Viv Richards was birthed on the 7th day of March 1952. As a cricketer, he spent most of his years representing the West Indies. Viv was both successful in two levels, Test and International.

When ranked with other batsmen, Viv is seen as a great batsman that has walked the earth. In the year 2000, experts in the field made him the Cricket Player of the Century, alongside some other cricketers.

Currently, he mentors the T20 team Quetta Gladiators, one of the teams in the Super League organized by Pakistan. Viv became the greatest ODI batsman, according to the prominent cricket institution.

Viv was able to score 8,540 runs after 121 Test matches, giving him an average of 50.23. Viv was able to win twenty-seven of fifty Test matches, while he headed the team. The losses Viv had were 8.

During One Day Internationals he played in, Viv was able to get close to seven thousand runs.

His tremendous addition to cricket as we see it today made him get the title of Knight. That is not all, as he is still a mentor and commentator.

To appreciate what Viv gave, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in the year 2009.

Career

In the year, 1972, Viv Richards made his first play where he represented the Leeward Islands in a non-competition game. At that time, he was nineteen years.

Later on, Viv was able to make a competitive first play that he craved for, as he played in the domestic West Indian Shell Shield. He was in Combined Leeward and the Windward Islands.

When he was 22, Viv Richards was already a cricketer that has played in the Antigua, Combined Islands and Leeward Islands tournaments. The Vice-Chairman of Somerset noticed him in 1973 and wanted him to play. Richards left to the UK, and he played at a league cricket in Bath for Lansdown C.C.

In 1974, Viv relocated to Taunton, while he prepared his first play with the Somerset CCC.

As for his Test match debut, he did it in 1974 for the West Indian cricket team, where his team battled against India.

1975 saw Viv's team winning the Cricket World Cup final for his team, and this win was a highlight in the career life of this superstar.

Playing style

Viv played in the spot of the right-handed batsman and has a highly attacking style. This made him one of the best batsmen alive.

Sometimes, he doubled as a fielder, as well as an off-spin bowler, while succeeding at them.

Life Beyond Playing Days

After his playing days, Viv Richards has had quite an accomplished life as well. A quiet abut always self-assured gentleman, he has played a fatherly figure for stars in the game long after he hung up his bat. He has also been part of a popular documentary in 2010 where he narrated his experiences during his time as a player, and had also authored an autobiography of himself in 1991, called “Hitting Across The Line”

Conclusion

One can't call out the greatest Cricket batsmen and ignore him as he is an innovative one. Up to tomorrow, a lot of cricket lovers look at him with awe.