Why AB de Villiers and the like can never be as good as Viv Richards

Viv Richard’s fearless attitude and aggressive aura made him a peerless batsman in world cricket

The switch hit – where a right-handed batsman faces the ball as a southpaw, or vice-versa; the scoop-shot – where the batsman ramps the ball above and behind the wickekeeper; the off-side squeeze – where the batsman digs out a near-perfect yorker by angling the bat and sending the ball to the third man boundary. These are just a few of the shots that today's batsmen have invented in order to put doubts in the minds of the bowlers.

In an age where the rules have leaned towards being called "batting-friendly", quite a few stroke-makers have managed to stand out with the bat, and make life very hard for the bowlers. Names such as AB de Villiers, David Warner, Kevin Pietersen and Virat Kohli spring to mind immediately when we think of batsmen who exhibit daredevilry to an extraordinary degree.

However, these superstars of modern-day cricket are still left in the shade by one of cricket's most iconic names. He was the man who struck fear in the hearts of every bowler he ever faced, the batsman who always batted with destructive flair and trademark ruthlessness, the legendary Sir Isaac Alexander Vivian Richards. And it’s not for nothing that I said De Villiers and the like can never match up to Richards.

Richards’ attitude – a thing to behold

Quiet and unassuming away from the pitch, Richards was a powerful right-handed batsman with an extremely aggressive method. He was also an excellent fielder and a more than competent off-spin bowler. He is often regarded, by cricketers, journalists, fans and others alike, as the most physically devastating and exciting batsman to have ever played the game.

Richards’ fearless and attacking style of play combined with his relaxed but determined demeanor made him a crowd favourite and an intimidating prospect for opposition bowlers all over the world. The word "swagger" is frequently used to describe his batting style. His trademark shot was the drive through midwicket off a good-length ball from outside off-stump. Richards was also a great exponent of the hook shot.

Richards was named the best ODI batsman of all time

The imposing West Indian was famous for punishing bowlers who dared to sledge him. So much so, that many opposing captains banned their players from the practice altogether.

Once, in a county game against Glamorgan, Somerset pacer Greg Thomas attempted to sledge Richards after the latter had played and missed at several balls in a row. He sarcastically told the West Indian: "It's red, round and it's about five ounces, in case you were wondering." Richards then slapped the next delivery for 6, straight out of the stadium and into a nearby river. With a glance at Thomas, he commented: "You know what it looks like, now go and find it."

Accolades and recognitions by the truckloads

Richards was named the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1977, and won the Walter Lawrence Trophy in 1980 and 1986.

In 2000, he was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, in a poll of 100 international cricket experts appointed by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Several prominent former cricketers such as Imran Khan, Ravi Shastri, Wasim Akram, and Shane Warne are of the opinion that Richards is the greatest batsman they've ever witnessed.

The ICC have come out with their rankings for the best batsmen and bowlers in the history of the game for both the longer and shorter versions. The ODI ratings placed Richards in the first place, and he also came 6th in the Test ratings. These rankings are based on the levels achieved by the batsmen at their respective peaks.

Richards was voted the greatest cricketer since 1970 in a poll, ahead of Ian Botham and Shane Warne. That poll saw both Botham and Warne vote for Richards, and in the opinion of both, Richards is the greatest batsman they ever saw. In 2006, in a study done by a team of ESPN's Cricinfo magazine, Richards was again chosen the greatest ODI batsman ever.

What was so special about this West Indian? Why were these awards, recognitions and plaudits showered upon him? More importantly, why can no contemporary batting icon ever outdo this Caribbean legend?

Essaying multiple roles with distinction

To start with, Richards was a genuine all-rounder. He was a quality right arm slow bowler and held his own even against some of the great batsmen he bowled to in his career. With 150 wickets in 234 innings, in Tests and ODIs combined, at an economy of 3.43, Richards played a big role in his side’s bowling attack, apart from being a sharp fielder and the batting mainstay of the West Indies side.

Today’s batting powerhouses, the Kohlis and the Warners, are specialist batsmen, and focus their efforts solely on wielding the willow. That in itself tilts the scales in favour of the West Indian.

Richards had the additional role of captaining his side, and did so marvellously. With a 50 match tenure as captain from 1984 to 1991, he remains the only West Indian skipper to have never lost a Test series. Although some of today’s batsmen, such as De Villiers and Kohli partly share this responsibilty, captaining their country in at least one format, being as successful as the Antiguan will be near-impossible for either of them.

There is no doubt that the likes of Warner and AB have benefitted from the new ODI rules

The numbers – forever out of reach

As a batsman, Richards scored 8,540 runs in 121 Tests, at a superb average of 50.23. And while those are terrific numbers, they aren’t quite completely out of reach of the modern-day superstars.

It’s in the ODIs, however, that Richards puts light years between himself and the rest. He scored 6,721 runs in 187 ODIs at an incredible average of 47.00 and a staggering strike rate of 90.20. Kohli and De Villiers can match these numbers on paper, but when you compare the statistics with reference to the time periods they all played in, the difference between Richards and everyone else becomes painfully stark.

The reason Richards will always remain a cut above the rest is because he averaged 47 at a time when batsmen in the top seven averaged 29, and scored at a strike rate of 90 in an era when the norm was 66. Well before Powerplays and fielding restrictions, Richards punished bowlers with a wide and devastating array of strokes.

To put things in perspective, a modern day batsman would have to score his runs at an average of 60 and a strike rate of 120 to even come close to Richards’ numbers.

Even aside from all the statistics though, De Villiers and the like can never hope to reach his greatness, because Richards truly exemplified fearlessness. In his 17-year career, he never once wore a helmet while batting, and yet took on bowlers with surprising ease and courage.

Richards handled the triple role of batsman, bowler and captain with aplomb, and never once held back from his natural game of aggression. He was the greatest in his era by a country mile, and possessed an aura about him which no batsman of the modern-day game can ever possibly match.