Dinner with a cricket legend

Sir Viv is Johnnie Walker’s ambassador for its “Know Your Boundaries” responsible drinking campaign which it has been activating across the Caribbean since the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2007.

Currently Sir Viv Richards and the Johnnie Walker “Know Your Boundaries” team are touring the Caribbean during England’s tour of the West Indies to raise awareness around the problem of drinking/driving, educating consumers using state-of-the-art, cricket-based technology about the importance of planning ahead if they are going out drinking, and always using a “designated driver”. Sir Viv is asking the people of the Caribbean to sign up to the “Keep Walking – Don’t Drink and Drive Movement” and pledge their support to the campaign.

In an interview about his role as spokesman for the campaign, Sir Viv explained, “The Johnnie Walker ‘Know Your Boundaries’ campaign is about educating people to make the right decision – whether it’s not drinking at all, drinking in moderation or not drinking and driving. This is a message that people need to take on board, and if need be, change their behaviours as well.

“I personally feel very strongly about drunk driving and think that through the sport of cricket, Johnnie Walker and I can get this important message across to the people of the Caribbean and begin to change peoples’ attitudes towards drinking and driving.”

Last weekend the Trinidad and Tobago leg of the campaign moved into high gear, with Sir Viv and another West Indies cricket legend, Michael Holding, leading a “Keep Walking – Don’t Drink and Drive” march to the Queen’s Park Oval before the start of Sunday’s 20/20 cricket match.

The evening before the launch, Sir Viv and the “Know Your Boundaries” Team, along with their guests, enjoyed a special dinner at Chaud, the fine dining restaurant operated by TT celebrity chef Khalid Mohammed at Queen’s Park West in Port-of-Spain.

The centre piece of the menu was Johnnie Walker Blue Label, an ingredient in several items served during the evening.

Sir Viv, fondly known as the “Master Blaster” to his many fans, enjoyed an impressive cricket career from 1974 to 1991. He made his Test match debut against India in Bangalore and made an unbeaten 192 in the second Test of the same series in New Delhi.

He scored 8,540 runs in 121 Test matches at an average of 50.23 (including 24 centuries) and scored five centuries in World Series Cricket between 1977-79. He is also the scorer of the fastest- ever Test century, from just 56 balls against England in Antigua during the 1986 tour. His highest innings of 291 is sixth on the list of West Indies’ highest individual scores.

Richards captained the West Indies in 50 test matches from 1980-1991 and is the only West Indies captain never to lose a Test series.