New Delhi: He has always admired Virat Kohli's batting qualities and Sir Vivian Richards feels that one should not be too critical of the Indian Test captain's on-field aggression as he possesses the "quality" to match his attitude.
"I see nothing wrong in Virat's attitude. He is very different from (MS) Dhoni. I believe if you are showing passion and aggression on the field, you should have the game quality to match that. Virat has the quality. He can give back as good as he gets. I like people who have stomach for a good fight and Virat is one of them," Richards, one of the greatest to have ever played the game, told PTI during an interview.
"Virat brings in a lot of vibrancy and the future of Indian cricket looks bright," he added. Asked about Kohli's failure in England against the moving delivery and the recent slump in ODIs, the legend dismissed the notion of any kind of technical glitch in his batting.
"He is still a very young man. He is only 26. There is so much more to come from him. Whatever I have seen of Virat, he looks like a young man, who wants to improve his game. When you play international cricket, there will be a few problems here and there. But there are two things you need -- positive attitude and tenacity," the 63-year-old veteran of 121 Tests and 187 ODIs said.
Richards also gave a positive reply to a query whether he was willing to help out the Indian batsmen provided BCCI approaches him.
"Why not? I would be quite happy to help out the young Indian batsmen if their cricket board wants me to help them. I believe I have enormous amount of information and knowledge which could prove beneficial for youngsters. If BCCI wants, I can put my hand up and would like to help talented cricketers," said the Antiguan who had tormented bowlers across the globe during his playing days.
While he is associated with the Caribbean Premier League in his capacity of 'Brand Ambassador', Richards still maintains strictly that the traditional form of the game is paramount for any cricketer who wants to seriously pursue the sport.
