Patriotism more important than money -Sir Vivian Richards

by A.C De Silva

Sir Vivian Richards - the most fearsome batsman like Don Bradman, does not care for figures even if they are in connection mind - boggling sum of one million dollars. That was the sum Richards was offered for a rebel tour of South Africa and yet he was unmoved. "No thanks " the gentle fellow said. " I shall stay loyal to West Indies cricket not many people will say that.

Sir Vivian Richards

But then there aren't many Richards around, are there? He is the one and only - the monarch of the willow.

The last Test appearance by West Indies greatest batsman Vivian Richards came in his 121 st and last Test match in 1991 at the London Oval, Kennington, Surrey on a Monday 12th August. Richards was captaining the West Indies and for his bad luck the West Indies lost by 5 wickets to an England side led by Graham Gooch.

Gooch won the toss and elected to bat and England made 419 with Robin Smith making 109, Gooch 60 and there were 54 extras before bowling out the tourists for 176, with Phil Tubnell taking 6 for 25).

Richards, batting unusually low down the order at number eight, scored just two.

Gooch enforced the follow - on and the West Indies made 385 with Richie Richardson 121, Richards 60, while in the bowling for England David 'Syed' Lawrence was among the wickets taking 5 for 106.

It was not a big enough target and England achieved it with the loss of Gooch, Hugh Morris, Michael Atherton, Robin Smith and Mark Ramprakash. The series ended in a two-all draw. Richards, who had made his Test debut in Bangalore against India in 1974, retired from First Class cricket in 1993. He would have played more Tests had he not signed for Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket.

Richards most fearsome Test batsman

In just 20 months from the time that he made that rather disappointing start in 1974, Issac Vivian Alexander Richards had become the most feared batsman in Test Cricket and like the legendary Greek Warrior whose name he bore - Alexander - Richards became more famous for what he did in foreign lands than in his own.

Viv Richard completed 4,000 runs in Tests when he was on 29 in his first innings knock of 44 against Australia at Sydney.

He is the seventh West Indian to achieve the milestone, the others being Sir Garfield Sobers (8032 from 92 Tests), Rohan Kanhai (6227 from 79), Clive Lloyd (5701 from 84), Everton Weekes (4,455) from 48), Roy Fredericks (4334 from 59), and Alvin Kallicharran (4,319 from 62).

Richards made his Test debut on November 22nd, 1974 against India at Bangalore - the first ever Test at this venue. He made 4 and 3, falling to Chandrasekhar in both the innings.

In December 2002 Wisden Cricketers Almanack those him as the greatest One-Day International Batsman of all time and the Third greatest ever Test batsman.

So far as the audience was concerned, Vivian Richards is as meritorious a master of ceremonies on gone ever saw.

A prodigious batsman with princely touch and where many would hurry, Vivian would take things early. A legend in his own right, the would attract attention, even from a distance.

The seventh batsman in the world, and the second from the West Indies to have scored over 8,000 runs in Tests, Richards was a veritable genius.

Richards' batting was based on sheer power and awesome eyesight. His footwork was almost perfect. He was bathetic in his movements, even though he's heavy torsoed.