Fear was a word batsmen normally associated when facing fast bowling. Especially in the age on uncovered pitches and bowlers of the ilk of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson hurtling balls in excess of 140mph down the pitch. But King Viv changed it all. His customary swagger drove fear in the hearts of the best of them and brought him a reputation that only went from strength to strength through his career.

Sir Isaac Vivian Richards or simply Viv was someone who did not care much about the bowler's reputation or the state of the game or the pitch. "See ball, hit ball" was perhaps best personified by his approach to the game. And with his hand-eye coordination, he seldom went wrong.

Viv played five World Cups in all and first tasted defeat only in the 1983 final at Lord's against India. In 23 matches in the World Cup, Richards scored 1,013 runs at 63.31 runs per innings with a best of 181 against Sri Lanka in 1987, his last World Cup.

In the 1987 World Cup, in Karachi, Richards hit the Sri Lankans for an incredible 181 from 125 balls, with 16 fours and seven sixes. He went from his hundred to 181 from 28 balls. Earlier, in 1979 final against England, Richards strode out with the score on 22 and was still there at the end, hitting a last ball six into the Mound Stand off Mike Hendricks to take the total to 286. That third six took his own tally to 138 which is still the highest individual score in a World Cup final.

Richards also has the distinction of having scored the first century in a World Cup final in addition to winning the Man of the Match award in the 1979 finals against England. Richards ranks at four in the top all-time run scorers in World Cups and has the best average in the top 20 (second only to Rahul Dravid). His top score of 181 stood for over 12 years as the best individual score until Gary Kirsten and Saurav Ganguly overtook it.

Despite all these records, though, Richards is most remembered for the way he dominated the best bowlers all the time across the world. He had a way of intimidating the opposition. Legend has it that when it was time for him to come in to bat, he would normally wait until the previous batsman was back in the pavilion before beginning his casual stroll to the wicket. Once there, he would chew his gum, walk down the pitch and look the bowler in the eye, as if to say, "Let's see what you can do"! Thereafter, he would proceed to decimate most attacks!

What Richards brought to the game was a sense of carefree, attacking batsmanship that is beyond compare. Some say his attitude was cavalier, but most of his peers believe it was planned to intimidate. And intimidate he did.

PHOTO © AP