Happy Birthday Richie Rich

From playing ‘Tip Me One’ with a tennis ball in his village in Antigua, graduating to a hard ball in secondary school, playing for Antigua at the age of 17, progressing to the Leewards Islands team and eventually being selected to play for the West Indies, it’s fair to say that Richie Richardson has been around the block – figuratively speaking. When I asked him how long he’s been playing, he replied ‘Since I was born’.

Speaking of when he was born – Richie turns 26 today (at least that’s what he told me) and in the spirit of birthdays it’s only fitting for me to write about a person who likes to give. Over the years Richie has given a lot to the game and hardly ever says no to anyone when they ask him to play or to coach. His involvement with Lashings has allowed him to contribute to the game by coaching kids and helping cricket clubs raise their profile.

Dedication and devotion for the game is actually what led the former West Indies captain to join Lashings on the back of his retirement from international cricket. When it was announced that he would be playing for the then obscure team, many people thought it was just a stunt, but he wasn’t joking. ‘When I retired from international cricket I was burnt out and just wanted to retire. I was travelling a lot and playing and just wanted to settle down and spend time with the family but I still wanted to contribute to the sport’.

Fast forward 15 years to 2010 - Richie’s testimonial year with Lashings. What started out as an alternative to the gruelling demands of international cricket has evolved into a Harlem Globetrotters of cricket. ‘It was fun but we were also contributing to the game, coaching kids, and helping cricket clubs to raise money’, says Richards.

Richie’s latest venture, Richie Rich Sport and Leisure, combines his love of cricket with his pride for his country. He already has a number of interesting events lined up for the year including an international cricket fest. The inspiration behind the venture is simple: ‘I love my country, I love sports, I love people, I love meeting people and I love having people in Antigua’.

www.richierichsportsandleisure.com/
www.twitter.com/RichieRich2000