The West Indies' catastrophic downfall in the Sabina Park Test has raised alarm bells within the Caribbean cricketing fraternity. A team that was once feared by many for its aggressive style of play has now completely lost its competitive edge. During day three of the Sabina Test, the West Indies were dismissed for a shocking 27, marking their lowest-ever score in Test cricket. 

In a bid to arrest this rapid decline in form, Cricket West Indies (CWI) have chaired an urgent meeting and have called upon the Windies legends to address this pressing matter. The governing body has invited three former players - Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd, and Viv Richards, who will be a part of the emergency meeting, followed by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Desmond Haynes, and Ian Bradshaw, who will carefully dissect the team's dismal performance in the day/night Test match.

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West Indies cricket in shock as national team sinks to a new low

In a series where the ball dominated the bat for the most part, the Windies batters were all at sea against the likes of Starc, Hazlewood, and Cummins. Across three tests, the Men in Marron struggled to survive even a couple of sessions with the bat. But there is clearly no place to hide when the team only manages 27 runs before getting bundled out. Boland's record-breaking hat-trick got the Windies down on their knees, reeling at 26-9. Much to their relief, Alzarri was able to muster a single in the next over to take West Indies above New Zealand's lowest Test score record of 26 all-out against England. 

West Indies' 27/10 is the second-lowest total achieved by any team in test cricket. On the back of a brutal 0-3 whitewash at home, the West Indies have also gone past their previous worst test total of 47 against England. In a recent statement, the president of CWI, Dr Kishore Shallow, expressed his disappointment following his side's shocking defeat in Kingston and acknowledged that the fans and the players will have "sleepless nights". 

"Like every West Indian cricket fan, I felt the pain of our recent Test defeat to Australia. There will be some sleepless nights ahead for many of us, including the players, who I know feel this loss just as heavily. But while disappointment is natural, we must not allow this moment to define our journey. We are in a rebuilding phase, steadily investing in the next generation, and reigniting the spirit that has long made West Indies cricket a force in the world." 

Shallow insists that the Test team is currently undergoing a rebuilding phase and looks forward to drawing inspiration from the legendary Lara Richards and Lloyd, who helped redefine the legacy of West Indies cricket during its prime years. 

The beautiful game of cricket has seen some iconic batting legends across generations. Resilient in their approach and equipped with extraordinary batting prowess, these personalities have gone on to dominate the ball in perhaps the most dismissive fashion. Speaking of the longest format, viewers have witnessed some breathtaking batting masterclasses from some of the best in the business. On the back of their ability to persevere and accumulate runs consistently enough over the course of several days in a Test series, these individuals would go on to etch their names in the record books.  

During their prime years, these legendary batting stalwarts had earned a reputation for stoking fear in the minds of the bowlers. From Sir Donald Bradman's marathon 975 in the 1930 Ashes Test series to Mark Taylor's heroic 839 in a Test series from the contemporary era, the list goes on. In this article, we will highlight the top five Test batters who hold the record for smashing the most runs in a single series.

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974 - Donald Bradman vs ENG (Away, 1930 Ashes)

The record for the most Test runs in a single series by a batsman is unequivocally held by Sir Donald Bradman, who amassed a remarkable 974 runs during the 1930 Ashes series against England. Bradman's feat of 974 runs remains the highest single-series aggregate in Test history, a record unmatched for nearly a century. His phenomenal performance included multiple large scores—his highest being 334—across just seven innings. His swashbuckling 334 was the highest individual Test score of the time, which also included 309 runs scored in a single day. The late Australian batting icon was on a roll during that series as he registered four-century scores and one half-century score and averaged a whopping 139.14. As a result of his remarkable run, Australia went on to outclass England in that series by 2-1. 

905 - Wally Hammond vs AUS (Away, 1928-29 Ashes)

Wally Hammond’s performance in the 1928–29 Ashes series in Australia is one of the greatest batting displays in Test cricket history. It was a proud feat for English cricket at that time as Hammond became the first batter in world cricket to bag the record for scoring the most number of runs in a Test series. In just five Tests alone, Hammond amassed 905 runs, a record which was later eclipsed by Bradman almost a year later. In that series, Hammond recorded four centuries and one fifty and also achieved his highest score of 251 at Sydney. Thanks to his heroics with the bat, England were able to steamroll Australia in their own backyard and clinched the series 4-1. 

839 - Mark Taylor vs ENG (Away, 1989 Ashes)

Speaking about batting greatness in the contemporary era, Australia's Mark Taylor etched his name in the record books by becoming the third-highest all-time run getter in a Test series during the 1989 away Ashes tour. A series that comprised six Tests, Taylor amassed 839 runs at a stunning average of 83.9, which also included a double century at Trent Bridge. Taylor laid a solid foundation in the series opener on the back of 136 & 60 to help Australia crush the Poms by a margin of 210 runs. Taylor crossed fifty in eight out of 11 times, making it one of the most consistent batting displays in Ashes history. As a result, Australia went on to hammer England by 4-0 in that series. 

834 - Neil Harvey vs SA (Home, 1952-53)

Neil Harvey’s performance on the 1952–53 tour of South Africa was truly phenomenal, making him the fourth-highest run scorer in a Test series. The late Australian legend went on a run-scoring spree, amassing a breathtaking 834 runs at a jaw-dropping average of 92.66, which involved four centuries. Although he endured a few rough patches in the five-match series, Harvey saved his best till the end for the fifth and final test at Melbourne, where he scripted a monumental 205 to conclude his glorious Test career on a high. In the process, Harvey was able to better the previous record of Bradman's 806 runs against South Africa, which he achieved in the 1931-32 Test series. However, his marvelous feat was overshadowed as South Africa pulled off an unbelievable win by chasing down 295, and as a result, squared the series 2-2. 

829 - Vivian Richards vs ENG (Away, 1976)

Sir Vivian Richards of the West Indies isn't too far behind when it comes to talking about batting greatness. While Vivian boasts a plethora of untouched batting records to his name, it was during the Wisden Trophy series in 1976 in England where he displayed his pure class with the bat. The Antiguan batting stalwart dominated the Englishmen and plundered 829 runs at a staggering average of 118.42 in just four Tests, helping West Indies rout England 3–0. He announced his authority from the get-go by smashing a massive 232 at Trent Bridge in the first Test. Then, in the fifth and final Test, Vivian recorded his career-best Test score of 291, which at the time was the highest individual Test score achieved by any visiting Windies batter in England. Richards' 1976 tour remains legendary—not just for the sheer volume of runs, but for the awe-inspiring authority with which he dominated world-class bowling on English soil.

June 25, 1983—a date when the Asian Giant was awake and the King was dethroned. It was then the biggest upset in cricket when Michael Holding departed and the mighty West Indies halted for 140 against India's 183—India won the World Cup—1983 World Cup. 

Before the final, it was like a repeat telecast of the first two World Cups when the West Indies proved their dominance and won the highest trophy of cricket back-to-back. Under Clive Lloyd's leadership, the Caribbeans, like before, cruised into the final match of '83. When India somehow managed the other spot in the final, on pen and paper the match was like between David and Goliath. 

Batting first, team India managed to get only 183 on the scoreboard in 60 overs. The fierce bowling attack of the West Indies, with Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, and Joel Garner, simply demolished the Indian batting line-up. The house-full Lord's Cricket Ground was ready to witness another dominating performance by the West Indies in the title-decider contest.

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Kapil Dev's catch and the wicket of Sir Vivian Richards 

Sir Viv Richards, considered as the most dangerous and hard-hitting batsman, came to bat in the crease at number three and got off to a perfect ignition. He was toying with India's medium-pace bowling lineup until Madan Lal delivered a slower one when West Indies was on 57. Richards mistimed the shot, and Captain Kapil Dev, on mid-on, took an iconic catch under pressure, keeping his head cool. With 7 boundaries and a 117.85 strike rate, Viv departed for 33. 

The defending champion still had a fair amount of chances to win the match, and by then, India got the extra self-belief they needed to pull out the greatest upset that no one saw coming. Clive Lloyd, Larry Gomes, Faoud Bacchus, Jeff Dujon... all came and went. The tiny target of 183 is registered in the history book. Mohinder Amarnath was selected for the man of the match award for his 3-wicket spell and 26 runs with the bat. 

While the Indian Premier League remains the most followed T20 league in the world, the Pakistan Super League on the other side of the border is laying down some first-class cricket. The timeless charm of these leagues lies in the way they make their teammates compete against one another. Last night, in Delhi, KL Rahul was competing against Virat Kohli, and the two had a slight face-off in the middle. Likewise, in the PSL as well, two of cricketing great names of Pakistan faced each other when Mohammad Amir bowled against Babar Azam in the match between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday.

Amir tested Babar severely. Amir bowled four balls to Babar, all of which tested the former Pakistan skipper. Amir's first delivery was a bouncer, hitting Babar flush on the crash helmet. The batter took a concussion test, but there was no relief. Babar could manage just one off Amir's bowling before he got out. A wicked inswinger from the left-arm pacer struck Babar on the pads, and the batter was stone dead. Up went the finger in a flash, and Babar began his walk back.

But Amir's celebration was the icing on the cake. The experienced pacer was ecstatic and rushed to the dugout of the Gladiators, where mentor Viv Richards was sitting. Amir waved his hand at Richards in joy over the wicket, but the West Indies icon advised him to remain cool, relax and keep it up. Amir ended with 1/18 but it was his teammate Faheem Ashraf, who stole all the limelight with a five-wicket-haul. Faheem picked up 5/33 off 3.3 overs as the Gladiators defeated Zalmi by a massive 64 runs. Babar, who has 117 runs, is not even among the top 10 list of highest run-getters in PSL 2025, while Amir is 12th with 7 wickets. For their teams, Zalmi is not doing well, being fourth with two wins out of six matches. The Gladiators are better off than Zalmi but still at third position with six points are not yet out of the woods.

Watch the video here

Interactions between Mohammad Amir and Sir Viv Richards after getting Babar Azam.🔥👌pic.twitter.com/bI1qKwhyjQ

— junaiz (@dhillow_) April 27, 2025

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Viv Richards backs Babar Azam

The West Indian legend said that Babar Azam would soon find his rhythm again. He said that a king is a monarch who reigns supreme and, regardless of how great a batter is, everyone experiences a dip in form. Richards mentioned that this was not the first time Babar was going through such a phase and expressed confidence that Babar, being an excellent player, would return to form very soon. He added that players like Kohli and Babar do justice to the game of cricket.

"Babar Azam will also get into his rhythm soon. A king is a monarch who reigns supreme. Regardless of how great a batter you are, every one experiences a dip in form. This is not the first time he is experiencing such a phase. Babar is an excellent player. I am confident he will return to form very soon. I think when you see players like Kohli and Babar, they seem to do justice to the game of cricket," Richards said.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is making headlines with its ambitious plan to bring in the legendary West Indian batsman Sir Vivian Richards as a mentor for the national team. This potential mentorship could be a game-changer as Pakistan gears up for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the Caribbean and the United States.

PCB’s Interest in Richards

The PCB is interested in securing Sir Vivian Richards as a mentor after his successful stint with the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Richards’ ability to inspire and guide players has caught the board’s attention, making him a prime candidate for this crucial role.

Under Richards’ mentorship, the Quetta Gladiators have seen remarkable performances from players like Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz. His ability to instill a winning mentality and tactical understanding has been widely praised.

“The board is highly impressed with how Richards has performed as a mentor with the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League. They are keen to have him mentor the Pakistan squad for the World T20,” a source told cricketpakistan.com.

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Previous Mentoring Roles

Richards has served as a mentor for various teams, providing valuable insights and strategies that have helped teams perform at their best. His experience with the Quetta Gladiators has been particularly noteworthy, showcasing his ability to connect with players and elevate their game.

Why PCB Wants Richards

Richards brings a wealth of expertise and experience that can be invaluable to the Pakistan team. His deep understanding of the game and ability to strategize can help Pakistan navigate the challenges of international tournaments.

Richards’ presence can significantly influence the players’ mindset, boosting their morale and confidence. His mentorship can help players refine their skills and approach the game with a winning attitude.

“They are trying to find a solution because the Board is very keen on having Richards as the mentor, but he has not yet agreed to anything,” the source added.

Vivian Richards: A Legendary Career

Sir Vivian Richards is one of cricket’s greatest legends. His career spanned from 1974 to 1991, during which he scored over 8,500 runs in Test matches and more than 6,700 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs). Known for his aggressive batting style and charismatic presence, Richards has left an indelible mark on the cricketing world.