Pride In Performance

Viv Richards One of the greatest Batsmen  to have played cricket. 

Blog 83: #PrideinPerformance

West Indies cricket team is considered equivalent to what is Brazilian team to Football.They play the game with flair and beauty. West Indies cricket team is made of players representing 15 countries which are part of Caribbean islands. In year 1928 West Indies became the fourth cricketing team to be granted test playing status. What is surprising is with a small population of only 6 million people , West Indies has managed to produce some of the best cricketers to have played the game. Gary Sobers, Malcom Marshall, Viv Richards, Curtley Ambrose and Brain Lara to name a few. 

West Indies dominated cricket from mid 70s to early 90s terrorising teams with their quick bowling. They won two world cups and won test series in all other test playing countries.Most opposition players were just happy to come out of a test match not being injured. But in last few decades West Indies cricketing standards have fallen considerably. Many people attribute this fall in cricketing standards to Youngesters from Carrabien moving on to play Basketball, Football etc which are better paid sports. But I don't think that poor performances are only due to lack of money.

Viv Richards was asked why he never wore a helmet throughout his career while playing fast bowling? His answer was that his pride in wearing the West Indies cap.He said that the cap has the West Indies logo and he considered it was an insult if a ball hit the cap. So if a ball had to hit the cap that would mean the ball has to hit his head.A head injury from fast bowlers like Lilly or Thomson would mean certain death. But he would prefer to die on cricket pitch than face insult of West Indies logo being hit by a ball. So when a Bouner was thrown at Richards many a times that ball was hit out of the ground for a six. Imran Kahn great Pakistani fast bowler says that generally batsmen are afraid of fast bowlers. But Richards was the only batsmen of whom fast bowlers like him were afraid off.

Curtley Ambrose another  great West Indian fast bowler was asked why the current West Indian team was not up to the mark.Again his answer was pride in performance. For him first love was to play basketball and cricket came in second.Only due to insistence of his mother he decided to play cricket.When he was selected for West Indies team Malcom Marshal didn't rate him highly.This hurt his pride making him to take up cricket seriously and rest is  history.He said when he played for West Indies loosing was never an option in his mind. He always played to win.So it is not always money which drives out performance. But it is pride in performance which is key for winning.Even in corporate life we can't get best performance from people by paying them heavily. But if people feel valued and find pride in the work they do ,it automatically reflects in the performance of employee and the company.