Delhi Daredevils could have managed the biggest eye-grabbing move of IPL 6 when they announced the inclusion o... Read More

NEW DELHI: With six defeats in as many games, nothing seems to be going right for the Delhi Daredevils this season, but they could have managed the biggest eye-grabbing move of this T20 league when they announced the inclusion of West Indian great Vivian Richards to their staff on Saturday.

The original master blaster - for many Chris Gayle too would pale in comparison - Richards joins the beleaguered Daredevils in an ambassadorial and advisory role.

The signing, perhaps the best-kept secret of the glitzy, high-profile cricketing circus, is the latest addition at DD, complementing the likes of spin bowling consultant Mushtaq Ahmed , High Performance manager Jeremy Snape and former Indian bowling coach Eric Simons.

"I am looking forward to working with the Daredevils this season. I know the team has plenty of players of proven quality and others who have immense talent and hunger to succeed at this level and higher. It will be a great experience for me to be their sounding board and inspire them to deliver quality performances," a Daredevils release quoted Richards as saying.

Sources said that the former West Indian great arrived in the Capital on Friday night.

Richards didn't waste any time in interacting with the team. "The morale of the team is not great at the moment so Richards had a pep talk with the team immediately after his arrival last night. There were a lot of eager ears," sources added.

The 61-year-old is juggling multiple roles at the moment and he is also the ambassador-at-large of the Antigua and Barbuda islands. "There are a number of youngsters in the squad who can make the most of the opportunity to interact with Richards. He was one of the best batsmen to take the field and set amazing standards for himself with the bat and on the field in his playing days," Daredevils team mentor TA Sekar said.

"Of course, we would have liked to have him with the team from the beginning but he had some prior commitments," team owners GMR Sports told TOI.