Mali Richards Headed for Middlesex

Viv Richards' son is set to sign a part-time contract to play for English county Middlesex, prompting renewed speculation that he'd opt to play international cricket for England, instead of the West Indies.

Mali Richards, the 19-year-old prodigy who was born in Somerset while his father was playing for the county, is on the verge of signing the deal with Middlesex. He is only expected to play on a limited basis, as he is still studying at Cheltenham College.

Desmond Haynes and Larry Gomes are two West Indian professionals who played for Middlesex.

The signing of Mali Richards again raises the spectre that the Antiguan left-hander would contemplate appearing for England in international cricket. He has represented Antigua before but has also played for Gloucestershire's second XI last year. He was heavily courted by county sides Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.

"My ambition is to play international cricket, for the West Indies hopefully, but if the chance did come along for me to play for England, I'd probably take it," he said in a newspaper interview recently.

Earlier this year, he was selected to play for the Leewards Under-19 team but was pulled out and added (as a stand-by) to the Leewards squad for the Red Stripe Bowl but he did not appear in a single match.

His father is now chief selector of the West Indies team.