England and West Indies will play for a new Richards-Botham Trophy in their future Test assignments, instead of the Wisden Trophy.
The trophy is named after two legends, West Indies batsman Viv Richards and England all-rounder Ian Botham. The duo played county cricket together for Somerset and were rivals on the international stage.
The final Test of the ongoing series will be the last time they compete for the Wisden Trophy, which was first awarded in 1963 to celebrate the 100th edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.
Honoured to have such a historic series named after me & Ian. I believe it's the reward for the undying passion towards the game and the unaltered relationship through the years. Blessed! 🙏🏽 https://t.co/BcA7xv8xXL
— Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards) July 23, 2020
"This is a huge honour for my good friend Ian and myself," said Richards. "I am delighted to know that the game that I have shown my love for since a little boy is naming such a prestigious award in my recognition of what I managed to achieve as a cricketer.
"When I had the opportunity to go to England and represent Somerset, one of the first persons I met was Ian Botham, who would later become of one my best friends. We are friends for life," he added.
"To have this trophy – West Indies v England – named in honour of our work on the cricket field is great. What I think is also remarkable is that it says a lot about our relationship off the field as well. We were competitors on the field, but we showed we were brothers off the field. I’m proud to have my name on one side of the trophy with him on the other side."
1st Test → 🌴
— ICC (@ICC) July 23, 2020
2nd Test → 🏴
3rd Test → ❓#ENGvWI final Test preview: https://t.co/9e9EntoO6t pic.twitter.com/l7quW2REww
Botham also reflected on his friendship with the West Indies batsman and their on-field rivalry.
"Viv was the finest batsman I ever played against. He’s a great friend but we’ve always been competitive, not least when we were on the cricket field, and there was no one else’s wicket I would treasure more.
"Playing the West Indies was always one of the toughest tests in cricket, and it’s an honour for this trophy to bear our names. I hope future series will be just as exciting as the one we’ve all been enjoying this summer."
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