Lost Legacy Sir Viv not seeing signs of Windies revival
Kern De Freitas
Since his departure from the playing field in 1991, Sir Vivian Richards has watched the fall of West Indies cricket from its once prominent perch. Today, there are few indications that the regional game will improve.
’I’m not seeing the signs,’ Sir Viv told the Express yesterday in an exclusive interview at Hyatt Regency Hotel on Wrightson Road, Port of Spain.
He added that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and players seem to have lost sight of the great legacy of Caribbean cricket.
’I honestly believe that we have lost respect in that particular manner for the legacy and when you lose that, you’re not quite sure what you’re out here for, you’re lost.’
One of his greatest concerns is the longstanding acrimony between the WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), which has threatened for several years now to derail regional cricket.
MASTER BLASTER: Former West Indies captain Sir Vivian Richards
’To me, if players have a Board they can trust well enough, that they’re doing the right thing for the Board, I don’t think we have the right environment for that,’ the former West Indies captain said.
He feels the players also need to show their West Indian pride.
’ You’ve been given the opportunity to play, go and get it done on the park, and then to me that gives you much better negotiating (leverage). I believe, growing up, to be passionate about your game, loving it, eating it, because (the players) are paid well for doing this. When this happens, you start sending a message that you care about the team you are playing for.’
Sir Viv is also concerned about the quality of play in the region, highlighted in the recent limited overs series versus Zimbabwe, where West Indies won the One-dayers 4-1 and lost the only Twenty20.
’Zimbabwe, I think, showed us up in a very big way, where when a guy opens the attack with a spinner…I would have loved to have seen that in my day, with the new ball and can hardly grip it. It does suggest that it’s a psychological thing. A spinner with the new ball in his hand cannot be that effective that early, especially with such shine on.’
Richards, renowned as the ’Master Blaster’ for his hard-hitting, attacking approach to batting, did not mince his words in stating his disappointment with players today who have no idea what they are playing for.
He said a lot of West Indies players are not familiar with former greats like Sir Learie Constantine and the great history of the game in this region.
’If you do not have a slight inkling as to what some of this stuff means,’ he pointed out, ’the representation ain’t going to be good. I guess this is some of the stuff we are seeing where slackness is concerned. We need individuals who have a great knowledge of the past. Then you have a better understanding of how you represent in the future. And I think that’s lost in so many ways.’
Sir Viv also threw some advice out to young, upcoming batsmen: watch the ball.
’You may be having bad times concentrating…this gives you something to concentrate about. You can see from the shots (some cricketers) play, they’re not watching the ball carefully enough.
’You hear about all the faults an individual has in technique, in things like that,’ he continued. ’Sometimes when you watch that delivery a little more, it’s amazing you are able to make the adjustment in order for you to go back, forward, or duck or anything like that.’
Richards is currently in Trinidad on his newest campaign as a Johnnie Walker ambassador: ’Be a giant. Don’t drink and drive.’
It is something he believes a lot in, he revealed yesterday.
’What I think is so important about this campaign is that it’s caring… I think it’s a serious catch phrase, and I think it should work in the region,’ he said.
He also described his relationship with Johnnie Walker scotch whisky as a ’wonderful partnership’.
’Because of the cricket and the way West Indies were in the successful days, I’ve always wanted to step to the plate to send that message. This is where I think this whole campaign…because of the belief factor. You yourself, anybody, can step up and be a giant.’ (Trinidad Express)