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Full name Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards
Born March 7, 1952, St John's, Antigua
Current age 56 years 185 days
Major teams West Indies,Combined Islands,Glamorgan,Leeward Islands,Queensland,Somerset
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm slow
Other Coach
Relations Brother - D Richards,Brother - M Richards,Son - MA Richards
Batting and fielding averages
Mat
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
BF
SR
100
50
6s
Ct
St
Tests
121
182
12
8540
291
50.23
24
45
84
122
0
ODIs
187
167
24
6721
189*
47.00
7451
90.20
11
45
100
0
First-class
507
796
63
36212
322
49.40
114
162
464
1
List A
500
466
61
16995
189*
41.96
26
109
238
0
Bowling averages
Mat
Inns
Balls
Runs
Wkts
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
SR
4w
5w
10
Tests
121
103
5170
1964
32
2/17
3/51
61.37
2.27
161.5
0
0
0
ODIs
187
131
5644
4228
118
6/41
6/41
35.83
4.49
47.8
1
2
0
First-class
507
23220
10070
223
5/88
45.15
2.60
104.1
1
0
List A
500
12214
8872
290
6/24
6/24
30.59
4.35
42.1
4
3
0
Career statistics
Test debut
India v West Indies at Bangalore, Nov 22-27, 1974 scorecard
Last Test
England v West Indies at The Oval, Aug 8-12, 1991 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut
Sri Lanka v West Indies at Manchester, Jun 7, 1975 scorecard
Last ODI
England v West Indies at Lord's, May 27, 1991 scorecard
ODI statistics
First-class span
1971 - 1993
List A span
1973/74 - 1993
Profile
You knew when he was coming. The outgoing batsman would already have disappeared into the pavilion, and the expectation of what was to follow filled the air. Viv kept you waiting ... time to ponder. Then he appeared, sauntering, swaggering, arms windmilling slowly. He would take guard, and then, head tilted back slightly and cudding his gum, he would walk a few paces down the pitch to tap it while looking the bowler in the eye. It was calculated menace and magnificent theatre from arguably the most devastating batsman of all time. How to bowl to him? Get him to the other end, perhaps. Hold your nerve, do not take what might follow as personal. Occasionally he was vulnerable early on if his desire to dominate overwhelmed him. But he had no weakness until his eyesight infinitesimally, but inevitably, started to let him down and those eye-shots became harder. His strengths were on the front foot. So far forward could he get that he was able to plant that right foot outside the line of off stump, at once eliminating lbw and creating his own leg-stump line from where he would flick bowlers relentlessly through midwicket. Or he might send a similar ball skimming through extra cover. Straighten the ball down the line of the stumps and the bowler stood a chance, but he rarely missed and they ran a terrible risk. His power was awesome, he hooked devastatingly and never wore a helmet, rocking back from his front-foot base to take the ball from his eyeline in front of square. Occasionally, for no apparent reason, he would block an over in immaculate fashion, seemingly in defensive position before the ball had left the bowler's hand. Then, refreshed, off he would go again. Mike Selvey October 2004
Notes
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1977
Walter Lawrence Trophy 1980
Walter Lawrence Trophy 1986
Selected as one of the Five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, 2000
