Viv Richards

Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, born 7 March 1952 in Antigua, is a former cricketer who played for the West Indies from 1974 to 1991. Known for batting at number three in a powerful side, he is considered one of the sport's finest batters. He was a member of the West Indies teams that won the 1975 and 1979 World Cups and were runners-up in 1983.

Richards debuted in Test cricket in 1974 against India, alongside Gordon Greenidge. His peak years, from 1976 to 1983, saw him average 66.51 in Tests. In 1984, he underwent surgery for pterygium, which affected his sight and reflexes. Despite this, he remained a top batter for another four years, though his average dropped significantly. He finished with 8,540 runs in 121 Tests at an average of 50.23, surpassing Garfield Sobers as the West Indies' leading Test run-scorer. He also scored 1,281 runs at an average above 55 in World Series Cricket, often considered the toughest level of the game. As captain, he won 27 of 50 Tests, losing only eight. He amassed nearly 7,000 runs in One Day Internationals and over 36,000 in first-class cricket.

Knighted in 1999 for his services to cricket, Richards was named one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Century in 2000. In 2002, Wisden judged his ODI innings the best ever, and later that year ranked him the greatest ODI batsman to date and the third-greatest Test batter. He entered the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2013, Wisden selected him at number five in the best Test team of 150 years, one of only two post-war batsmen (alongside Sachin Tendulkar) to make the cut.

Richards was born in St. John's, Antigua, to Malcolm and Gretel Richards. He attended St. John's Boys Primary School and then Antigua Grammar Secondary School on a scholarship. He learned cricket early, encouraged by his brothers Mervyn and Donald, who played for Antigua as amateurs. He initially practiced with his father and neighbor Pat Evanson, a former Antigua captain. Leaving school at 18, he worked at D'Arcy's Bar and Restaurant, where owner D'Arcy Williams provided him with cricket gear. He played for St. John's Cricket Club before moving to Rising Sun Cricket Club.

At 17 in 1969, Richards was suspended for two years after a controversial incident. Playing for Antigua against St Kitts, he was out for a golden duck, angering the crowd of 6,000. Supporters occupied the pitch, delaying the game for two hours. To calm the near-riot, Richards was sent back to bat, where he was out for another duck. He later said he behaved badly and was unhappy about being made to bat again, feeling he was made a fool for the convenience of local authorities.

Richards made his first-class debut in January 1972 at age 19, scoring 20 and 26 for the Leeward Islands against the Windwards in a non-competition match. His competitive debut came days later for the Combined Leeward and Windward Islands against Jamaica, where he scored 15 and 32. By 22, he had played in Antigua, Leeward Islands, and Combined Islands tournaments. In 1973, Len Creed, vice-chairman of Somerset, noticed him while in Antigua. Lester Bird and Danny Livingstone helped persuade Creed to take Richards to Somerset, after Surrey had rejected both Richards and Andy Roberts in late 1972.

In 1973–74, Richards moved to the UK, where Creed arranged league cricket for Lansdown C.C. in Bath. He debuted for their second XI on 26 April 1973, also working as assistant groundsman. Promoted to the first team, he met all-rounder "Shandy" Perera from Ceylon, whom he credits as a major influence on his development. He finished his first season top of the batting averages and was offered a two-year contract with Somerset. He moved to Taunton in 1974 for his professional debut.