Viv Richards’ captain qualities questioned

Press, 24 May 1988, Page 38

Viv Richards’ captain qualities questioned

NZPA-Reuter London Viv Richards once again found his qualities as a oneday captain called into question as West Indies’ cricketers prepared to prevent England making a clean sweep of the limited-over series. ' Former England captain Ted Dexter was among those who criticised Richards’ performance as captain at Headingley on Saturday when England won by 47 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Dexter, reporting the match for a Sunday newspaper, described as "a tactical blunder’’ Richards’ decision to bowl himself and Phil Simmons for “six more overs than necessary. “That meant England’s

batsmen had two less overs to face from the feared Malcolm Marshall and four overs less of Curtley Ambrose,” Dexter said.

Former England fast bowler Fred Trueman questioned the decision not to bring Marshall on until 13 overs had been bowled and described as "amazing” the fact that Richards and Simmons shared 17 overs.

Richards endured considerable criticism during his team’s unsuccessful World Cup campaign in Pakistan and India last October, when West Indies, who reached the final of the first three tournaments under Clive Lloyd, failed to make the semifinals.

Other newspapers also focused on the role of the West Indian captain in England’s success — “England feast on Richards’ bounty,” ran one headline — and man-of-the-match Derek Pringle, who profited more than anyone from the extra overs of Richards and Simmons, said he was “puzzled” by the overs distribution.

While Richards was left to ponder the criticism, Pringle was being acclaimed exactly a week after his selection was widely ridiculed.

One critic said that after picking Pringle the selectors were “immediately identifiable by the gun-shot wounds in both feet.”

It was pointed out that

Pringle took one for 148 in three World Cup matches, was ponderous in the field and lacked class as a batsman on the international stage.

But at Headingley he took full advantage of the relatively harmless bowling of Richards and Simmons to compile England’s top score of 39 and made maximum use of a pitch off which the ball seamed throughout the day, finishing with three for 30.

With a five-test series to follow the one-day games, the batting is West Indies’ major concern.

West Indies have now lost eight of their last nine oneday games against England.