Viv Richards and Carl Hooper have firmly rebutted former West Indies teammate Brian Lara’s “gross misrepresentations” in his book, Lara: The England Chronicles. In a joint statement issued on Sunday, the two former West Indies captains denied Lara’s assertion that Richards made Hooper "cry once a week," labelling it as “categorically false” and requesting Lara to issue a sincere apology for the harm caused.
Sir Vivian Richards and Mr Carl Hooper expressed their disappointment in the misrepresentations made about them in Brian Lara's recently published book. They stated that the allegations not only distort the reality of their relationship, but also unjustly tarnish their characters.
An extract from the book recently featured on ESPNcricinfo, described how Richards' words in the dressing room could intimidate players, although Lara clarified that Richards always had the team’s best interests at heart. Lara claimed, “Viv used to make me cry every three weeks, but he would make Carl cry once a week. Viv's tone of voice is intimidating, and if you're not strong enough, you can take that personally and be affected by it. I was never really affected by it because I welcomed it, knowing it was coming. Carl, however, shied away from Viv Richards.” In response, Hooper asserted that Richards never caused him any distress and always supported him. He stated that Richards was never aggressive toward him and did not make him cry weekly, describing such assertions as baseless and deeply hurtful.
Hooper emphasised that Richards, as his first captain, was always an encouraging mentor who provided unwavering support. Their nearly 40-year relationship has been based on mutual respect and camaraderie. The misrepresentation of their interactions in Lara's book, according to Hooper, does a grave disservice to the truth and has caused undue distress to both parties and their families.
Richards and Hooper accused Lara of “attempting to profit from such deceit,” which they find “inconceivable” given his stature in global cricket. They demanded that Lara issue a public retraction of these false claims and offer a sincere apology for the harm caused. They stressed the importance of setting the record straight for the integrity of public discourse and their personal and professional lives.
Lara and Richards played together in only one international match for the West Indies, an ODI at Lord's during the 1991 tour of England, where they shared a brief 20-run partnership. In his book, Lara expressed regret over not having more time in the middle with Richards, writing that it was “every young man’s dream to be on the field watching The Greatest walk through the gate.”
Lara’s career included many more matches with Hooper, both as a teammate and under his captaincy. Lara's first international match in 1990, an ODI in Karachi, featured Hooper, and they also played together in Hooper’s final international game against Kenya at the 2003 World Cup. In his book, Lara praised Hooper, calling him one of the finest talents to emerge from the Caribbean, admiring the ease with which he batted and the awe he inspired among fellow players.
Richards and Hooper concluded their statement by underscoring the damage done by Lara's misrepresentations and urging him to rectify the falsehoods for the sake of honesty and integrity in their shared history.