The RichardsâÂÂBotham Trophy is a trophy awarded to the winner of Test cricket series played between England and the West Indies. It is named after the former international players Viv Richards and Ian Botham, who played as rivals in West IndiesâÂÂEngland fixtures, but were also team-mates at Somerset and good friends. The trophy replaced the Wisden Trophy, which was retired following the 2020 series between the two teams. Prior to the series, it was suggested by Andy Bull in the Guardian that a new trophy should be inaugurated in honour of West Indian cricketer Learie Constantine. Writing in the Times a week later, Mike Atherton proposed naming it the RichardsâÂÂBotham Trophy instead.
In March 2021, Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced the fixtures of the first edition, to be played the following year. Winning West Indies captain, Kraigg Brathwaite, was presented with the inaugural trophy by Ricky Skerritt and Dwain Gill (CWI president) at the Grenada National Cricket Stadium on 27 March 2022. Richards and Botham had revealed the trophy design at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on 7 Match, to coincide with Richards' 70th birthday.