'If I had to go to war with one person, I'd select Courtney Walsh' - Former West Indies captain Richie Richardson
Former West Indian captain Richie Richardson recently opened up about his experience at the helm of the national side, and how it was to play with two of the greatest fast bowlers of all time - Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose.
In an exclusive interview with Indranil Basu on Sportskeeda Cricket's Facebook page, Richie Richardson stated that both legendary pacers were easy to work with most of the time.
When asked about the man-management skills required to handle Walsh and Ambrose, the 58-year-old stated that the only challenge was to get them to stop a spell.
"It wasn't very difficult. One of the difficulties I had was that Courtney Walsh was the sort of bowler who'd bowl two days straight if you allowed him. Doesn't matter about the pitch or the conditions, he always wants to bowl. When he had the ball in his hands, it was hard to get it out," said Richie Richardson.
"When you have strategies involving other bowlers, it'll be a problem. But otherwise, Courtney Walsh is a true soldier and was easy to work with," he added.
I'd go to war with Courtney Walsh: Richie Richardson
Richie Richardson added that Walsh's partner-in-crime Ambrose wasn't always as cheerful, and that the aggression was what made him the menacing pacer he was.
"Curtly Ambrose, on the other hand, was a bit moody. When he's bowling and he's bowling well, don't ever try to take the ball from him," Richie Richardson said.
"He'd get very angry. You'd call upon him and he'd come and deliver. Even if he's not at his best, when he comes into his stride, he'd deliver. Never had any problems, great heroes," he added.
The destructive right-hander also stated that if he had to go to war with one person, he would choose Courtney Walsh.
"If I had to choose one person to go to war with, Courtney Walsh would be the first person I'd select," Richie Richardson emphatically stated.
Richie Richardson played 86 Tests for West Indies, and scored 5,949 runs at an average of 44.39. He also featured in 224 ODIs for the Caribbean side, and has a tally of 6,248 runs in the 50-over format.
The man from Antigua even captained West Indies in 24 Tests after taking over from the legendary Viv Richards.