The fearless champion was born on this day. Sir Vivian Richards played the game with an utmost ease. Not every batsman was blessed with such ease and ice-cool nature. And the swagger that he possessed was unbeatable much like his batting. He chewed gum as he walked in to bat and he played the balls as if the word called ‘pressure’ never existed in the world. Even if it existed, it did not exist in Richards’ world. Calling Richards a slogger would be a disrespect him. He hit the balls so hard that it appeared as if the ball would crack. At the same time, there was some style in the way he hit those shots. It was mesmerising to watch him bat. It was unbelievable to see him bat without fear. Fear of not getting hit on the head, the head which did not wear a helmet.
Richards retired with 8540 Test runs which were scored with an average above 50. And not to forget 6721 ODI runs with an average of 47 and strike rate of 90.