affair between an individual and a community. Sir Vivian seen as the ‘embodiment of the hopes and aspirations of his homeland’. Pundits had gleaned that his batting style – aggressive and passionate – was rooted in and an expression of a defiant national culture. At that early age he was seen as the ‘embodiment of the hopes and aspirations of his homeland’. It was a burden that Vivi Richards accepted. He has rewarded and continues to reward his society for that faith expressed in him.
My early years watching Vivian
Growing up in the small indescript part of Chennai, Madras of those days, I had to be satisfied watching Richards on those black and white TV, it was expensive by the standards of those days, which was not even the quality of the Standard Definition that we see now. The nonexistence of satellite television meant that we had to watch Richards only when the West Indies toured India, because only then would Doordarshan be able to telecast the games live. The commentators, with due respects, Anupam Gulati and Narotham Puri made things so mundane that it required the brilliance of Richards to not only light the stadium to wake everyone up from their slumber. Ofcourse, I hated when he destroyed the Indian bowlers but even the bowlers of the calibre of Lillee, Thomson, Botham and Willis had no chance what can a Chetan Sharma or a Sandeep Sharma do?
By the time I began to understand the game, Richards was not in his prime. Yet, the aura and the confidence remained undiminished. It is mindboggling when you consider the fact that he never lost a single Test series throughout his captaincy tenure. I doubt whether this record will ever be broken. If I am not wrong, he was the captain for about 10 years. Not to lose a single series over a 10-year period is out of the ordinary.
The sheer genius
On 31 May 1994, Vivian Richards showcased the brilliance of batting in ODI cricket. It was a sublime innings of 189 against England. Neither the English bowlers nor their supporters realised that hit them. The assault was brutal. One particular shot will stay in the memory of anyone who watched that game. Richards going all the way to the offside and clipping a ball on the middle stump over the fine leg for a six of Bob Willis. Nowadays, we all talk about the reverse sweep, the scoop, the switch hit and whatnot. Richards with that one shot showed what he was made of. He changed batting for the better. No bowler ever troubled him. Yes, he had his moments against Lillee and Thomson but he was not overawed by them.
The teams he hated
Richards hated losing to a couple of teams. Ofcourse, in his time, it was one team. England. If South Africa was allowed to play, he would have hated them even more than he hated England for he has written.” He has written ‘I would like to think that I carried my bat for the liberation of African and other oppressed people everywhere’. As for England, he never liked the fact that they ruled over the West Indies for a considerable period of time. He disliked losing to England and was always at his best against them. The series of severe thrashing 5-0, 6-0 over several years, said a lot about his resolve to not go down against the old enemy.
Having said that, his best friend is an Englishman. Ian Botham. Botham writes, “Where else would I be when my best buddy turned 60!? In Antigua of course ready to celebrate with the great man. He was the best friend I could have wished for growing up in the game and since we both finished playing he’s still been at my side for all the important times in life and vice versa. In fact he is not really my best friend, he is more like a brother to me and we are part of each other’s family. He is the godfather to my son and a huge part of my life.”
Sir Vivian Richards as he is now called saw cricket as a Caribbean contribution to the struggle against racism against the blacks. He was lured by a hefty amount to play cricket in South Africa. Even by today’s standards, the sum was quite gigantic. Yet, money did not sway him. He remained rooted to his ideals and tore the cheque right there.
The best tribute to Sir Vivian
As a mark of respect and as a mark of tribute, a special $2 banknote, with a picture of him was issued and is in circulation across the Eastern Caribbean islands. This is a rare honour for a cricketer. Stamps have been issued to artists from various walks of life but a currency note and that too, one that will always be in circulation is an appropriate tribute to a legend who walks on this earth.
About West Indies
https://icricketcritique.com/the-rise-of-the-west-indian-empire/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-fall-of-the-west-indian-empire/