Viv Richards

Antiguan cricket legend widely regarded as the greatest batsman of all time, dominated world cricket in the 1970s and 1980s with fearless strokeplay.

Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards was born in St John's, Antigua in 1952. He played 121 Test matches for the West Indies between 1974 and 1991, scoring 8,540 runs at 50.23 with 24 centuries. He is considered by many the most intimidating and destructive batsman who ever played Test cricket. He struck at 47.87 — extraordinary for Test cricket at any era. He hit the fastest Test century in history — off 56 balls against England at Antigua in 1986. He captained the West Indies from 1984 to 1991 and led them in 50 Tests, winning the World Cup in 1979 and 1975. He was part of the greatest West Indies team in history. He played county cricket for Somerset and Glamorgan and scored over 36,000 first-class runs. He was knighted in 1999. His combination of power, style and sheer presence at the crease made him the most feared batsman of his era.

Richards was renowned for his aggressive, fearless batting style and his ability to dominate bowling attacks with powerful strokeplay. He possessed exceptional hand-eye coordination and could play shots all around the wicket with equal authority. His confident demeanor and intimidating presence at the crease, often batting without a helmet, made him a psychological weapon against opposing teams.

Richards transformed the way cricket was played with his attacking approach and helped establish the West Indies as the dominant force in world cricket during their golden era. His influence extended beyond statistics, inspiring a generation of Caribbean cricketers and changing the mentality of how batting could be approached at the highest level.

• World Cup 1975 1979
• 121 Tests, 8,540 runs, average 50.23
• Fastest Test Century: 56 balls