kmhouseindia: Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Vivian Richards was a very powerful right-handed batsman with an extremely attacking style, besides being an excellent fielder, and a handy off-spin bowler and PLAYED WITHOUT HELMETduring his entire career of 17 years from 1974 till 1991

Vivian Richards fearless and aggressive style of play, and relaxed but determined demeanor made him a great crowd favorite and an intimidating prospect for opposition bowlers all over the world

Vivian Richards ability to drive good-length balls from outside off-stump through midwicket, his trademark shot, and was one of the great players of the hook shot

Vivian Richards was voted one of the 5 CRICKETERS OF THE CENTURY in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts(alongwith Donald Bradnan;Gary Sobers;Jack Hobbs and Shane Warne)

In 2002, he was chosen by Wisden as the Greatest ODI Batsman of all time, and as the third GREATEST TEST BATSMAN of all time (after Donald Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar)

Has Scored the fastest-ever Test century 110* from just 56 balls against England in Antigua in 1986

1976 was perhaps Richards' finest year: he scored 1710 runs, at an astonishing average of 90.00, with seven centuries in 11 Tests1 Century against Australia in Adelaide(101);3 Centuries against India in West Indies(142,130 & 177) and 3 Centuries against England in England(232,135 & 291) which is the most runs scored in a series tilldate(829Runs in 7 innings)
(This tally stood as the world record for most Test runs by a batsman in a single calendar year for 30 years until broken by Md Yusuf of Pakistan who scored 1788 runs in 2006)

Vivian Richards captained the West Indies in fifty Test matches from 1984–1991 and is the onlyWest Indies Captain never to lose a Test series(won 27 of 50 matches as a Test captain, and lost only 8)

In 1975 Richards helped the West Indies to win the first ICC Cricket World Cup(Viv Richards starred in the field, running out Alan Turner ;Ian Chappel and Greg Chappel)