Debasis Sen, Antigua: People in Antigua still debate as to who was more talented – Sir Viv Richards or his younger brother Mervyn. Both started playing cricket from their childhood days and went to represent their country – the Lewward islands. They even represented the Antigua national football team. But it was Viv’s dedication and passion for the game that took him to the pinnacle of world cricket, feels Mervyn.
Even Gretel Richards (Viv’s mother) felt that Sir Viv wasn’t the most talented cricketer she’d seen. She reserved that accolade for Mervin, her other son.
According to Mervyn, “There used to be cricket season followed by football season. We used to play both but Viv would find time to keep practicing cricket even during the football season. And that is what is dedication is all about that eventually drove him to great heights.”
The Richards family has not shifted their base as they still reside in the small cottage which is a stone throw away distance from the market place. Sir Viv still finds time to drop in every week if he is in Antigua. For Donald, “Viv still shows me the same respect as an elder brother. Honestly speaking Viv hasn’t changed a bit in spite of the fame and success. I would say if he was living in the states in the 60’s he would have been matched with Martin Luther King. Similarly, had he lived in South Africa during apartheid, he would have been matched with Mandela. He was the kind of person who always wanted to fight for the weak. Our father taught us at an early age that we have to be proud for what we stand for. Viv is the same person as he was.”
Mervyn seated next to Donald interrupts his elder brother and narrates a story. “Viv used to go occasionally to the Antigua Recreation Ground to have his lunch. There were two buses full of English tourists who came to see the Recreation Ground. One of the guys told someone that he looked similar like Viv. The driver clarified that it was indeed Viv. After realizing it was Viv himself having his lunch, he just couldn’t believe his eyes. Viv stopped his lunch to come forward to give an autograph to the man. And that is what Viv is. He still walks on the streets of Antigua and waves at everyone.”
Mervyn vividly recalls how Viv mania often enveloped the nation, even during local island games. “In one of his first games for Antigua, Viv was given out by the umpire but the crowd would have none of it. No Viv no match, they say. Viv was called back. He played three innings in the game. But our father got very annoyed to know that Viv got three chances to bat. He scolded him and from then he made it a point to not wait a moment at the ground if the umpires has signaled against him.