Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq says that despite the high scoring games that have become the norm in limited-overs cricket, he is yet to see the kind of aggression that West Indies legend Viv Richards possessed.
“I was once batting with the legendary Vivian Richards. He came over to me and asked me if I wanted to check who could hit the biggest six between us. I smiled and said sure. I thought he is a retired player and I was quite young at the time while I had faith in myself,” Inzamam said in a YouTube video.
“In the first over he hit a six, which landed in the parking region outside the ground. Then I hit a six, which went above the dressing room and went further than Richard’s six. I happily told him that I had hit a bigger six. He simply replied that we weren’t out yet, we are still playing.
“In the third over, Viv Richards hit a six that went above the dressing room and into the house behind. He didn’t just hit one. He hit three massive sixes into the nearby houses. He was just that kind of a player. He played at this level even after retirement. He was such a great player. I think the players will be learning so much since he is mentoring the Quetta Gladiators side,” said the former batsman.
“I can’t see aggression, like that of Viv Richards, in the modern game despite the high scoring matches we see today. The passion was just too high. The real essence of cricket is aggression. People enjoy watching cricket because of the aggression,” he said.
Richards had recently said in a podcast with former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson that he was okay with dying on the pitch while batting when asked about his famous tendency to play without a helmet.
“The passion for the game I felt was such that I wouldn’t mind dying playing something that I love. If this is what I chose and I go down here, what better way is there to go,” he said.