Sir Vivian Richards - master or myth?

[honestbharani]

The one thing about these guys who did not have athelete bods from the 90s and the noughties is that while it is true that they are not gonna save runs and cut off boundaries etc., they all seemed good to great catchers, especially close in in tests etc. Somehow the current generation look so much more athletic but put down so many basic catches in the close in areas in tests.

 

[Daemon]

You gotta have either bucket hands (Smith, Kallis, Warne) or the dad bod calmness (Dravid, Rohit) in the slips.

Too much energy leads to Kohli like disasters.

 

[Migara]

Can’t believe you left out Arjuna as a gun fielder as well. Or the Guru and Aravinda. All as good or better than Murali

Touche

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I was looking for a thread to mark his 70th birthday today (7th March 2022) without starting a new one or just putting it in the "doesn't deserve it's own thread" thread - I might as well use my own old thread.

Happy Birthday Viv. Still yet to see a better batsman.

 

[Gob]

I was looking for a thread to mark his 70th birthday today (7th March 2022) without starting a new one or just putting it in the "doesn't deserve it's own thread" thread - I might as well use my own old thread.

Happy Birthday Viv. Still yet to see a better batsman.

Sobers?

 

[wpdavid]

Sobers?

Peak Sobers was before LT's time. Hopefully he'll appreciate me pointing out that he's not quite as old as you think.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

The only major innings of Sobers I saw in full on TV was a century at Lords in 1973. It was a decent century, but Bernard Julian made a similar one, which indicated it wasn’t the most trying of conditions.

 

[The Sean]

Happy 70th Master Blaster.

I maintain that if I were granted one final hour watching any two batsmen of my lifetime batting in partnership and each at their very best, then I would choose Viv and Lara, and it'd be a pretty easy choice.

 

[wpdavid]

The only major innings of Sobers I saw in full on TV was a century at Lords in 1973. It was a decent century, but Bernard Julian made a similar one, which indicated it wasn’t the most trying of conditions.

I was thinking exactly the same thing about Bernard Julien's knock in that innings. Like you, 1973 was the first time I saw WI play and the only time I saw Sobers. With all due respect the the great man, he wasn't even the greatest batsman in that WI side at that moment in time; Clive Lloyd being the outstanding performer imo.