 Richards in 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1952-03-07)7 March 1952 (age 73)[1] St. John's,British Leeward Islands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Master Blaster, Smokin Joe,[2][3] King Viv[4] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Battingall-rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 151) | 22 November 1974 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 8 August 1991 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 14) | 7 June 1975 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 27 May 1991 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1971/72–1990/91 | Leeward Islands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1971/72–1980/81 | Combined Islands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1986 | Somerset | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976/77 | Queensland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1993 | Glamorgan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source:CricInfo,4 August 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander RichardsKNHKCNOBEOOC (born 7 March 1952) is a retiredAntiguancricketer who represented theWest Indies cricket team between 1974 and 1991. Usually batting atnumber three[5][6][7] in a dominantWest Indies side, Richards is widely regarded as one of the greatestbatters of all time.[8][9][10][11][12] Richards was part of the squads that won the1975 Cricket World Cup and1979 Cricket World Cup and finished as runners-up in the1983 Cricket World Cup.
Richards made his Test debut in 1974 againstIndia along withGordon Greenidge. His best years were between 1976 and 1983, during which time he averaged a remarkable 66.51 with the bat in Test cricket. In 1984 he suffered frompterygium and had eye surgery which affected his eyesight and reflexes.[13][14] Despite this, he remained one of the best batters in the world for the remaining four years of his career, though his average in the second half of his career was significantly lower than for the first. Richards scored 8,540 runs in 121 Test matches at an average of 50.23 and retired as the West Indies' leading run-scorer, overhauling the aggregate ofGarfield Sobers.[15] He also scored 1,281 runs at an average of over 55 inWorld Series Cricket, which is sometimes regarded as the highest and most difficult level of cricket ever played.[16] As a captain, he won 27 of 50 Test matches and lost only 8. He also scored nearly 7,000 runs inOne Day Internationals and more than 36,000 in first-class cricket.
He was knighted for his contributions to cricket in 1999.[17] In 2000 he was voted one ofWisden's five Cricketers of the Century by a 100-member panel of experts, and in 2002 the almanack judged that he had played the best One Day International innings of all time.[18] In December 2002, he was chosen byWisden as the greatest One Day International batsman who had played to that date and as the third-greatestTest cricket batter.[19] In 2009, Richards was inducted into theICC Cricket Hall of Fame.[20]
In October 2013,Wisden selected the best test team in150 years of test history and included Richards at No. 5. He is one of only two batsman of the post-war era (the other beingSachin Tendulkar) to feature in that team.[21]
Richards was born to Malcolm and Gretel Richards inSt. John's,Antigua, then part of theBritish Leeward Islands. He attended St. John's Boys Primary School and then Antigua Grammar Secondary School on a scholarship.[22]
Richards discovered cricket at a young age. His brothers,Mervyn and Donald, both played the game, representing Antigua as amateurs, and they encouraged him to play. The young Richards initially practiced with his father andPat Evanson, a neighbor and family friend, who had captained the Antigua side.[23]
Richards left school aged 18, and worked at D'Arcy's Bar and Restaurant in St. John's. He joined St. John's Cricket Club and the owner of the restaurant where he worked, D'Arcy Williams, provided him with newwhites, gloves, pads and a bat. After a few seasons with St. John's C.C., he joined Rising Sun Cricket Club, where he remained until his departure to play abroad.[24]
Richards was suspended from playing cricket for two years when he was a 17-year-old in 1969. Playing forAntigua againstSt Kitts, he got out for a golden duck much to the disgust of himself and the 6,000 supporters. Some supporters occupied the pitch, and the game was held up for two hours.[25] Richards was then given a second opportunity to bat in an effort to appease the supporters, who were almost rioting. In his second bat in the innings, he was again out for a duck.[26][27] Richards said of the incident:
"I behaved very badly and I am not proud of it. But those in authority, who were advising me, didn't do themselves very proud either. I was told to restore peace I should go back out to bat. I did not want to and was not very happy about it. Had I been a more experienced player then I think I would have refused. But go back I did. I was made to look a fool for the convenience of the local cricket authorities."[27]
Richards made hisfirst-class debut in January 1972 when he was 19.[28] He took part in a non-competition match, representing the Leeward Islands against the Windwards: Richards made 20 and 26.[29] His competitive debut followed a few days later. Playing in the domestic West IndianShell Shield for the Combined Leeward and Windward Islands inKingston, Jamaica versusJamaica, he scored 15 and 32, top-scoring in the second innings in a heavy defeat for his side.[30]
By the time Richards was 22, he had played matches in the Antigua,Leeward Islands and Combined Islands tournaments. In 1973, his abilities were noticed by Len Creed, Vice Chairman atSomerset, who was in Antigua at the time as part of aWest Country touring side.[31]Lester Bird andDanny Livingstone played an important part in persuading Creed to take Richards to Somerset.[32] Surrey had earlier rejected both Richards and Andy Roberts at the Surrey Indoor Nets in late 1972. "They did not think we were good enough even to further our cricket education."[33]
During 1973-74, Richards relocated to the United Kingdom, where Creed arranged for him to play league cricket for Lansdown C.C. inBath. He made his Lansdown debut, as part of the second XI, at Weston-super-Mare on 26 April 1973. Richards was also employed by the club as assistant groundsman to head groundsman John Heyward, which allowed him some financial independence until his career was established. After his debut he was promoted to the first team where he was introduced to the Lansdown all-rounder "Shandy" Perera fromCeylon (nowSri Lanka). Richards cites Perera as a major influence on his cricket development especially with regards to post-game analysis. He finished his first season at Lansdown top of thebatting averages and shortly afterwards was offered a two-year contract with county side Somerset.[31]
Richards then moved to Taunton in 1974 in preparation for his professional debut withSomerset CCC where he was assigned living accommodation by the club; a flat-share with two other county players:Ian Botham andDennis Breakwell. On 27 April 1974 Richards made hisBenson & Hedges Cup debut for Somerset against Glamorgan in Swansea; after the game Somerset skipperBrian Close arranged a player's ovation for Richards in recognition of his playing and contribution to the victory. Richards was awarded Man of the Match.[31][34]
Richards made hisTest match debut for theWest Indian cricket team in 1974 againstIndia inBangalore. He made an unbeaten 192 in the second Test of the same series inNew Delhi. The West Indies saw him as a strong opener and he kept his profile up in the early years of his promising career.
In 1975, Richards helped the West Indies win theinaugural Cricket World Cup against Australia, a feat he later described as the most memorable of his career.[35] He starred in the field, running outAlan Turner,Ian Chappell andGreg Chappell. The West Indies were again able to win the followingWorld Cup in 1979, thanks to a Richards century in thefinal atLord's. Richards believes that on both occasions, despite internal island divisions, the Caribbean came together.[36]
1976 was perhaps Richards's finest year: he scored 1710 runs, at an astonishing average of 90.00, with seven centuries in 11 Tests. This achievement is all the more remarkable considering he missed the second Test at Lord's after contractingglandular fever; yet he returned to score his career-best 291 at theOval later in the summer. This tally stood as the world record for most Test runs by a batsman in a single calendar year for 30 years until broken byMohammad Yousuf ofPakistan on 30 November 2006.
Richards had a long and successful career in theCounty Championship in England, playing for many years forSomerset. In 1983, the team won theNatWest Trophy, with Richards and close friendIan Botham having a playful slugging match in the final few overs. Richards also starred in Somerset's victories in the finals of the1979 Gillette Cup,[37] and the1981 Benson & Hedges Cup,[38] making a century in both finals, also helping Somerset to win the1979 John Player League and the1982 Benson & Hedges Cup.
Richards refused a "blank-cheque" offer to play for arebel West Indies squad in South Africa during theApartheid era in 1983, and again in 1984.
Richards captained the West Indies in 50 Test matches from 1984 to 1991. He is the onlyWest Indies captain never to lose a Test series, and it is said that his fierce will to win contributed to this achievement. His captaincy was, however, not without controversy: one incident was his aggressive, "finger-flapping" appeal leading to the incorrect dismissal of England batsmanRob Bailey in the Barbados Test in 1990, which was described byWisden as "at best undignified and unsightly. At worst, it was calculated gamesmanship".[39] This behaviour would nowadays be penalised according to Section 2.5. of the Rules of Conduct of theICC Code of Conduct.[40]
During a match againstZimbabwe during the1983 Cricket World Cup, Richards returned to the crease after a stoppage for bad light and accidentally took strike at the wrong end, which remains a very rare occurrence.[41]
Richards continued to thrive in international cricket. He became the only man to score a century and take 5 wickets in the same one-day international when he played against New Zealand atDunedin in 1986–87 - a feat that wasn't broken until 2005. Moreover, in 1984, he rescued his side from a perilous position of 166/9 atOld Trafford in a partnership withMichael Holding for the 10th and final wicket, smashing 189 leading West Indies to a total of 272/9 and winning the game off his own bat.[42] This is widely regarded as one of the greatest ODI innings of all time.[43]
For his domestic appearances, Richards had joinedSomerset in 1974. There, he made his highestfirst-class score, 322, when they playedWarwickshire in 1985.[44] However, despite histotemic presence at Somerset, over time his performances declined as he devoted most of his time to international cricket. The county finished bottom of theCounty Championship in 1985, and next to bottom in 1986. In 1988, the county was surrounded by controversy when Somerset's new captainPeter Roebuck became an instrumental piece in the decision not to renew the contracts of Richards and his West Indies teammateJoel Garner, whose runs and wickets had brought the county much success in the previous eight years. Somerset proposed to replace the pair with New Zealand batsmanMartin Crowe. Consequently, Ian Botham refused a new contract with Somerset in protest at the way his friends Richards and Garner had been treated and promptly joinedWorcestershire.[45] After many years of bitterness over the event and the eventual removal of Roebuck from the club, Richards was eventually honoured with the naming of a set of entrance gates after him at theCounty Ground, Taunton.[46]
In November 1988, whileon tour of Australia with the West Indies,[47] Richards became the first West Indies player to reach 100first-class centuries by scoring 101 againstNew South Wales.[48] Richards remains the only West Indies player to achieve this milestone, and among non-England qualified players onlyDon Bradman (117) scored more first-class centuries than Richards's 114.[49]
Richards returned to county cricket for the 1990 season towards the end of his career to play forGlamorgan, helping them to win theAXA Sunday League in 1993.
Richards is a commentator on BBC'sTest Match Special (TMS).[50] He participated inPrince Edward of the United Kingdom's 1987 charity television specialThe Grand Knockout Tournament. He was featured in the 2010 documentary movieFire in Babylon and spoke about his experiences playing for the West Indies. Richards joined theDelhi Daredevils as their mentor in TheIndian Premier League in 2013, and also mentored theQuetta Gladiators in the2016,2017,2018,2019,2020, and2022Pakistan Super League.[51]
Quiet and self-contained away from the pitch,[3] Richards was a very powerful right-handed batsman with an extremely attacking style, "possibly the most destructive batsman the sport has ever seen".[3] He was also an excellent fielder and a more than competent off-spin and slow-seam bowler, used more in one-day cricket than the test or first-class game where he took more wickets and was effective as a containing bowler with an economical average. He is often regarded as the most physically devastating and exciting batsman that ever played the game by cricketers, journalists, fans and others alike,[52][53] and played his entire 17-year career without a helmet.[52][53][54]
His fearless and aggressive style of play, and relaxed but determined demeanor made him a great crowd favourite and an intimidating prospect for opposition bowlers all over the world. The word "swagger" is frequently used to describe his batting style.[3][55][56] His batting often completely dominated opposing bowlers.[55][56] He had the ability to drive good-length balls from outside off-stump through midwicket, his trademark shot, and was one of the great exponents of the hook shot.[57]
Richards was notorious for punishing bowlers that dared tosledge him,[58] so much so, that many opposing captains banned their players from the practice.[citation needed] However, when playing for Somerset in a county game againstGlamorgan,Greg Thomas attempted to sledge Richards after he hadplayed and missed at several balls in a row. He sarcastically informed Richards: "It's red, round and it's about five ounces, in case you were wondering." Richards then hammered the next delivery for 6, straight out of the stadium and into a nearby river. Turning back to the bowler, he commented: "You know what it looks like, now go and find it."[59]
Richards, withDavid Foot, wrote an autobiography titledViv Richards, in 1979.[60]
In 1991, Richards published a second autobiography entitledHitting Across the Line.[61] In the book, Richards describes how his whole life revolved around sports, cricket in particular. Of special interest is his technique, expressed by the title of the book. To hit across the line of the ball is considered taboo, and dangerously risky. However, Richards's explanation of the conditions in which he played cricket in Antigua as a child, explains how this technique came to be.
In his Test career, Richards scored 8,540 runs in 121 Test matches at an average of 50.23 (including 24 centuries). He also scored 5 centuries inWorld Series Cricket between 1977 and 1979. These are not recognised by the ICC as "official" Test centuries. Richards won 27 of 50 matches as a Test captain, and lost only 8. He is also the scorer of the equal second fastest-ever Test century, from just 56 balls against England inAntigua during the 1986 tour.[62] He hit 84 sixes in Test cricket. His highest innings of 291 is equal seventh (along withRamnaresh Sarwan) on the list of West Indies' highest individual scores.[63]
In ODIs, Richards scored 6721 runs in 187 matches at an average of 47 and strike rate of 90.20, including 11 centuries and 45 fifties.[64] He was well ahead of his era in ODIs. For reference, during the period in which he played one-day internationals (from his first game to the last), the batting average in ODIs for the top seven batsmen was 29.38, while the average strike rate was a mere 65.96.[65]
In 1994, Richards was appointed anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to cricket.[76] In 1999, he was made aKnight Commander of the Order of the Nation (KCN) by his native countryAntigua and Barbuda.[77] In 2006, he was upgraded to Antigua and Barbuda highest award,Knight of the Order of the National Hero (KNH).
TheSir Vivian Richards Stadium inNorth Sound,Antigua, is named in his honour. It was built for use in the2007 Cricket World Cup. The ground has hosted three Test matches, as well as a number of One-Day Internationals and T20 Internationals.[78][79][80]
TheRichards–Botham Trophy, replacing theWisden Trophy for winners of West Indies–England Test series, is named in honour of Richards andSir Ian Botham.[81]
In 2022, during the opening ceremony of the forty-third regular meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM,[82] Richards was awarded theOrder of the Caribbean Community (OOC), the highest honour that can be conferred upon a Caribbean national. The award confers the styling "The Honourable" as well.[83]
In 2000, Richards was named one of the fiveWisden Cricketers of the Century, coming fifth behindSir Donald Bradman,Sir Garfield Sobers,Sir Jack Hobbs andShane Warne in the poll of 100 international cricket experts appointed byWisden Cricketers' Almanack.[84]
Several prominent personalities including former cricketerImran Khan and writerJohn Birmingham are of the opinion that Richards was the best ever batsman against genuine fast bowling.[55][85] ForBarry Richards,Ravi Shastri andNeil Fairbrother, he has been cited as the best batsman they personally witnessed.[86][87][88]Wasim Akram rates Richards as the greatest batsman he ever bowled to, ahead ofSunil Gavaskar andMartin Crowe.[89]
Akram also rates Richards as the best and most complete batsman he ever saw ahead ofSachin Tendulkar andBrian Lara.[90][91] Crowe himself rated Richards as the best batsman he played against, along withGreg Chappell.[92]Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne, arguably the two greatest spinners of all time, both idolize Richards. Murali idolized Richards in his years growing up, while Warne rates him the greatest batsman "for me", and overall just after Bradman.[93]
If you talk about a batsman with an unmatched technique, charisma and someone who had a huge impact on the game, it is Sir Vivian Richards. I have played against all the greats from mid-eighties to the nineties to the 2000s, but Viv Richards was a class apart.
Ian Botham, who is regarded as one of the greatestall-rounders of all time and one ofEngland's greatest cricketers, rates Richards as the greatest batsman he ever saw ahead ofSunil Gavaskar,Greg Chappell,Martin Crowe,Sachin Tendulkar andBrian Lara.[94]Michael Holding, often regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time and part of the West Indies four-prolonged pace attack during the late 1970s and early 1980s rates Richards as the greatest batsman he witnessed in the last 50 years.[95]England's fastbowling greatBob Willis rated Richards as greatest batsman he ever witnessed and best he ever bowled to.[96]
At number 3:- Viv Richards; I never sawDonald Bradman play but if he was better player than Viv then he must have been some player.
Australianfast bowling greatsJeff Thomson (often regarded as the fastest bowler in cricket history) andDennis Lillee rate Richards as the best batsman they ever bowled against. Lillee also termed him "the supreme player".[97] Thomson also rates Richards as the greatest batsman he bowled against.[98][99] FormerAustralian captainIan Chappell, who is regarded as one of the best cricket captains of all time, rates Richards as the most intimidating and dangerous batsman he ever saw, who often changed games simply by walking to the crease.[100]
For sheer ability to rip an attack apart with animal like brutality and still maintaining better consistency then all others around. I have to pick Viv on top of the list. I just love bowling to the man because it was such a challenge. I regard him as the supreme player. I think we finished about level- I got him as often as he got me.
Brian Lara andSachin Tendulkar who are regarded as two of the greatest modern day batsman rates Richards as the best they ever saw and their batting idol while growing up.[101][102]Kumar Sangakara, formerSri LankanWicket keeper batsman often rates Richards along with Lara as the greatest batsman he ever witnessed and further calls Richards as his cricketing idol while growing up.[103] FormerPakistan captainInzamam-ul-haq rates Richards as the greatest batsman he ever saw ahead of both Tendulkar and Lara.[104]
TheInternational Cricket Council (ICC) has produced rankings for batters and bowlers for both the longer and shorter versions. In the ratings forTest Cricket, Richards holds the equal-seventh-highest peak rating (938), after SirDonald Bradman (961),Steve Smith (947), SirLen Hutton, SirJack Hobbs,Ricky Ponting andPeter May.[105] The One Day International (ODI) ratings place Richards first, followed byZaheer Abbas andGreg Chappell.[106] He topped the rankings at the end of the years 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1986.
He was voted the greatest cricketer since 1970 in a poll, ahead ofIan Botham andShane Warne.[107][page needed] That poll saw both Botham and Warne vote for Richards, and in the opinions of both, Richards is the greatest batsman they ever saw. In 2006, in a study done by a team ofESPN'sCricinfo magazine, Richards was again chosen as the greatest ODI Batsman ever.[108]
To mark 150 years of theCricketers' Almanack, Wisden named him in an all-time Test World XI.[109]
Some writers contend that Richards also played internationalfootball forAntigua and Barbuda, appearing inqualifying matches for the1974 World Cup.[110][111] However, he does not appear in recorded line-ups for these matches.[112]
Richards and his wife Miriam have two children, includingMali, who has also played first-class cricket. Richards is also godfather toIan Botham's son,Liam.[113][114]
Richards had a brief relationship with Indian actressNeena Gupta,[115] with whom he has a daughter, fashion designerMasaba Gupta.[116][117]
As he was batting at No 3 for West Indies, I often saw him watch the first couple of overs, get a visual picture, and then go and sleep. People would have to wake him up and say 'Viv, it's your turn'. Sometimes it was early, sometimes, because you had (Gordon) Greenidge and (Desmond) Haynes, not so early
When he was captain at school he promoted himself to no.3 in batting order, a batting position where he kept and played for most of his career
With the batting, you had one of the top opening pairs at the time and one of the greatest of all time in Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, and then you had Viv Richards at three to begin with
The best batsman I bowled against in order were Viv Richards, Garry Sobbers, David Gower, Grame Pollock and Barry Richards. For sheer ability to rip an attack apart with animal like brutality and still maintaining better consistency then all others around. I have to pick Viv on top of the list. I just love bowling to the man because it was such a challenge. I regard him as the supreme player
| Preceded by | West Indies Test cricket captains 1980–1990 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | West Indies Test cricket captains 1991 | Succeeded by |
West Indies squads | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
