West Indian Richards considers the Imran Khan-led side of the 1980s as their most formidable opponents during that time. PHOTO COURTESY: QUETTA GLADIATORS
DUBAI: As the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Super League unfolds, a galaxy of cricket stars continue to light up the Conrad Hotel in Dubai — home for all five participating teams and their officials.
One star who has arguably outshone every superstar as far as the ‘selfie’ and autograph hunters are concerned, is West Indian legend Sir Vivian Richards — the mentor for Quetta Gladiators.
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The man, dubbed by many as the ‘most destructive batsman of all time’ with an average of 50.23 with the bat in Tests and 47 in ODIs, has a lot of respect for Pakistan cricket.
“What I can tell you is that during the time of our absolute dominance, the only team that would give us problems was Pakistan, led by the great Imran Khan,” said the 63-year-old of the team which managed to draw three successive Test series against the formidable Caribbean outfit. “The team also included Javed Miandad and no one wore the country’s flag better than Miandad, he is a special person.”
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Ever since the inception of T20 leagues around the world, Richards has been one of the most sought-after names for mentoring teams and he is willing to put up his hand if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) opts for a foreign coach in the days ahead.
“I won’t decline any [PCB coaching] offer. At present you have Waqar [Younis] who is a legend and has done a magnificent job with the team,” he added. “I would definitely give coaching a shot, if given an opportunity, because I feel I have a lot to offer to the game.”
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The middle-order batsman, who made 121 appearances in Test cricket, expressed his sadness at the country’s inability to host international cricket due to security concerns.
“We [the West Indies team] were always ready to tour Pakistan,” said Richards. “The country has given some magnificent cricketers to the world and it’s sad to see what has happened to the country with the lack of international cricket. I hope it improves.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2016.
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