The

SIR VIVIAN RICHARDS

Information and Facts

(All You Need To Know)

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BIO FACT FILE:

Name: Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards

Date of Birth: March 7, 1952

Place of Birth: Antigua & Barbuda

Profession or Occupation: International Cricketer

National Status: National Hero of Antigua & Barbuda

Coming Soon: The Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium

                         St. John’s, Antigua

The venue for Super 8 matches in the 2007 World Cup.

Fast Facts – The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium

Seating Capacity: 10,000 (20,000 for the ICC World Cup 2007).
Playing Pitches: 7 (4 will be used during the World Cup 2007)
Matches: Super-8
Location: North Sound, midway between St John's and the airport.

REPORTS ON OR BY SIR VIVIAN RICHARDS

From The Guyana Chronicle – January 31, 2005

Sir Viv eyes Collins as possible spearhead
SYDNEY, Australia, (CMC) – If left-arm seamer Pedro Collins can continue his present bowling form over the next few years and find good support bowlers, the West Indies would have found their best bowling attack for sometime.

This is the view of Sir Vivian Richards, the former West Indies chief selector, who also described Collins as a quality bowler and said he was very impressed with the 28-year-old.

“I have also been impressed with Collins, particularly in his past two outings against Australia in Brisbane and Adelaide,” Sir Vivian wrote in the Sydney Sun-Herald.

“He has proved that quality left-arm swing bowlers - because they are so rare - can really trouble the world's elite batsmen.”

He added: “If Collins can maintain that form over the next few years, and one or two bowlers of genuine pace are selected around him, the West Indies will have their best fast bowling line-up for quite sometime.”

Collins has bowled spectacularly in the current VB Triangular Limited Overs series, and has caused the Australian batsmen a great deal of discomfort with his movement back into the right-handers.

In the abandoned game at the Gabba last Friday, he grabbed three for eight as Australia slipped to 43 for five and then returned a career-best five for 43 in a losing effort against Australia on Tuesday.

“Like India’s Irfan Pathan, Collins has shown that aggression, a bit of pace and some late swing can unsettle the Australians,” Sir Vivian wrote.

“Left-armers come from such an unusual angle that many batsmen struggle to combat them. Chaminda Vaas has shown that for years. It’s an asset that can be very special to a team.”

Collins has taken 38 wickets in 27 One-Day Internationals while capturing 90 wickets in a similar number of Tests.

Sir Viv comments in February 2005 in the Tribune in India

Tendulkar is a giant in his own right
Sir Vivian Richards

Tendulkar is my favourite overseas player. For patriotic reasons, Brian Lara is the best Caribbean represents for me. They are different people and none the less because of the different culture they come from. Lara, because he is a left-hander is flashy and elegant. There is a certain panache about his batting, his bat comes down on the ball with a high backlift.

Tendulkar stands still at the crease but loves to attack and is very positive. He could have scored more runs but then he is no Geoff Boycott. As a person, Tendulkar has invited less controversy than Brian.

On a different note, I can't help commenting that when it comes to style, I find Rahul Dravid most stylish. In boxing parlance, he gets his punches without anyone noticing it. At the end of it, his opponent is bruised!

I didn't change my style but then Tendulkar is finding his own challenge in a different way. It doesn't make him any less passionate. He has wonderful love for the game. I lasted up to 38 and could have gone on and tried to accomplish a few more things. Under Dennis Waight the fitness levels we had could have matched any of today's top teams.

When I left, my mind was willing but wear and tear and ageing had begun to show up at the door. Thank God, I never really was seriously injured. I kept working hard, trying to be superfit, a healthy athlete.

I wore my heart on the sleeve and showed more emotion on the field. Tendulkar never contests a decision. But then everyone is different. His affair with the game has lasted long. It can continue for at least four more years. He must have set himself targets which he could achieve.

I have always called him Kid. I first heard of him through Ian Bishop. Touring Indians in England in late 80s were playing against Derbyshire in a first class fixture and he smacked Bishop back over his head for a six. Now Bishop was definitely one of the meanest. He tried to be aggressive to the young man and the little man dispatched him. I remember Bishop telling me with a certain urgency in his voice: The little guy is dangerous. Now Bishop wasn't the one to praise a batsman easily. I said who he was talking about. Why did he say so.

His talk had the feeling about somebody who would become an icon in years to come. Tendulkar, as we know, has turned out to be of some rare value.

I have met him a few times, with his wife and kid around in England, shared a flight with him and his family. We have discussed cricket at times.

I remember my chat with him in Antigua. Indians were touring the West Indies in 2002 and he was struggling for runs.

I went to the dressing room and he was very accommodating. I said to him: Sometimes negative thoughts could occupy the mind. There are times when because of the attacking style of ours we could do something silly, hit in the air, make a wrong judgment.

We hear a lot of boo-boos from critics. But that is our style. We could have hiccups, bad times. But when on song, it is a sheer pleasure for people. It removes boo-boos. More often than not he would succeed. He just needed to be resilient.

Resilient he sure has been. In Sydney he made 241 after a poor decision he received in a previous Test. But he didn't let it get to him. It was typical of him. If you could score against Australia, against any opposition on any surface, you are alright.

This kid has been brought up on pressure. Ever since he was young, he shouldered responsibility. When he was captain, I always thought a big burden had been placed on somebody so young. Something we all ignore is the commercial pressure he works under. It's a huge factor, an obstacle. There is an impossible demand on your time and attention from sponsors.

There must be so much running on the young man's mind.

Tendulkar, through his passion, has shown that cricket remains his priority.

I've always looked at him as somebody who loves the game.

That's why he is successful. He is level-headed and his interviews show it. He is well-respected, and let's speak in this way, an icon. One of the coolest characters the game has seen. If he was to walk off the field today, without ever lifting a bat again, he would still be one of the icons, a true legend.

Let's not confuse things by comparing him with Viv or anyone else. He is a giant in his own right. — PTI

From It’s Only Cricklet

Friday, November 24, 2006

Most runs in a year : Md. Yousuf at 2^nd position

Comments [1]

It took 11 matches and 19 innings for sir Vivian Richards to make 1710 runs in one calender year. Way back in 1976.

30 years later, Mohammad Yousuf - who says change in relegion is the reason behind his great test match form in 2006, has come within 148 runs to breaking the record for most test match runs in one year.

It started with first test against India at Lahore from 13th January when Yousuf made 179 and then 65 and 126 in the 2nd test against indiat at Faisalabad.

Although Mohammad Yousuf was the batsmen Irfan Pathan bowled to take second hat-trick for India, he came back in the 2nd innings of that Karachi test and made 97.

Yousuf still has 2 more test match innings remaining in 2006 to produce 148 more runs and break the record.

Here's that list.

* Mohammad yousuf has one more test match remaining agianst West Indies (3rd test) in 2006. Starting 27th November.

Update (24th November 2006) :

Yousuf made 102 in the first innings of 3rd test at Karachi. He needs to make 46 more runs in the second innings. Although he now holds the record for most centuries in test cricket in one year. He had 7 in 2006 so far, as shown in the list above.

Update (1st December 2006) :Mohammad Yousuf made centuries in both the innings at Karachi and now holds the record for most runs by a batmen in a calender year (1788) and also the most number of test centuries in one season (9).

Above list is modified and as Karachi test was last for Pakistan in 2006, the record stays...!!

From New Age Sports in Bhaka, Bangladesh – Thursday June 8, 2006

Bidding farewell to the ARG
Agence France-Presse . St. John痴

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