SIR VIV RICHARDS What was the highlight of your cricketing career? When I was a little boy, my friends and I used to run away from school and climb up into the mahogany trees that grew around the cricket ground to watch our favourite players play. Sometimes, too many of us were on the same limb, and it would break. We would fall inside the ground and scamper in all directions while the groundsmen and police tried to catch us! Years later, when I broke the world record for the fastest hundred on the same cricket ground, I remembered those days and my passion for the game as a boy. My dreams had come true. It was a very special moment. How was it playing cricket when you were young? I played school cricket and represented my neighbourhood in inter-neighbourhood competitions. Having brothers in my family and a father who played provided that passion for the game and an insight into what I wanted to do.
SIR RICHIE RICHARDSON What was the highlight of your cricket career? When I got that initial call telling me that I was selected for the West Indies, something that had been my dream from a young age. It was an eerie feeling when I was in my first Test Match; in the dressing room, I felt like I was floating. And when I looked around and saw all these great names like Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd and the likes, I just couldn’t believe it. But I had to get my feet on my ground and start playing if I wanted to be like these highly professional guys.
How do you see the West Indies team going forward? I believe that the West Indies played very well against England in the recent Test Series, which is a great positive. Winning creates confidence, everyone feels good, and there is a vibrant mood and energy. So I think everyone is in a good place after this Series, and hopefully, they can continue with this success. I also hope this win makes the fans happy - after what has happened over the past couple of years, people need something to focus on. I’m hoping this win has created that path.
How would you describe cricket to someone who knows nothing about it? Cricket is a highly complex game. I played all my life before retirement, and even now, I am working as a cricket referee, but I still find it complicated, and there are things I still don’t understand! T20 is an excellent tool to introduce cricket to countries that have never played it before. It’s exciting, shorter and easier to catch onto. How do you see the future of West Indies cricket? Ever since West Indies started playing, they have captured the love of people worldwide. After our successes, we took it for granted that we would remain the best team. We are now struggling to get back up the ladder, although we are still respected because of our reputation. We have great players, but we need to do more to promote the game in schools and communities and invest more in the sport. We have to believe that we can be the best in the world again. We were, and we can be again.
ISSUE 13 • APRIL 2022
41
