The cricket lovers of this generation are not aware of who Vivian Alexander Richards is. Perhaps they may have heard of him as the batsman. He is an iconic figure in the game of cricket. He was born on 7 March, 1952. Hailing from Antigua, West Indies, Richards had many records to his credit. He defined his era with exceptional skill and style. He revolutionized batting with his aggressive style. Over his illustrious career, he amassed 8,540 test runs and 6721 ODI runs, cementing his legacy as one of cricket’s greatest batters. His explosive starts spoke about his genius. His average speaks about his success rate in both test and one day games. Behind the successful journey of Vivian Richards, the master blaster, there are many things that this generation of cricket players need to learn about. As one who saw him in action at the crease in many test matches and one-day events, Richards is undoubtedly the batsman par excellence who held many records to his credit. His awesome looks at the batting crease impressed many lovers. He was typically elegant and stylish when he played the shots all around the ground. At times people think that he was a born cricketer of the game. He powered the balls with a kind of elegance and timing that one could see in his batting career. He was a game-changer too. The timing of shots is an added feature of his extraordinary batting style. His footwork is amazing. He never came forward to hit the balls for fours and sixes. He played those shots by being in the crease. This established that Vivian Richards was a batsman of class, merit and indomitable spirit. His footwork was amazing. He timed the shots to perfection. He was never deceived by any bowler in his career. It was to many a character of strength, aggression and commitment. When Viv was aggressive, he smashed the bowlers all around the ground. He effortlessly times those sixers out of the ground. What then holds it for us?
It is simple but interesting too. His playing style consists of aggressive and dominant looks. He feared bowlers worldwide. His exceptional power and timing are added features of a class batsman. Among all his contemporaries, Vivian Richards played cricket without a helmet. Secondly, he never looked at individual records. He played with his passion even though he batted at 99. Most batsmen look for the records. But Vivian Richards ignored such records. His batting prowess proved that he has played it without a helmet.With swaggers and fearlessness, he played all the bowlers with equal grit and comfort. He hit Yorker length balls to sixers. He hit bouncers to sixes. That is his class and superiority in the game. His eye contact with the ball was amazing. His footwork was a beauty to watch. His daring shots were worth watching all around the stadium. He played the likes of Jeff Thomson and others with ease and command. Perhaps he is the only batsman to play cricket without a helmet. No other batsman emulated him later. He was unstoppable once he had crossed double digits. He didn’t allow the bowlers to settle down. He had that venom in his batting skills. He had perfection on the shots he had played. His perfection saw him through to the ultimate victory of his team and country. No doubt it has been a record to hold that Vivian Richards singlehandedly won the matches for West Indies. Cricket enjoyed a gifted player in him. He was to many bowlers a master blaster. He had left nightmarish experiences to many frontline bowlers of his time. His defence and attack combined to produce a batsman of unrivalled king in the game of cricket. His presence at the crease troubled many sides. His presence at the crease thrilled the fans all over the world. Even commentators used a kind of vocabulary to attribute special qualities in Vivian Richards. They predicted a puller and thriller as long as Viv was in the crease. When he called his day from international cricket, the teams and the fans gave him a standing ovation. It is not the lovers but cricket as a history will rewrite a new chapter on his cricketing career. He is Vivian Alexander Richards who played cricket without a helmet. He made it to the world of cricket that one could bat without a helmet. That is his agility and class. The history of cricket will remember his contribution forever and ever. Many milestones can be seen in his career. His career in both test and one-day cricket had many records. His average is phenomenally supreme and swashbuckling. More than cricketing records, Richard’s presence terrorized the bowlers. The viewers glued to the matches live on TV channels just to see his batting shots all around the stadium. A most destructive batsman; he was knighted for his magnificent contribution to cricket. He pulled and hooked with command. He was a batting maestro. His comment that” I am never afraid of getting hurt” speaks of his indomitable will power and sportsmanship. He became a force of nature in international cricket, redefined batting with his aggressive style and unmatched flair. A true icon of the game, his career continues to inspire generations. Commentators like Ian Chappell predicted his presence at the crease as “Tonight is going to be his night”. Viewers of cricket matches never forget Tony Cozier’s “That’s the beauty, got him.” Bill Lawry described Richards as “He is looking dangerous”. Vivian Richards had an illustrious career. He ignited passion among the youth to playing cricket.
P.V. Laxmiprasad is an author and editor of 43 books in English Literature.