Cricket legend?Sir Viv Richards says that he hopes Chris Gayle is fit and ready to make his mark on his 100th Test, to be played on his home ground at Sabina Park, Jamaica.
Sir Viv, who is now a consultant with the High Performance Centre (HPC) programme for promising young West Indies cricketers, told NATIONSPORT that he hoped Gayle, 34, could celebrate with a double hundred off New Zealand in the opening Test at Sabina Park on June 8.
“It’s a great achievement to play 100 Tests and I am hoping that, especially with what we would have seen in the Indian Premier League, he gets himself fit enough to accomplish that feat.
“To play your 100th Test match before your home crowd is very special. What I think would be better and would be icing on the cake is Gayle scoring a hundred or double and putting the West Indies in a wonderful position. That to me would be a 100th Test match [worth] playing,” said Sir Viv, who made 121 Test appearances.
Gayle, who has one Test hundred at Sabina Park, will also be seeking to join the 7 000-run club. In 99 matches, Gayle has 6 933 runs with 15 tons.
Sir Viv said he was quietly confident the West Indies could avenge their recent series loss in New Zealand.
“I will always back my team at home. They would have felt reasonably embarrassed losing in New Zealand so when we get them at home, we have to take care of business.”
Sir Viv thinks he has a major contribution to make to the HPC?programme.
“My role is to take the West Indies product forward. Having captained and been around at a time when one played under Clive Lloyd and that path which we had to success, I guess I should be of enormous help.
“When you look at the position we are in today, No. 8 at Test match level, there is some room for improvement and to utilise some of the resources which we have at home would be of vital importance also,” he said.
Sir Viv said he hoped his current assignment with the West Indies team would not be shortlived.
“I am hoping that this is a start and not something that we would have seen in the past where you are here today and gone tomorrow. Let us hope that it is not short-term.”
The Master Blaster pointed to success stories at Manchester United and the Australia cricket teams and said it was important that there were parallels in the Caribbean where legends could be used to extend championship success.
“Even though Man United now have Louis van Gaal as manager, they did the right things by having Ryan Giggs, who has been part of the structure for a long time in an interim role, ensuring a smooth transition. Australia have Rod Marsh, Greg Chappell and a little before time, John Inveriaty, taking their cricket forward.
“We need those parallels in the West Indies; people who would have been out there in battle. It is all about moving our cricket forward,” he said.
Sir Viv said he had reminded new captain Denesh Ramdin that he had the responsibility of shaping the imminent future of West Indies cricket.
“I saw [him] recently and congratulated Ramdin and wished him the very best and made sure that I told him he is in position now to be responsible [for] helping to shape the way in which West Indies cricket goes,” he said.
