LONDON – Sir Viv Richards was driven almost to tears at a dinner honouring his illustrious career as the most destructive batsman of his era and successful West Indies captain at Lord’s, traditional home of cricket, on Tuesday night.
“It’s not often I’m moved but this has been a truly special evening and something I won’t forget for a very, very long time,” Richards said.
Several teammates for West Indies and opponents for England during the era when West Indies dominated international cricket, were unanimous that Richards was the finest batsman they had played with or against.
Clive Lloyd, who captained Richards for the first 11 years of his international career, described Richards as “not only a great batsman but a great team man who never took a step back from any challenge.”
West Indies’ colleagues, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge and Colin Croft and England’s David Gower, Mike Gatting, Chris Cowdrey, the Lord’s Taverners’ president, Geoff Miller and Derek Underwood spoke in similar terms .
Broadcasting legends Tony Cozier and Sir Trevor McDonald, both West Indian, were other speakers.
Cozier, who reported and commentated on almost all Richards’ 121 Tests, led off the tributes and said the grace; he was followed by McDonald, the Trinidadian who remains one of Britain’s most admired television news’ personalities.
Richards’ fellow Antiguans, Sir Curtly Ambrose and Sir Richie Richardson, were unavoidably absent. Desmond Haynes is with the Barbados Tridents team in the current Champions Trophy in India.
Tributes played on video screens came from Michael Holding, Bob Willis, Alan Lamb and Ian Botham, Richards’ closest friend in the game and godfather to his son.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Tourism Minister Asot Michael emphasized the impact Richards’ globally recognized success had on his small twin-island nation of which he is a National Hero.
The dinner was attended by over 500 guests, each paying 175 pounds (US$286). Organized by the Lord’s Taverners, Britain’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charity, with the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority as the official destination partner, over 100,000 pounds was raised on the night, much of it through raffles and the sale of memorabilia.
On Richards’ personal nomination, a quarter is set aside for the restoration project of St. John’s Anglican Cathedral in Antigua.
The day before the dinner, Sir Viv and his former teammates met some of the Lords Taverners’ charity beneficiaries at the Kia Oval, where they were competing in the finals of the Taverners Disability Cricket Championships – a community sports initiative which provides regular year-round competition and coaching for young people with disabilities across London. (Lord’s Taverners media).
