10 Cricketers who played other sport

10. Sir Vivian Richards – Football

Sir Isaac Vivian Richards is hailed to be the most intimidating batsman in the last quarter of the 20th century. There was swag, there was the elegance and a ‘look at me’ strut walk in his approach to the pitch. He backed it all with his batting. Then there was brilliance, class, and aggressiveness in his batting. Those were the days without the helmets, but still, there was a scare in the opposition camp as he marked his guard.

His numbers clearly echo about his prominence as a batsman. In a 17-year-long career, he scored 8540 Test runs at an average of 50.24 with 24 centuries and over 6000 ODI runs at 47. Sir Viv was once in a lifetime cricketer. He appeared in the 1975 and 1979 victorious World Cups for West Indies. It is learned that Richards also played international football. He played for Antigua and Barbuda in the qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup 1974. He is an ardent supporter of English football club, Liverpool FC.

Off-field honours followed his cricket achievements. In 1994, he was appointed the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). In 2006, he was prized the Knight of the Order of the National Hero (KNH), which is the highest award in Antigua. The West Indies cricket board has also built The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua which has been in use since the 2007 World Cup.