For Sir Vivian Richards, Brian Lara is one of the most brilliant batsmen of all time. - Winston Sill/ Freelance Photographer

His father thought he had eyes like a pigeon and had the talent shortly after the young Isaac Vivian Richards had followed in his dad's footsteps by taking up a bat when he was a mere lad. He was never one to short-change the game and he delighted fans around the world with his unorthodox style of play. He's married and the father of four and among his many accolades is a knighthood.

In recent years, Sir Viv has become the spokesperson for the Johnny Walker 'Know your Boundaries' campaign because of its message of awareness and of being responsible drinkers. He told The Gleaner's Lifestyle Editor, Barbara Ellington in an interview that he endorses the idea of having a designated driver when you go out at night.

BE: You retired from the game in 1992, what do you think of the state of the game now versus then?

VR: There have been new innovations that have added traction to the game; the five-day game and the 20/20 series have added excitement, these quicker forms grab crowds in. The boundaries seem shorter today, from what I can see, any cricket lover will say that it has changed by leaps and bounds since the days I started playing. All these changes are good for the game.

Real cricket fans can see that we have had better days; I am privileged to have been associated with the team that brought immense pleasure to Caribbean folk. Anyone would love to be associated with our success back then, but we are feeling a little let down now. We are still blessed with enormous talent. We can't rest on our laurels. The team is a collective unit that creates success.

We who loved and played the game, now feel shame because we understood what the maroon cap stood for. Like slavery, for some, the lessons have not been learnt and we have to now take measures so that we don't go backward. We need a work ethic, to get back that competitive nature; remember what we represented over the years, how potent we were. We just need to think about some of the greats who influenced me: Weeks, Worrell, Walcott, Hall and we will want to be a part of that great tradition. We knew we had to hold the baton tight in that relay because we couldn't let anyone down. If as a player you respect yourself, you will respect the game and the people you serve.

Do you think former great cricketers like yourself should now be serving at the administrative level?

Yes, we can and we do serve in other ways that help youngsters with talent like I did for Curtly Ambrose through the Sir Vivian Richards scholarship. But, on the question of service on the board; it's a question of trust and often jealousy. It's sad to see that individuals who were among some of the weakest in the game, serving on boards over the years.

Where do you see the future of West Indies cricket?

I think it needs leadership at this point and that has always been my biggest disappointment; serious leadership roles are missing. If you go back over the years you will see all the opportunities missed. You have to ask, 'where are we going?' I am amazed that we have an institution that helps the entire region and we have individuals who have been making nuisances of themselves, and a continuous rate of deterioration and still we have not heard anyone rebuking them.

We are the unifying force yet those at government levels remain silent. Or is it that they are not interested. If it is so important, why are they allowing the cricket to die?

Can you offer anything by way of a solution, if you could fix the WICB what would you do?

I would get rid of some of those who have been there for such a long time and who give a mandate to selectors that if a player is not up to scratch he has to go; why can't the same apply to them? That's not fair. The administrator makes a lot of mistakes and fails a number of times, so he should be accountable for that. They are making mistakes for years and are still there. The most powerful bodies in the region have been silent. When we hear the same complaint from the people, we now need to hear from an individual who rules countries to give us an idea of how important cricket is to us all.

So you are saying it's time for the leaders of the region to step in and fix things?

Yes, because outside of the university, this is the only institution that we all feel represents us. The same presidents and board members let us down all the time, yet they all go back into office and the problem still remains. If the cricketers don't have leadership at the top, how do you expect them to come good? People need proper examples.

You were a pretty fierce batsman, who would you say is the best bowler you faced in your career?

VR:The best bowlers sometimes don't get to play test cricket and the guys who would have your number are not picked, these were the ones I was not glad to face. In India where there were so many cultural and class differences, many of them did not get a game. Many of the best had a hard time to get to the top there. Honestly though, I never had the fear factor with any bowler, I felt some nerves and that is natural if you are aware and you care; you must keep yourself sharp.

Some guys shine on inferior wickets and you have to remember that Test match wickets are much better prepared. That is why many guys don't perform the same way they do under other circumstances.

See part II in Tomorrow's Gleaner.

barbara.ellington@gleanerjm.com.