Vivian Richards told Denesh Ramdin to make runs for a winning West Indies after the wicketkeeper celebrated his hundred against England in the third Test here at Edgbaston on Sunday by turning on the all-time great.
Ramdin was criticised by Richards after West Indies’ nine-wicket second Test defeat by England at Trent Bridge that gave the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.
Having reached three figures on the fourth day here Sunday — only his second Test hundred — the 27-year-old Trinidad wicketkeeper/batsman produced a piece of paper from his pocket on which the words “YEAH VIV TALK NAH” were written.
Ramdin, recalled for this series after two years out of the side, had made just six as West Indies collapsed to 61 for six at Trent Bridge.
That prompted Richards, one of cricket’s greatest batsmen and now working as a commentator for BBC Radio’s Test Match Special, to say: “Ramdin just looks out of sorts. When he first came into the game, I felt he was a huge prospect.
“For some reason, he has deteriorated in such a big way. Just the way he is walking back, he looks like a totally lost guy.”
Richards reacted to Ramdin’s protest Sunday by saying: “I’m not sure what Ramdin meant but he’s played well and if you’re given enough chances you’re going to get it done.”
West Indies have won just two of their last 32 Tests and Richards, a member of their all-conquering sides of the 1970s and 1980s, said: “Let’s not forget this is in a losing cause — the team’s not winning.
“He should be happy and humble,” the former West Indies captain added.
“I think I remember saying he’d lost his confidence, but I’m on the other side of the fence now and I’m here to do a job — there’s no sentiment in it. I’m glad that he got the motivation from it.”
Ramdin eventually made 107 not out as he top-scored in West Indies’ first innings 426 that owed much to Tino Best’s 95 — the highest-ever individual score by a number 11 in a Test match.
Their partnership of 143 was a West Indies’ record for the 10th wicket in Tests, overtaking the 106 shared by Carl Hooper and Courtney Walsh against Pakistan at St John’s in 1993, and afterwards Richards said: “This is a sterling performance from both individuals.”