Viv Richards' latest durbar was on the well-manicured greens of Chembur's Bombay Presidency Golf Course (BPGC), where he was the star attraction in the Ford Invitational Golf Tournament on Saurday.

Richards, 47, slammed the pussillanimity of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to tackle the cancer of match-fixing and betting afflicting the game.

Richards held the then ICC chairman Sir Clyde Walcott, a fellow-West Indian, equally culpabale for being a party to sweep the payments by bookies to Shane Warne, Mark Waugh under the carpet.

``The ICC is as guilty as the party (involved in the issue). I've always felt that he (Walcott) was a weak character and it was just the case.`' Well, let us assume that he did not know about it. Buthe is still guilty of being a party to it,'' Richards opined.

Excerpts from an interview:

On the betting and match-fixing scandal tarnishing the game:

It's a shame. It's hard to comment without knowing the full story. But I think there is more to it than just the players. The players alone are not responsible.

On the Australian Cricket Board decision to conceal the Shane Warne-Mark Waugh links and payments with a bookie:

The fact that such a thing was swept under the carpet for so long shows that certain countries and governing bodies can get away with it. And this is certainly a double standard.

On the remedial measures that ICC should take:

There should be a thorough investigation. If the governing body is at fault and somebody says that we can forget about it, then I feel the person who says it should also be investigated. That would be a sad situation.

A substantial amount was offered to you to undertake the tour to South Africa during your playingdays..:

I did not accept it and it shows I am not easily moved by money. It doesn't please to be tarnished as these guys (Warne and Waugh).

Was match-fixing prevalent during your playing days:

People go about saying certain things in life which I don't agree. But I also felt that my duty was to give my best for my country. If I succeeded in doing that, to me that was better than making money. When you play you do get such offers here and there, but you have to turn a blind eye to it. I don't like to talk about it.

On the pay dispute that rocked West Indies cricket:

I'm not sure it is about money. It concerns a backlog of issues. I would like to remain neutral in making comments on the issue as I don't know the complete details of it. But during my playing days I was known as a player's man and I would like to be known as a player's man.

Brian Lara's lacklusture display with the bat since taking over the reins:

He is a great captain in the sense that he is a thinkingcaptain, though he hasn't been among runs of late. He is facing the same situation now as Sachin Tendulkar faced while leading the Indian team. Captaincy is a heavy burden.

On his future plans:

I would like to be very much with West Indies cricket at some stage and I will put my effort into such things.

On the absence of personalities (like Richards himself) in the game at present:

Either you have them or you don't.

On his love for golf:

At present I play with a handicap of 12, but I am confident of improving upon it. It is harder to hit a dead ball than strike a moving one.