Quotes from Viv Richards

Over the years I have been watching Pakistan when playing against them or with them in county cricket. And they have been brilliant bowlers and batsmen and great individuals.

I have been to Pakistan many times and enjoyed every visit and it breaks my heart to see teams not playing in that country.

Each bowler has his own pride when bowling in the nets but it's vital that you get ball on bat and then you are ready to use the opportunity when you are out in the middle.

Antigua has 365 beaches, one for each day of the year, which I think is rather unique for such a small island.

But London is my favourite city as I've walked the streets of the capital so often, I know it really well.

I was always pretty interested in my history. Not just the history of the Caribbean, the history of my people, but all walks of life.

There are individuals out there who use the body protection as a form of staying power to go on as long as possible. That's the worst way anybody can be thinking, that you should cover yourself in a suit of armour, to make yourself brave, or to enable you to hook - when you never hooked in your life - just because you've got a helmet on.

I would love to take a role like Greg Chappell did for Australia. I think I have a good eye for talent and this is something that we have never taken on board in the Caribbean.

If you don't know your history, you don't have an idea how you channel things in your life. Knowing that history, I was able to fulfil my goals.

Sport in itself has this power. If you are a poet or a singer, people gravitate. I may not be in the same category, but I will make a comparison with Bob Marley. So it isn't just cricket where social commentary plays a huge part.

I always felt I was good enough to be competing and I wanted to express myself in the best way that I can.

When you are playing the longer version, there are times when you don't have to get bat on ball on a regular basis but maybe a good leave outside the off stump can play its part in you surviving and the time that you would like to spend on the crease.

I didn't wear a helmet because I wanted to show that the bowler wasn't intimidating me, and also that's just the way I liked to bat.

The most important value I've taught my children is respect for every creed, colour or race. When we bleed, we bleed the same blood. I've always taught my kids never to look down on anyone or to not have anyone look down on them.

We learnt a lot from county cricket - even if we did not earn stacks of money from it.

Guys are playing a lot of limited overs cricket and not making that adjustment when it comes to the longer version and pay a price for that.

Constructive criticism is not much accepted in the Caribbean.

The West Indies team I played for in the 1970s and 80s was truly blessed to have so many brilliant individuals in one group. We had many great fast bowlers but the deadliest was my fellow Antiguan Andy Roberts.

I'm Uncle Viv to Ian Botham's son, Liam, and I've been a sort of mentor to him over the years. I've always been there for him and whenever there was an opportunity to see him play sport, I was there.

My dad was assistant governor of the prison, so there were times when he would bring some of that discipline home. He was the enforcer, whereas my mother, who was a stay-at-home mum, was always the pacifier.

Wherever the fight is, I'm going to be fighting.

Sugar Breeze, my favourite restaurant in Antigua, serves the best local food, while my local golf club, Cedar Valley, is where I always go for a drink.

When I grew up, my father used to say that cricket is not a profession, cricket cannot bring you food. But I think he lived to see the day when I was actually paid.

You have T20 and that also plays a part in some of the shots batsmen play. You see guys playing the same shots in T20s and Tests and are sometimes lucky to get away with it.