Davis, Khan scold Denesh for gesture to Sir Vivian

West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin has come under fire from local cricket pundits following his gesture aimed at batting legend Viv Richards on Sunday during the drawn Test at Edgbaston. Upon reaching his century, Ramdin, who had been the target of criticism from Richards prior to the match, pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket on which he had written, “YEH VIV TALK NAH”. Former Test batsman Bryan Davis said the 27-year-old’s actions were unbecoming of an senior player. “I felt embarrassed and ashamed...It was very immature and I’m disappointed in him. I wouldn’t expect that from a T&T captain who is in line for leadership of the West Indies team.” Davis added that it was an unfortunate decision since the jibe had taken attention away from Ramdin’s innings.

 

 

“He batted brilliantly, but I agree with Ian Botham who said it removed some of the gloss from the hundred. It took away from the whole beauty of completing a century and the satisfaction we get as cricket fans.” Despite his disappointment, Davis felt Ramdin should be forgiven for his “impulsive emotions.” “[The team management] certainly have to have a talk with him about his indiscretion and they should get a promise that that type of thing will not happen in the future.” Meanwhile, former T&T and West Indies team manager Omar Khan felt that Ramdin should learn to accept criticism as a part of his job.

 

 

“I thought he should have been more emotionally controlled. His bat had already done the talking and it was not called for at all... Viv as a commentator would have made his point and that would have inspired Denesh to demonstrate his value in the team. The note should have said ‘Thank You, Viv’ instead.” However, Khan cautioned against blowing the matter out of proportion. “There’s no reason for it to be a big issue. Denseh has apologised and accepted the fact that it was something he should not have done and I’m sure the management would have already discussed it with him. The matter is closed and we should move on.” He added that Ramdin’s return to form was a welcome development for his supporters. “He was T&T’s leading batsman this year and we expected him to carry on his form for the West Indies. He was under press to justify his selection and I’m very happy to see him back in form.”