England and the West Indies will contest the brand new Richards-Botham Trophy after they subsequent meet in a Check collection, the England and Wales Cricket Board introduced Thursday. The trophy has been named in honour of West Indies batting nice Vivian Richards and celebrated England all-rounder Ian Botham, who have been team-mates at English county Somerset earlier than turning into opponents on the world stage. Will probably be the Wisden Trophy that’s up for grabs when the third and ultimate Check of the present marketing campaign will get underway at Outdated Trafford on Friday, with England and the West Indies locked at 1-1.
That was launched in 1963 to mark the centenary of the Wisden Almanack ‘cricket’s bible’, with Caribbean cricket nice Learie Constantine a key mover behind its inception.
However former England captain Mike Atherton just lately steered the groups ought to compete for a prize named after excellent cricketers as occurs when Australia and India contest the (Allan) Border-(Sunil) Gavaskar Trophy.
“This can be a big honour for my good pal Ian and myself,” mentioned Richards, who scored greater than eight,500 runs throughout a 121-Check profession.
“I’m delighted to know that the sport that I’ve proven my love for since a bit of boy is naming such a prestigious award in my recognition of what I managed to realize as a cricketer,” added the 68-year-old Antiguan.
Richards reserved a lot of his greatest performances for England, together with an imposing 291 on the Oval in 1976 and a blistering unbeaten century in West Indies’ World Cup ultimate win at Lord’s three years later.
“After I had the chance to go to England and signify Somerset, one of many first individuals I met was Ian Botham, who would later grow to be of 1 my greatest associates.
“We have been rivals on the sector, however we confirmed we have been brothers off the sector.”
Botham, 64, who scored greater than 5,000 runs and took 383 wickets in 102 Checks, mentioned: “Viv was the best batsman I ever performed in opposition to.
“He is an important pal however we have at all times been aggressive, not least after we have been on the cricket discipline, and there was nobody else’s wicket I’d treasure extra.
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“Enjoying the West Indies was at all times one of many hardest exams in cricket, and it is an honour for this trophy to bear our names.”
The Wisden Trophy will probably be ‘retired’ and displayed within the MCC Museum at Lord’s, the place it has historically been saved.
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