“India v West Indies – Test No. 2 – Shivnarine Chanderpaul – 150 Tests – is also a very special cricketer!”

Nov 17, 2013 Sports

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Colin E. H. Croft
As he celebrated 150 Tests, easily the most by a West Indian, Shivnarine Chanderpaul was not allowed accolades or platitudes, not even to enjoy this special time, for him and West Indians, as he had to contend with these inane, manufactured games, derided everywhere now, even in India, as being useless, except that an inept West Indies team had been set up as cannon fodder to celebrate Sachin’s last stand.

Another magnificent left-hander, “Prince” Brian Lara, the only other West Indian, with Shiv, to have over 10,000 Test runs, whose partner at the crease was Shiv when he made 375; v England, 1994; breaking that long-standing record held by yet another great left-hander, (Sir) Garfield Sobers; Shiv made 75 no; suggested two things recently which were pertinent and controversial.
BL sensibly agreed with me that West Indies cricket seems to be going nowhere, despite suggestions to the contrary, something I had said often since my 1st return to the Caribbean in 1993:
“Unless we make firm decisions and restart from grass-roots, West Indies cricket will continue to be in a quagmire.
We have not put in the infrastructure that is necessary.  We relied on the fact that greats like Viv Richards and Joel Garner came from nowhere.
The rest of the world went to technology, sports sciences and medicine, and academies, but we did nothing.
We might win a T-20 competition here or a series there, but we will have no real consistency overall!”
Paraphrasing, our cricket’s coffers might be dark green, but lack of real leadership, planning and foresight are killing us – re Test No. 2 v India – an even much poorer effort by West Indies than in No.1.
What exactly does anyone now involved in West Indies cricket have to celebrate from this series?
So, I could only wonder if BL too will be censured.  He does not need work.  I certainly do!
But Brian, perhaps also trying to play that stupid game called politics too well, somehow also managed to put his foot in his mouth, suggesting that Sachin was the “best cricketer that the world has seen!”
Really?  I truly believe that BL misspoke, as even the Indians themselves do not believe that!
Sachin may be the best batsman ever, depending on whom you ask, but many have also suggested that either of the three West Indians already named; Sobers, Lara, even sometimes Shiv; is better, especially when a team is in a crisis, as West Indies have been so very regularly in Shiv’s 20 years as incumbent.
One stunningly loud comment coming from several Indian supporters, no less, was: “Has Brian Lara never heard of Garfield Sobers?”  That rhetorical question needs no answer!
But these are only three of the very best left-handers ever seen anywhere, not only in West Indies.
Add Jimmy Adams, Chris Gayle, Clive Lloyd, Roy Fredericks, Larry Gomes and Alvin Kallicharran.  Each had his own style – dashing, daring, defensive, destructive, even deceptive – all very talented batsmen!
Shiv’s 1st Test series, v England 1993/4, was also my first as a Sports Journalist.  I remember suggesting then that no-one in the world liked batting more than he did.  I was proved so very right!
I should be celebrating too, since I had probably known Shiv even before he was born, so my pride, despite suggestions otherwise, is immense that one of “Ah we bhoy” at Unity-Lancaster village has really made it!
Chanderpaul’s father and uncle, “Cow-Fly” and “Bunn”, respectively, to all, were both wicket-keeper-batsmen for our village team, including me, at Mahaica (Leprosy) Hospital cricket ground.
Both were good enough to be “called to trials” to play for Guyana, with his uncle eventually playing for Guyana.  Had it not been that both were fishermen by trade – we used their boats to get crabs in Mahaica Creek – and that they both also had an affinity for “dharu”, who knows how far they would have gone!
But their son and nephew, and now grand-son and grand-nephew – Shiv’s son, Tagenarine – have both played for West Indies, senior and junior, respectively.
Who knows?  Perhaps in the near future we could even have a ready replacement for Shiv himself in the senior ranks – his very own son!
Chander’s only cricketing regret and discomfort; he still continued to score heavily; would have been when he was given captaincy for West Indies, always a great honour, but at that time, more by default than by cricketing merit or even personal desire, in a seriously tumultuous time, circa 2004/5, a circumstance crystalized by the absence of many seniors like Lara and Gayle.  Chanders suffered terribly through that!
He continues to persevere well, even if this series’ returns were not great; 36, 31 no, 25 and 41.
It may not be easy to copy his style of batting, but certainly Shiv’s tenacity must be admired, operating in the guise of General George Armstrong Custer, of Little Big Horn fame, fighting to his very last breath for his beloved West Indies cricket.
Let us hope that Chanders also gets a fond farewell too, whenever he leaves!  Enjoy!

 

 

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