West Indies Batting legend Viv Richards shared a very interesting story on the former South Africa president, Nelson Mandela. Viv Richards revealed that Nelson Mandela had personally told him about his happiness that he did not tour South Africa during the apartheid regime.
South Africa was suspended from international cricket in 1970 by the ICC for its policy of apartheid. However, a West Indies team did tour the country during that era. The West Indies team was led by Lawrence Rowe. Richards shares that he was offered a blank cheque to come to South Africa and play during the apartheid. He shares his happiness on not taking up the offer and rejecting it.
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On a podcast conducted by Australian Shane Watson, Viv Richards revealed, “We had our retreat in I think it was Monaco at the time and he (Mandela) came as a chief guest. Nelson walked up to meet everyone.”
“He stopped right in front of me, shook my hand and said, ‘Vivian I want to let you know that we are extremely pleased with the decision that you made of not coming to our country.’ Long before I had made the decision not to go to South Africa during the Apartheid regime,” he added.
Viv Richards has been a constant for the Caribbean side between 1974. The batsman featured in and 1991 121 Tests and 187 ODIs for West Indies amassing 15,000 international runs across both formats.
The 68-year-old revealed his love for cricket saying he would happily die playing the sport. He also mentioned how he looked at other professional athletes who risk their lives to pursue their sports for inspiration.
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“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 go down here, what better way is there to go. I have looked at other sportsmen and women who I have a lot of respect for doing it to an extreme level. I see a guy driving a Formula 1 racing car, what could be more dangerous than that?” he added.
