Viv Richards draws comparisons between Kevin Pietersen and Muhammad Ali
“If he (Kevin Pietersen) is firing well, he can take any attack apart and that is what great batsmanship is about. If he can do that against South Africa, England are in with a great chance,” opined Viv Richards © Getty Images
By CricketCountry Staff
London: Jun 12, 2012
Viv Richards, the legendary West Indian cricketer, has said that Kevin Pietersen reminds him of Muhammad Ali.
Speaking to the BBC, Richards said “Pietersen reminds me of a Muhammad Ali. Folks came to see Ali get beaten because he had said one or two things that had upset people, but at the end of the day they just marvelled at what he achieved.”
“Some people love him and some people hate him but Kevin Pietersen puts bums on seats – he is that talented. If he is firing well, he can take any attack apart and that is what great batsmanship is about. If he can do that against South Africa, England are in with a great chance,” he said.
The West Indian legend also praised England. He said “England are well led by Andrew Strauss and this is a team that has the potential to create a legacy. They have done their homework and found a solid wicket-taking bowling unit which is of vital importance at this level.”
Despite the 2-0 defeat in the Test series, Richards was happy with the West Indies teams’ efforts at Edgbaston.
“It was amazing to see the transformation in the way the West Indies played here at Edgbaston. They played really well, amassed their highest total of the series so far and players like Denesh Ramdin finally came to the party,” he told BBC.