Sir Viv Richards Net Worth | Works & Charity

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Highly recognized as the Master Blaster or King Viv, Sir Viv Richards is a decorated retired cricketer with a whopping net worth of $20 million. He is often viewed as one of the greatest, if not the best, batsmen of all time.

Initially, he commenced playing in 1971, and by the end of his career, he had devoted more than two decades to the field.

During his journey, Wisden tagged Richards as the third greatest Test batsman of all time, right after Sachin Tendulkar and Sir Don Bradman. 

Sir Viv Richards back in his days
Sir Viv Richards back in his days (Source: Instagram)

After his playing career, Richards started teaching the T20 team Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan Super League.

Furthermore, he also did work as the commentator on BBC’s Test Match Special (TMS). 

Quick Facts 

Full Name Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards
Nick Name Master Blaster, King Viv, Smokin Joe, Smokey, The Emperor
Birth Place St. John’s, British Leeward Islands
Date of Birth March 7, 1952
Religion Christianity
Nationality Antiguan 
Zodiac Sign Pisces 
Age 72 years old
Height 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 meters)
Weight  80 kg (176 lbs)
Hair Color / Style  Bald 
Eye Color  Black 
Build  Athletic 
Father’s Name Malcolm Richards
Mother’s Name  Gretel Richards
Siblings  Two brothers; Mervyn Richards and Donald Richards
Education  St. John’s Boys Primary School & Antigua Grammar School
Profession  Retired cricketer 
Role  Batsman 
Affiliations Combined Islands
Leeward Islands
Somerset
Queensland
Glamorgan
West Indies 
Cap Number  151 (Test) and 14 (ODI)
Favourite Shot  Hook 
Marital Status  Married
Wife  Neena Gupta (ex)
Miriam
Kids Two sons; Mali Richards and Matara Richards
A daughter; Masaba Gupta
Hobbies Playing/watching football and cricket, listening to music, watching movies 
Net Worth  $20 million 
Social Media  Twitter, Instagram
Merch  Sir Vivian(Book)
Last Update March, 2024

How much does Sir Viv Richards have? – Net Worth and Income 

Sir Viv Richards depicts a net worth of $20 million, all throughout his career earnings. Indeed, Richards is very private with his earnings and hasn’t disclosed any information regarding them.

However, throughout his career, Smokin’ Joe has played for domestic teams like Combined Islands, Queensland, Leeward Islands, Somerset, and Glamorgan. In contrast, he has also batted for the West Indies national team. 

Furthermore, in his peak years, Richards refused a blank cheque during the Apartheid era in 1983 and 1984. Back then, they offered King Viv to play for the rebel side of the West Indies in South Africa.

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Beyond Cricket 

After Richard hung his cricket career, he was still involved with it in the form of one or the other. Right then, he commenced his career as a commentator on BBC’s Test Match Special (TMS).

He worked alongside the official broadcaster Sony during those times, covering the pre and post-match analysis.

Later, in 2013, Richard also worked as a cricket coach for the Delhi Daredevils. 

After working in the Indian Premier League, he mentored the Quetta Gladiators. At first, Sir Viv worked in Karachi alongside Nadeem Omar, team owner, and head coach Moin Khan.

Following it, he has been in charge of the Pakistan Premier League since 2016, which went on till 2020. 

Furthermore, Richards is also the brand ambassador for Island Cup Open (ISCO).

As the scenes work, Richard supports the Island Cup Open in high-level football to collaborate with the cultural experiences of the Caribbean. 

At the same time, the former player endorses the Caribbean Football Trust Limited (CTFL).

Later in 2018, Richard was featured as the ICC Women’s World T20 brand ambassador.

As a result, he was the fourth person to become a CWI ambassador with Shivnarine Chandrapaul, Sir Andy Roberts, and Darren Sammy, 2016 WT20 winner skipper. 

Books and Features

In 2010, Viv Richards was featured in the documentary movie Fire in Babylon, where he shared his experience during his tenure with the West Indies.

Before this time, Smokin Joe also published an autobiography, Hitting Across the Line.

As he published it in 1991, it portrays his life and career and depicts the taboo of hitting the ball across the line. As the title suggests, Richards also explains the taboo and its technique. 

Sir Viv Richards | Lifestyle & Hobbies 

Even as 72 years old, Viv Richards leads a healthy life, still working harder than ever. Growing up in St. John’s, Antigua, Richards had most of the physical terms he constituted in his later career. 

As for now, he believes in keeping things simple and often states complications bring nothing.

Furthermore, he does indulge himself in loads of workouts and follows healthy eating habits. 

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Favorites

Moreover, Richard, like everyone, shines the most when he is in his homeland. To illustrate, his native land has many islands, and among them all, his favorite is Fort James and Pigeon Point. 

Overall, he loves the street food in his land, including stewed fish, steamed fish, bull foot soup, pepper pot, and goat water. However, if it’s about something fancy, Richard enjoys Caribbean cuisine.

Moving on, Richard is more of a beach person who enjoys a drink on the sand with a nice evening breeze. 

House 

Located on the northern side of Antigua, Viv Richard had bought a house in the area called Paradise View. Apparently, he bought the house during his thirties from a businessman from that very island. 

Additionally, his house is a simple property with concrete. Furthermore, his house consists of four bedrooms, a veranda, a back patio, and a garden.

Richard’s garden is filled with red bougainvillea, a little lemon tree, two avocado trees, and a papaya tree.

Right there, he also has a dog kennel for his pet named Tupac, who is named after Tupac Shakur, the late rapper.

Additionally, the harbor and majestic hills can be viewed from the main bedroom and the veranda.

As a matter of fact, Richard doesn’t have a swimming pool in his house; however, his island features 365 beaches. In the meantime, he also owns a place in the St. John’s city center called the Nook.

Help and Charity

Sir Viv Richards has not only been a great athlete but is also a massive help in the community. Apparently, the former batsman is the brand ambassador of the Manipal’s American University of Antigua College of Medicine (AUACOM). 

As an ambassador, Richards contributes to the progression in the medical field.

Actually, he initiates the idea to let medical aspirants from India join the college back in his country.

Richards alongside Sachin Tendulkar
Richards alongside Sachin Tendulkar (Source: Instagram)

Furthermore, he worked alongside Sir Ian Botham Bunbury for a cricket charity match. It was an event held to raise funds for cancer and was titled “Hope For Tomorrow.”

Not to mention, Richards is linked with many notable names in the industry and has good relations with many. 

Sir Vivian Richards Foundation

It is a foundation launched to create awareness among youths and sports and to help the underprivileged to achieve their goals.

Additionally, the launch took place at the Crystal Palace Ballroom at the Royal Antiguan Hotel with a gala dinner in Viv’s native Antigua. A memorabilia and raffle auction also accompanied it.

Apparently, they auctioned the signed bats from the current series’ West Indian and England players. Additionally, this foundation has a license in Antigua & Barbuda. 

Through this foundation, Richards assists the youth of Antigua & Barbuda.

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Brief Glance on Sir Viv Richards 

All along with his career, Sir Viv Richards has been an incredible athlete and has collected many accolades and honors to date.

Above all, he is best known as a powerful right-handed batsman. To that extent, he was even labeled as “possibly the most destructive batsman the sport has ever seen.”

Altogether, in 121 Test matches, Richards has maintained 8,540 runs with an average of 50.23. During his tenure as a Test captain, he has won 27 games to date while only losing eight. 

Consequently, Master Viv is the foremost player to complete the double, scoring 1000 runs and taking 50 wickets in the history of ODI.

At the same time, Viv is also the first batsman to score a Test century at a strike rate of over 150.

Viv Richards also has a stadium made under his name in North Sound, Antigua, as the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

He also has an award under his and Sir Ian Botham‘s name titled the Richards–Botham Trophy. 

Some of the general facts about him are as follows. 

  • Richards has been voted the most outstanding cricketer since 1970 in a poll.
  • Viv is married to his wife, Miriam, and has two children.
  • Previously, Richards also dated Indian actress Neena Gupta, and they share a daughter, fashion designer Masaba Gupta.
  • Additionally, many writers state that Richards has played international football for Antigua and Barbuda. However, he doesn’t appear in the lineup of the 1974 World Cup.

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Quotes

  • “Constructive criticism is not much accepted in the Caribbean.” 
  • “A lot of folks would say that if I had been a little more selfish with my bat, I would have had a much bigger average. But that doesn’t worry me.” 
  • “I always felt I was good enough to be competing, and I wanted to express myself in the best way that I can.”

FAQs

Why is Vivian Richards called Sir?

Vivian Richards, aka Master Viv, is a Knight Commander of the Order of the Nation(KCN) in his home country, Antigua and Barbuda. For his contribution to cricket, the former player received an OBE called Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1994. 

Rajani Gurung
Rajani Gurung
Hey, I'm Rajani! As a digital content writer, I write for several websites on a wide range of topics. At Playersbio, I cover to write about hot trending celebrities and news. My professional experience makes me write the hard topics in a simplified manner for easiness.

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