The Cricket Fear factor and Vivian Richards

Playing for your country is probably the ultimate fantasy of the countably-infinite cricket lovers all over the world. Cleaving those who get a chance to represent their country and those who don’t, we are left with only a handful. Further analysis shows that many out of the few, who are able to reach that cherished level, do so as a result of their hard-work, determination and dedication. Only a minuscule shoot to instant stardom following a magnificent century or a five-for. Many of them ebb away into oblivion without much exploits. Then there is a further smaller class of players who invoke respect, admiration and reverence. They are legends who need no recommendation, no introduction. Their statistics are scribed in record books, their lives are stamped on books, their names are etched in mortal intellect. Then there is a still smaller group of players who invoke a different kind of feeling, a feeling much powerful than respect, a feeling much contagious and detrimental than any other, a feeling of fear.

Only a few players in the history of the game of cricket are worthy of being categorized in the last group. It all started with a care free, flamboyant West Indian slaughtering any and every bowling attack he faced. Vivian Richards was the first one to stand up and give back an eye for an eye to the bowlers. Add to the list names like Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Virender Sehwag, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chris Cairns and a couple more and what you have is an exhaustive list.

Vivian Richards

They might not be the most elegant; they might not be the most consistent; they might not have any records to their name but they are the players who make the game enthralling; they are the players who make the game engrossing; they are the players who are willing to risk anything and everything for their fans; their country; their game.

Contrary to the popular adage that if you don’t risk something you won’t gain anything, these players risk everything to gain something.