Sir Viv wants Windies cricket to keep walking

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

West Indies cricket great Sir Vivian Richards is of the view that the constant issues between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) are at the root of the current rut that regional cricket finds itself in.

Richards believes the many off-field issues that plague West Indies cricket are used as an excuse by the players for their on-field performance.

"The players who are involved, such as the administrators and WIPA, must come to a common consensus if they intend to have something sold in the future to represent, because at present things are going downhill," Richards pointed out yesterday during a press briefing at The Jamaica Pegasus. "With all the squabbling and the personalities, at the end of the day they are the ones who will be responsible for the direction cricket takes."

He added: "There are issues to be dealt with on both sides of the coin. When you have two parties involved, like WIPA and the West Indies Cricket Board, there are definitely some issues and some personalities involved. They have to put away all the personal stuff and realise that there is one common cause."

He, however, believes the importance of the sport to the region cannot be overlooked and therefore it should be protected.

"This is the only sport that we really participate together as a unit, and we bring all the different fragrances from all the countries that are represented, so it must be protected and enhanced," he stated.

Richards, who is the official spokesperson for the world's best-selling brand of Scotch Whisky, Johnnie Walker, is in the island promoting the company's Responsible Drinking campaign, 'Be A Giant: Don't Drink and Drive'. The company had an exclusive competition on its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/johnniewalkerjamaica), which invited cricket fans and the wider public to join the group and pledge that they will not drink and drive.

Winner elated

Steve Nembhard emerged as the winner, with part of his prize being to bowl the ceremonial first ball of the day to Richards just before the Digicel Pearls ODI against India at Sabina Park today.

Nembhard, who was overjoyed at the opportunity to meet Richards, will also receive VIP tickets to watch the game with Sir Viv in a skybox, before attending an elite Johnnie Walker party after the game.

"It is a great privilege for me to be with the great legend Sir Viv Richards. He is one of my idols in cricket," Nembhard shared. "I am looking forward to it (bowl to Richards), I honestly love to see when Sir Viv plays the on drive, so that is the type of delivery I would like to bowl to him so he can play that shot," he added.

Marguerite Cremin, head of corporate relations for Northern and Latin America and the Caribbean, representing Diageo, which is the parent company for Johnnie Walker, explained the reason behind the campaign.

"We feel we have a responsibility as an industry to self-regulate and to make sure everybody can celebrate life every day," Cremin said.