Shiv must continue to play, but beyond the boundary

Jul 09, 2015 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
I am tired of listening to and reading a lot of piffle about Shivnarine Chanderpaul not being given the opportunity to break Brian Lara’s record of scoring the most test runs by a West Indian batsman and him being unjustly treated by the West Indies Cricket Board.
Chanderpaul has a fantastic cricket record. According to Cricinfo, he played 164 test matches, batted 280 times, scored 11,867 runs, including 30 centuries and 66 fifties, and averages 51.37. He was not out on 49 occasions. Perhaps, we can allow him to play some more test cricket in order that he can achieve an even fifty not outs.
Chanderpaul had ample opportunity to break Lara’s record, particularly when he was batting with the tail-enders. And what did he do several times? Instead of taking most of the bowling and scoring runs, he often took a single off the first or second ball of an over leaving ‘nine, ten and jack’ to face the chin and spin music. The result is history. The bowlers cleaned them up.
Chanderpaul’s average went up. He became world ranking and a few times the number one batsman in the world. He read the bowling well on the field of play, but not off the field. He failed to read the straight ball usually bowled by the West Indies Cricket Board at great players approaching the twilight of their career.
The Board is certainly not altruistic in its interpersonal relationship with its employees. It is pernicious. Self-destructive at times. Talk to Lance Gibbs. Discuss with Clive Lloyd. Confabulate with Vivian Richards. Text Desmond Haynes. Tweet Carl Hooper. Engage Brian Lara and many other retired West Indian cricketers. All will say the same thing.
They had wanted to play more test matches, but the Board unceremoniously abbreviated their careers. It was very quick to press the delete button.
Let us give Shiv another opportunity to continue contributing towards Guyana and West Indies cricket. Allow him to utilize his massive powers of concentration. Use his knowledge, skill and attitude to influence our youth cricketers so that they will not only break his records but those of Brian Lara. Shiv must continue to play, but beyond the boundary
Clinton Conway

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