Would Viv Richards make the all-time Test match XI?

Harsh Thakor

First Class Star
Joined
Oct 1, 2012
Runs
3,514
Post of the Week
2
No batsmen in the world has taken domination of genuine pace bowling to the zenith of Sir Viv Richards.Even Bradman did not tackle pure pace with such assurance or exhibited such ferocity.No did Lara and Tendulkar equal it.Morally he was the best of all batsmen as a pure match-winner.In the history of the game no batsmen could turn the complexion of game more than Viv ,not even Lara or Sachin.If he wished he could have broken all the batting records.From 1976-80 bar bradman there has in my view never been an equal of Viv Richards who scored 862 runs in 197778 in World series cricket and averaged 118.42 and aggregated 829 run sin England in 1976.

However Viv played for a world champion team bear the pressure Lara or Tendulkar did.Tendulkar had greater consistency and longevity while Lara single-handedly carried game on his shoulders far more.Viv did not posess Lara's prowess for registering mammoth scores or equal Lara's average percentage score out of team's total.Nor was he as technically perfect or arguably complete as Tendulkar.Both Lara and Tendulkar were better players of spin bowling .Viv ,on bad wicket ,has never equalled Lara's unbeaten 153 versus Barbados in 1999 versus Australia nor Tendulkar's 136 v Pakistan at Madras in 1999.

With his phenomenal figures Bradman automatically makes the xi as batsmen and Sobers as an all-rounder.It is difficult to fit Lara,Viv and Sachin in the 1st team.If you consider performances overall Summing strength of opposition,situation of game ,nature of wickets and impact of score then Lara and Sachin would marginally inch Viv.Both showed greater tenacity to build an innings .Tendulkar was a greater master and Lara posessed more genius by the margin of a whisker.At say 30-3 or 60-5 I would rather have Lara or Sachin than Viv.

.On a bad wicket I would choose Sachin and Lara.On a fast wicket I would anyday select Viv.On a turning track anyday Sachin and Lara.On a perfect cricket wicket possibly Lara and Sachin.Lara being left -handed would also give an ideal variety.On a flat pancake I would choose Sachin and Lara.

Anyway it is all a matter of opinions.For his sheer ability to turn the complexion of games many pundits would select Viv In Richard Sydenham's player's selection of all-time xi's 64 players voted for Viv.I would not want Tendulkar and Lara to open an innings,nor Bradman.
 
[MENTION=132062]Harsh Thakor[/MENTION] I got a question for you unrelated to this thread.

Have you seen Desmond haynes play and if you did, what do you think of him as an opening bat. I have an uncle who deems him much better than greenidge & boycott saying that he was much more attacking batsmen than gordon but chose to be the anchor because he had good defensive technique as well. Can you shed some light on his playing style and how good he was.
 
:viv should be there in any world XI , irrespective of format.

Being in the world XI does not increase status of the King , but the XI status increases with presence of Viv
 
He would be one of my first picks in any format of the game. A game changer if ever there was one.
 
Back
Top