Kapil Dev feels a great deal of sympathy for Sir Viv Richards

Kapil Dev and Sir Viv Richards are certainly two of the most charismatic personalities in the context of cricket in the past. However, with both India and West Indies facing each other at the moment, the West Indies are unable to recapture the form and the aura they once had on the cricketing world all those years ago.

Kapil Dev stated that he felt a great deal of sympathy for Sir Viv as the latter was forced to watch his legacy being torn down by the persisting problems the current West Indies regime is facing at the moment.

Sir Viv is currently a part of the commentary team and is covering the ongoing series between India and the West Indies. The second Test sees the West Indies on the brink of yet another innings defeat at the hands of the Indians in the second Test at Jamaica.

“The Viv I know was probably the greatest batsman and had that swagger to intimidate any rival,” Kapil told India Today, adding, “But the Viv I am watching on TV these days, and listening to his commentary, I can sense how bad he feels about the way West Indies are playing. Viv, I feel for you my friend, you played all your life with the pride these players can’t associate themselves with perhaps.”

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Kapil recalled the 90s when Viv was on a mission to stamp his authority on cricket all over the world. “In the 80s and 90s, it was the West Indies who would inflict a clean sweep on others. When you played there, they had four-five fast bowlers baying for your blood with the crowd chanting. ‘kill him, kill him Maan’. And now we are talking about an Indian clean sweep over the West Indies and in the West Indies. Who could have thought so 20-25 years ago,” Kapil said.

“In this series, you can say India have done well by playing five specialist bowlers but even now I feel a genuine all-rounder is what Virat Kohli would want. They should be ready for better and bigger tests against good teams,” he said.

“You can’t keep such talent on the bench once Murali Vijay comes back from injury. Rahul must play in the XI regardless of how Virat finds a place for him.”

He also had a word of caution for Indian fast bowlers: “The three – Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami have looked very good but I hope they keep working on their fitness,” Kapil opined.

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