It was the second test match of the India West Indies series in 1974 in New Delhi. In a typical Indian dust bed of a wicket, the Indian spinners were licking their fingers at the prospect of taking on the mighty West Indians. But a tall Antiguan, a new kid on the block, had different plans. Known more by reputation than anything else, this youngster playing in his second test match smashed an astonishing 192 and made the willow do magic tricks no one had ever seen before. Sir Isaac Vivian Richards was destined for greatness and there frankly was no looking back. Gum roller, swagger king, he carved his name in the highest echelons of the cricketing fraternity with ruthless authority and refused to be bobbed down by the greatness that surrounded him. Amongst the mighty Windies, he proved to be the mightiest.
Vivian Richards or Mighty Viv as he was fondly called was born in St. Johns, Antigua on 7th march, 1952. A sportsman right from the start, he excelled especially in cricket and soccer. Such was his proficiency in both the sports that it proved to be a difficult career decision for him later on. This cricketing demigod actually played soccer for Antigua in the qualifying matches of the 1974 world cup. But thankfully, cricket proved to be his greater passion and he made his debut against India in the 1974 series in Bangalore. There were no initial years of struggle or initial lapses in his case. He was out there to fire all cylinders blazing right from the start and he helped the windies in winning the 1975 Prudential World Cup. In 1976, he amassed a total of 1710 test runs with seven hundreds at an average of 90, setting the record for maximum runs scored in a single calendar year, a record that stayed unbroken for 30 years. In only the fourth year of his cricketing career, he was named Wisden cricketer of the year for 1977.
Vivian Richards’ batting style is unparalleled in more ways than one. He was undoubtedly the most aggressive batsman of his time, treating bowlers with disdain and unleashing a breathtaking array of strokes. But more importantly, it was his calm, nonchalant demeanor, his unreal hand eye co-ordination and his benign arrogance, for instance his refusal to wear a helmet even when facing the Australian fast bowling greats that made him such a crowd puller. It is said that after he hit a square cut, one of his greatest strengths, he never moved from his crease, so sure was he of the ball racing to the fence. He finished his test career with staggering 8,540 runs in121 matches, with 24 hundreds and an average of 50.23. His top score of 291 came against England at the Oval in the memorable 1976 season and this too after he came back having missed a game due to glandular fever. Such was the determination, such was the fire, the raw passion to be there and perform for his country. He is also recognized as a great leader who captained West Indies in 50 test matches, with an impressive win loss record of 27-8. But his records are not limited to Test cricket only. Thanks to his aggressive stroke play, he was indispensable in the one day format of the game and was largely responsible for their success in the 1975, 1979 and even the 1983 world cup. He has played some memorable innings including the 189* which remained a world record for quite a while.
And despite all the records he set in batting, versatility continued to be his middle name and in the barrage of fiery fast bowlers that the windies were so proud of, he came out as the devilish slow right arm tweaker. In fact, in 1987 in Christchurch against New Zealand, he became the first man in One day Internationals to bag 5 wickets and score a hundred in the same match. He was also a useful fielder with a very strong arm from the deep.
But if we look beyond cricket there’s a lot more to this insatiable maverick who refused to follow the norms and made the world follow his. Vivian Richards became Sir Richards when he knighted by her majesty, the Queen of England for his contribution to the game. Vivian Richards was a man for the ages, a legend that refuses to die and will live on down the ages. The crowds will remember him as an entertainer, his fellow team mates will remember him as a great leader and his country will remember him as the greatest ambassador of the sport, an insignia of the island’s greatness in the gentleman’s game.
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