Photo Credit: Instagram Photos of @officiallyvivian, @icctrophytour
Sir Vivian Richards, the legendary West Indies cricketer, expressed his frustration and sadness over the absence of the West Indies team from the Champions Trophy. Richards, who is a governing council member of the International Masters League, called the situation “annoying” and “hurtful.” Reflecting on the absence of both West Indies and Sri Lanka from the tournament, he emphasized the need for the West Indies to learn from Afghanistan’s rise in world cricket.
Afghanistan, once considered gritty minnows, have now emerged as a strong force in the Asian region due to their consistent performances. Richards observed that the Afghan team, despite not being in the cricket world for as long as other teams, has demonstrated remarkable fighting spirit. “I’m just hoping that my West Indies team can take a leaf out of these guys’ book, because there is a passion and energy that the Afghanis have brought to the game,” Richards shared during a virtual interaction on Sunday.
Richards praised Afghanistan’s ability to learn and improve over time, which he believes has played a significant role in their progress. “The ability to learn as the years go by, that would have given them the experience that’s needed in order for them to be where they’re at,” he said.
Reflecting on the contrast between Afghanistan’s inclusion in the Champions Trophy and the West Indies’ absence, he remarked, “When you can see Afghanistan in the Champions League, and the West Indies not, it means that Afghanistan is doing something right.”
Richards added that the West Indies’ return to the top tier of world cricket would require a collective effort from everyone involved, not just the players. He pointed out that the West Indies had also missed the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, which added to the team’s struggles. “In order for us to get ourselves back where we once were, it is going to take maybe not just the players, but individuals from the board, people who are in responsible positions,” he said. Richards stressed the importance of administrative support to help the team identify and address the shortcomings that have led to their current situation.
“It hurts. It makes me feel very, very sad, because we are much better than that,” Richards admitted, highlighting his disappointment at seeing the West Indies’ legacy not being reflected in their current performances. He emphasized that without support from the board and a clear vision for the future, the team would continue to struggle. “The advice that maybe I can give in the future is for everyone who identifies that West Indies need to be at the very top tier of world cricket, (and) until we identify that, we’ll be basically in a position where we will continue to struggle,” he said.
Richards also expressed his views on the scheduling of the Champions Trophy, particularly the situation faced by Australia and South Africa, who were uncertain whether they would be playing their semifinal in Dubai or Lahore. With India playing all their matches in Dubai, some have raised concerns about the advantage this gives to the Indian team.
Former England cricketers Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton had commented that India had an advantage due to the lack of travel, which Richards somewhat acknowledged, though he noted that the issue stems from politics and governance. “People may have a point when they say that. I guess that’s due to politics — I don’t want to get into the politic side of things,” he said.
Richards placed the responsibility squarely on the ICC, questioning why the scheduling situation exists in the first place. “But I believe the people who are responsible, in terms of the governing and the ruling of the game in itself, which is the ICC, they’re the ones who I think got the problem,” he remarked.
He called for the ICC to provide an explanation for the situation. “I would like them to come up with an answer, why? If they are the governing body of cricket, why is that happening at present?” Richards concluded by emphasizing the unifying power of sports. “I honestly believe one of the things that can bring all of us together, fans and everyone, even enemies together, (is) sports,” he said.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
