By Neto Baptiste
Former West Indies captain and one of four knighted cricketers here, Sir Vivian Richards, has dedicated his pending Caricom award, the Order of the Caribbean Community accolade, to those who contributed to his success both on and off the field.
Speaking on the Good Morning Jojo Sports Show, Sir Viv said the award would not have been possible without the support of his teammates, family and friends.
“There were a lot of people who were in the trenches with [me] and it started with family, the people you would have spent most of your life with, because most times you are in and out of hotel rooms, and the time spent with [my teammates] have given some of the best times of my life. That’s why I will always include them because it’s for them as well, it’s not just for me in that sense. I am representing my country because my country is the much bigger picture, I am just a small little puddle in that whole affair,” he said.
His comments follow news this week that Caricom has voted to bestow its highest honour on Sir Viv during the heads of government meeting from July 4-5 in Suriname.
Sir Viv, who scored 8,540 runs in 121 Tests for the West Indies, is also hoping the accolade will serve as motivation for others.
“There are times when you get a lot of negative stuff like ‘you’re from a small island and all that stuff’. I’ve heard it many times so no one should ever be deterred with the fact of how small the environment you come from is. God has given us a mind for us to think things out for ourselves and be strong about the decisions that [make] and feel strongly about our convictions … and these are just little simple values in life,” the Antiguan said.
Voted one of Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Century by a 100-member panel of experts and in 2002, Sir Viv said, however, he is humbled and thankful.
“I am thankful, I am grateful, but we move on because it’s about the simple things in life. If these things could allow you to walk on water, then I’ll be okay. But because of the body from which it comes … a regional body that we know about, hear about and care about, to get the award from [Caricom], because … as a West Indies team, we were representing people as well … so everything fits in pretty well,” he said.
In ODI matches, Sir Viv scored a total of 6,721 runs in 187 outings with 11 centuries and 45 half centuries. In Test, he amassed an impressive 24 centuries and 45 half centuries.