I didn’t care if he died while batting: Viv Richards on not wearing helmets | Cricket News

SYDNEY: The West Indies who beat the great Viv Richards was famous for preferring not to wear a helmet. Richards faced some of the most vicious fast bowlers in the game’s history at a time when there were no restrictions on gorillas and in a conversation with former Australian Shane Watson, the 68-year-old said he was comfortable. with the risk of not wearing a helmet.

“The passion for the game I felt was such that I wouldn’t mind dying playing something that I love. If this is what I chose and I’m going here, what better way to do it,” Richards said on the Watson podcast.

Richards also said he was inspired by athletes from other sports who risked their lives. “I’ve looked at other athletes who I respect a lot for doing it to an extreme level. I see a guy driving a Formula 1 race car, what could be more dangerous than that?” Richards said, to which Watson jokingly replied: “In front of 150 km / h without a helmet?”

Viv Richards snags a delivery from Ian Botham during the fifth round between England and the West Indies at The Oval in London on August 9, 1984. (Getty Images)

Richards also revealed that one of his dentists had told him to keep a mouth guard, but he did not do so for a long time because he was not allowed to have his gum while hitting.

“One of my dentists made me a mouthpiece and I tried it several times, but I always enjoyed my gum. You have 11 men and the referees, you felt outnumbered. And that was my little piece,” said Richards.

“It made me look a little cool, it calmed me down, it gave me a beat. That was a partner for me at the time. I made sure that every time I went out I had gum in my mouth.” It got a little stale if you’re hitting long enough, but everything was fine. So I removed the nozzle. ”