New Delhi: Legendary West Indies cricketer Vivian Richards asked the West Indies men’s cricket team to take a lead out of Afghanistan’s book following the latter’s recent performance in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.
Afghanistan finished the Group B of the Champions Trophy with three points from as many games, including a win, a loss and a match washed out leading to no result. The Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side defeated England by eight runs and lost to South Africa by 107 runs.
However, Afghanistan couldn’t qualify for the knockout stage after their final group game against Australia was washed out because of rains.
Afghanistan has seen its rise in the recent years after a tremendous campaign in the 2023 World Cup, wherein they finished sixth in the round-robin stage. Afghanistan qualified for the semifinals of the 2024 T20 World Cup after defeating Australia in the Super 8 stage.
Afghanistan’s rise in international cricket is seen with the star contrast of West Indies’ downfall. Once known to be the powerhouse of world cricket in 1970s-80s, the West Indies failed to qualify for the main event of the 2022 T20 World Cup and 2023 World Cup. The Men in Maroon aren’t even part of the ongoing Champions Trophy.
Vivian Richards, who played 121 Tests and 187 ODI matches for the West Indies from 1974 to 1991, has asked his compatriots to follow the example of Afghanistan. While speaking in a virtual press conference, Richards, who is a governing council member of the International Masters League, said:
“I am just hoping that my West Indies team can take a leaf out of these guys (Afghanistan’s) book. Because there is a passion, an energy that the Afghanis would have brought to the game in itself.”
“They haven’t been in the game for so long as maybe some of the teams around the world. Just in fact their spirit, and to me, the ability to learn as the years go by. That’s the experience they needed to be where they are at.”
“When you can see Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy and not the West Indies. It means Afghanistan is doing something right.”
The 72-year-old further said that Cricket West Indies along with the players will have to identify the issues and work on how to get the team back on the track.
“In order to get ourselves back where we once were. It is going to take maybe not just the players, but individuals from the board – people who are responsible in positions,” Richards said.
“It takes people from the board to identify the things that may be missing. I feel very annoyed by the fact that the West Indies team with such huge legacy is not in the Champions Trophy.”
“It hurts and makes me feel very sad because we are much better than that,” he added.
Legendary cricketer Vivian Richards criticized the West Indies’ absence from the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, urging them to emulate Afghanistan’s recent success. He highlighted Afghanistan’s passion and determination despite their shorter history in international cricket, contrasting it with the West Indies’ decline. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
