Cricket: Richardson plans early return

Richie Richardson, the West Indies captain, may return to international cricket early in the New Year. Richardson withdrew from first-class cricket in July, when he was playing for Yorkshire, suffering from 'acute fatigue syndrome' after a hectic international schedule and suggested then that he would need up to a year off to recover. Yesterday, at the International Cricket Sixes in Hong Kong, he said he hoped to be back for the West Indies' tour of New Zealand in January. His renewed health, however, did little to help the West Indies who were beaten by Holland. Surprisingly, India were also defeated by Holland. England were undefeated in their preliminary group matches, with Robin Smith in impressive form seeing them to a 39-run win over New Zealand and a three-wicket win over Hong Kong.

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