“Afghanistan is doing something right” - Viv Richards wants West Indies to take a leaf out of Afghanistan

Former West Indies batting giant and commentator Viv Richards has suggested the West Indies national team take a leaf out of the Afghanistan cricket team, which is performing well on the biggest stage.

Notably, Afghanistan defeated England by eight runs in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and had a decent game against Australia. Though they didn’t qualify for the semi-finals, they had an exceptional outing in the group stage.

“I’m just hoping that my West Indies team can take a leaf out of these guys’ book, because there is a passion and energy that the Afghanis have brought to the game,” Viv Richards told the media on Sunday, March 2.

Interestingly, West Indies is not part of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy, which didn’t go well with Viv Richards. He has asserted that with Afghanistan playing the showpiece event, they have done something right to make it to the mega event.

“They haven’t been in the cricket world for so long as maybe some other teams around the world, but just their fighting spirit. To me, the ability to learn as the years go by, that would have given them the experience that’s needed in order for them to be where they’re at,” he added.

“When you can see Afghanistan in the Champions League and the West Indies not, it means that Afghanistan is doing something right,” he asserted. 

Moreover, Richards was sad not to see the West Indies side in the ongoing eight-team affair. He stated that the team carries a huge legacy and it is sad to see the team in such a state.

“In order for us to get ourselves back where we once were, it is going to take maybe not just the players, but individuals from the board, people who are in responsible positions,” he went on to state.

“For them to believe that this is not just the players, but it takes people from the board to identify the things that may be missing, (as to) why we are not there. I feel very annoyed with the fact that the West Indies team, with such (a) huge legacy, is not in the Champions Trophy and it hurts. It makes me feel very, very sad, because we are much better than that,” he concluded.

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