Richards, Vivian

Richards, (Isaac) Vivian (Alexander)

(born March 7, 1952, St. John's, Antigua) West Indian professional cricket player. Born into a sporting family, Richards appeared in his first Test match for the West Indies against India in 1974, but he came to prominence with a score of 192 while batting against India in his second Test that year. In 1976 Richards scored a record 1,710 runs. His 56-ball century (scoring 100 points on 56 balls bowled) in 1985 is a record in Test cricket. Richards played a vital role in the West Indies' two World Cup triumphs. He captained the West Indies in 50 Tests with 27 victories and holds the record for never having lost a series as captain. He was selected Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1977 and was also one of the five cricketers of the century selected by Wisden in 2000. He began coaching the West Indies team upon his retirement as a player in 1991.