Richie Richardson

St John’s: Former West Indies captain Richie Richardson is not ready to describe the 4-1 one-day series win over India as a sign of Caribbean resurgence and would rather reserve his judgement till the end of the Test rubber.

“I wouldn’t straightaway say that we have turned the corner. We have beaten India in one-dayers but only if we do the same in Tests would I feel that we are improving,” said Richardson.

For the West Indies to do an encore in the Test series, the hosts would have to come to terms with the likes of Anil Kumble who, Richardson feels, India missed greatly in the one-day series.

“I don’t know the reasons why Kumble wasn’t in the one-day squad but he should always be in India’s team. I remember him as someone who was very difficult to get away. India missed him in the one-day series,” said Richardson.

The Antiguan inherited the legacy of the likes of Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards in keeping the West Indies on top of world cricket but admits now that the decline was becoming more perceptible in his time.

“The signs were there. It was because the people who ran West Indies cricket believed that we would remain on top. They didn’t work hard enough for it,” he said.

Richardson felt the extremely slow wickets in the West Indies now have also been an offshoot of official apathy. “Like other things, this was also an area which we neglected. We never used to have a situation where our batsmen were not good against genuine fast bowling. It’s happening now,” Richardson regretted.

It brought the attention on his own career when he started wearing helmet in his final series against Australia which Steve Waugh said he did out of fear.

“He could say that now since Australia won that series (in 1995). I am not afraid of short pitched bowling even today. I remember I was hit on the head in one of those Tests but the next ball was dispatched out of the ground. If I was afraid, I would have been running for cover.”

Richardson retains happy memory of touring and playing against India and two of his favourites are Kapil Dev and Maninder Singh, “the left-arm spinner who bowled very craftily.” (PTI)