Sir Vivian Richards and Ian Botham were arguably the most celebrated cricketers for their respective nations in the 1980s. The England-West Indies cricket rivalry was one of the sought after ones in their era.
Between 1963 to 2020, the series between the two sides was named the Wisden Trophy. West Indies led the series count 14-10 until the termination of the Wisden Trophy. A few former cricketers proposed that John Wisden did not have much of an impact or relevance to the England-West Indies cricket rivalry. Thus, the Richards-Botham Trophy was announced. The tournament is jointly administrated by the England and Wales Cricket Board, and Cricket West Indies.
The first edition of the Richards-Botham Trophy was thus held in 2021. It is worthy to mention that the trophy is awarded to the winner of the test series side and has no relevance with the limited overs matches. Moreover, the Richards-Botham Trophy sees the team play each other alternatively in the home and away format.
The first two editions of the Richards-Botham Trophy has seen the home side emergency victorious. As of 2024, a total of six tests have been played. West Indies have won one, England have won three, and two of the matches ended in a draw.
Joe Root leads the run tally in the Richards-Botham Trophy having scored 580 runs. The leading wicket taker of the series is Gus Atkinson with 22 wickets to his name. West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, and Gus Atkinson have won the player of the series award once each.
