That's West Indies cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards' order to cricketers who cross the line with racism-laced aggression on the field
Sir Vivian Richards,
Sir Vivian Richards in Mumbai yesterday. Pic/Rane Ashish
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Sir Vivian Richards turned 65 barely a month ago, but he looks in perfect shape to grace the greens again with the same regality he displayed in his playing days.
His white attire makes you feel the only thing missing in the room is a bat. While in Mumbai, en route to Goa where he will participate in the Knowledge Session at the Goafest, Richards spoke to mid-day about the India vs Australia series, aggression in cricket and of course, a certain Virat Kohli, who has earned his admiration.
Excerpts:
Do you like coming to Mumbai?
Not only Mumbai, I like coming to India. In my playing days, I never opted out of any tour to this part of the world. I've always felt that is the only way you can learn about various cultures. It's not for you to stay in your backyard, but to explore the world and different environments.
While on cricket tours here, we went to a lot of places and that helped to get a better understanding of things and the people we encountered. I have always been very interested in various cultures.
Did you follow the India vs Australia series closely?
Yes. That was, as folks may say, a fiery series, but there is nothing wrong with a bit of confrontation. The only problem I have is when the line is crossed where race comes into it. When cultures and things like that come into it, that's when the boundary is crossed.
On the confrontation side of things, we need some spice. When matches get spiced up, it shows you how competitive these guys are. There is no problem with that at all.
You played a lot of cricket against Australia. Do you think they can take as much as they give in terms of aggression?
To be fair, I don't know what happened lately. People are so competitive that sometimes they show their bad side while losing. I am not sure whether Australia fits in that category or not, but at the end of the day, no one likes to lose and it (aggression) should be accepted. However, if anyone gets nasty where all that (racism) is concerned, there is no place for it in the game whatsoever.
What would you tell an individual who gets nasty in that sense?
I'd tell him to just chill out, don't be idiotic, don't be that stupid!
Virat Kohli has got a lot of stick from the Australian media for his aggressive approach. What would you be telling Kohli in the light of this?
I'd say, don't worry. Some people are just one-eyed in their reporting. It takes two to tango. Over the years, the Indians would have taken a fair bit. They would have sat back, just soaked it up and turn the other cheek. But how many cheeks can you turn? You have only two at a time. This young generation doesn't take any nonsense. If they get it, they are going to give it back. I wouldn't take it, why should they?
What's your view on Kohli's lack of runs in the series against Australia? Was it an aberration or something else?
Every batsman goes through a bad period, you lose form. What was evident was that he never dropped his head in the leadership role. There are times when, as a batsman-captain, you tend to lie back and not be as aggressive as you should be, but Virat continued (his aggression). We should never forget what he achieved in Australia (in 2014-15) — four Test hundreds away from home. This could be just a blip in his distinguished career. The only worry I have is for the next team he plays against. Beware!
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