Viv Richards

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Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander (Viv) Richards West Indies (WI)

Batting style	Right-hand bat (RHB)
Bowling type	Right-arm slow
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	121	187
Runs scored	8,540	6,721
Batting average	50.23	47.00
100s/50s	24/45	11/45
Top score	291	189*
Overs bowled	862.4	940.4
Wickets	32	118
Bowling average	61.37	35.83
5 wickets in innings	0	2
10 wickets in match	0	N/A
Best bowling	2/17	6/41
Catches/stumpings	122	100
As of 23 June 2005 Source: Cricinfo.com

Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards (born St John's, Antigua on 7 March 1952), better known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, Viv Richards is a former West-Indian cricketer.

Richards was an attacking right-hand batsman, a good fielder, an occasional spin bowler, and a successful captain. The word "swagger" is often, and aptly, used to describe his batting style: as a batsman, he often dominated the opposing bowlers. His strokeplay was devastating, relying on an excellent eye and awesome power to punish the bowlers. He was widely known for his habit of chewing gum while playing, and also preferring to wear a cap rather than a cricket helmet, even against fast bowlers such as Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thompson, and Bob Willis, so that he would be more "comfortable" (notwithstanding the personal danger).

Richards made his Test match debut for the West Indian cricket team in 1974 against India in Bangalore. He made an unbeaten 192 in the second Test of the same series in New Delhi.

In his Test career, he scored 8,540 runs in 121 Test matches at an average of 50.23 (including 24 centuries). He won 27 of 50 matches as a Test captain and lost only 8. Richards remains proud of turning down a "blank cheque" to play for a rebel West Indian squad against South Africa during the apartheid era in 1983 and 1984. He is also the scorer of the fastest test century. His highest innings of 291 is sixth on the West Indies highest individual scores.

He was chosen as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1977. In 2000, Richards was named by a 100-member panel of experts as the fifth of five Wisden Cricketers of the Century. Richards received 25 votes, behind Sir Donald Bradman (100 votes), Sir Garfield Sobers (90 votes), Sir Jack Hobbs (30 votes) and Shane Warne (27 votes).

Viv Richards' career performance graph.

Career record	First-class	List A
Matches	507	500
Runs scored	36,212	16,995
Batting average	49.40	41.96
100s/50s	114/162	26/109
Top score	322	189*
Balls bowled	23,220	12,214
Wickets	223	290
Bowling average	45.15	30.59
5 (FC)/4 (List A) wickets in innings	1	4
10 wickets in match	0	N/A
Best Bowling	5/88	6/24
Catches/Stumpings	464/1	238
As of 23 June 2005 Source: [1] Edit this template