South African legend Barry Richards was one of cricket’s prolific and finest batsmen. Sadly, he had to be satisfied with playing only four Test matches because of South Africa’s sporting isolation. That, however, didn’t stop him from showcasing his talent for Hampshire and South Australia, besides Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket.Richards, 76, spoke to The Telegraph on Wednesday on the upcoming series against India.
Excerpts:
The Telegraph: What’s your prediction for the series?
Barry Richards: I think it will be a tough one and will depend on the kind of wickets that are being prepared. If the wickets are greener than normal, South African fast bowlers can become a real threat. That will be a good contest. South Africa are struggling a bit with their batting. I’m not keen on predicting since a lot will depend on the type of wickets prepared.
Given South Africa are going through a transition, do you think they will be under pressure?
They are… Quite a few of them, people like Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers, have quit. They were sort of the backbone of the team and are no longer there. This series will test someone like Aiden Markram. This is going to be a defining series for him; whether he can stand up and become a world-class player. His batting looks a little bit suspect and that will put him under a bit of pressure.
Virat Kohli has been struggling for runs. Can he strike form in this series?
The last six months haven’t been really good for him and he has taken a bit of a batter... All players go through this and so it’s a matter of how strong he comes out on the other side. It’s more of a mental challenge when things are not going well. It’s going to be a good test for him as well if the South African fast bowlers bowl well.
Is captaincy affecting his batting?
I think it’s a much bigger issue in India. Outside India, it’s not so because he will be focused on the game. Unlike India, his captaincy and form will not be talked about much here. In many ways that might work in his favour... Not having crowds will also help him because it means less pressure.
Has Kohli been bothered by any technical issues?
To be very honest with you, of late I haven’t seen much of him. You go through a little bit of a crossway... Things work against you, instead of playing and missing, you tend to miss more. But that can’t affect you. It’s about how much he wants, how much he works hard to overcome it. Sometimes when you go through such periods, you have to work harder for your runs. Watch the time rather than the runs and be happy with whatever runs come along... You have to bat from 11 to 12’o clock then 12 to 1’o clock and runs become irrelevant. Once you have been there for a little while, runs will automatically flow. It’s just a matter of how he wants to do it or what works best for him.
Have the likes of Kane Williamson and Steve Smith moved ahead of Kohli?
There are times when Kohli plays as well as anybody else in the world. I think he knows that and he will work on that as something, which will inspire him to be at his best again. That he is not scoring runs and Kane/Smith is doing so... He is aware of that and that will work as something of an incentive for him. It’s going to be a little harder because the South African fast bowling attack will test him. (Anrich) Nortje will not be there and that’s a blow but there are others capable enough. It will be interesting from a spectator point of view... To watch if he can come out of the trough and be the sort of player he can be.
Will giving up red ball captaincy, too, help Kohli?
The responsibility of leading a side is not just on the field. There are a lot of things that go on and off the field, particularly in India, where you are always in demand. If he thinks he can do that and still give his best on the field... There are players who can balance that and then still enjoy leadership… I know players who battle to handle the whole captaincy situation after a period of time, and perhaps, then it’s not the best thing. Truly only Virat can answer that... He can look at the mirror and ask himself, do I really want it or is it affecting my batting?
How do you see Kohli as a captain?
These days because they play so much cricket they know what each player does... There’s hardly any new player who you haven’t seen before. To be captain of a side means you are informative and supportive... You’ve to make sure you get everything right on the day… And a little bit of luck to get the desired result.
Besides Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have also struggled in India’s top order. How much of an advantage will it be for South Africa?
Whenever you have an opportunity like this it gives you a chance to score a few points upfront and that’s what South Africa will have to do. Go hard at the Indian batsmen… If South Africa want to make some headway in this series, they have got to attack the Indian batsmen and make sure they put them under pressure from the very first ball.
Your opinion on the Indian attack?
It’s quite a balanced attack. Jasprit Bumrah has been their leading bowler for the last one year. But it’s still one of those things where you have to bowl in the right places. They have got to learn to bowl the ideal length on these pitches. It’s not the same as they bowled in India. It’s about how quickly they learn and how quickly they put the home batsmen under pressure.
Will Ravichandran Ashwin be effective?
It all depends on the wickets. If there’s grass, then he might be a factor on the last session of the fourth day and the fifth day. It’s about how well he bowls on the other days... Say on Day I when the ball isn’t turning, he has to be economical. That’s the sort of bowling he has to do. Maybe on the first and second days he is the defensive bowler while on the last two he has to be the attacking bowler.
How do you rate Ashwin?
If you are talking of quality bowlers, he is up there... He has the record to back him. You have an South African batting line-up which is not at its best and it’s an opportunity for him and India to win the series.
How do you see this Indian side when compared to previous ones which toured South Africa?
There’s certainly been a more aggressive attitude, which has come out of this Indian side. It’s not to say they are better but it’s just that they are showing more exuberance than before. It doesn’t suggest they have more ability but they do have a more aggressive approach than before.
You were known for your thrilling strokeplay. Does the T20 format excite you?
I think every player would relish playing another format of the game. We had 40 overs when we played in England and that for us was a nice challenge. Playing T20 is something that everyone loves and has been the saviour of cricket. I do worry that T20 will overhaul and Test cricket will become less relevant. That for me would be sad because Test cricket truly tests your skills over five days. The modern world demands quick action and I don’t know, maybe T20 will take over the game and Test cricket will be left to fill in the void as in Ashes, India-Pakistan ties or South Africa playing Australia... but generally speaking Test cricket will suffer as a result of T20.
