Dear Editor,
Congratulations to our Shivnarine Chanderpaul on his rise to the top of the world ratings.
While Chanderpaul has been our most reliable batsman over the last 14 years it has become clear to me that this young man no longer plays for his team and only plays for himself and his world rating. Especially in our one-dayer and 20/20 matches when the West Indies are in dire straits for runs – boundaries – Chanders still continues to nudge the ball around for a single, ambles down to the other end, leaving the scoring and chance of being out to the other batsman.
Mr Editor, we have lost too many matches and series because of this ploy.
My appeal to the WI selectors therefore is not to pick the Tiger in these limited over matches. Let him play in Test matches only.
Yours faithfully,
Randolph Joseph Eleazar
Mr Eleazer,
It seems that you know nothing or very little of WI cricket, if Chanders does not hold an end the entire team would be out long before the match ends. What is does is play the ball on its merit unlike many of the other WI batsmen including Gayle. He does not get carried away. How many time have you seen Gayle and others getting out trying to hit the 3rd consecutive 4.
Many of the other WI team members needs to learn discipline in blocking the good balls and disposing the bad balls after getting settled. You take chances when you have wicket in hands and this puts pressure on the bowling side.
Hope that you are enlightened.
Congratulations on your achievement Shiv’ you have made all Guyana proud!!!!
However, contrary to some comentators, I have to agree to the greater extent with Mr. Eleazer for several reasons, these include the fact that:
Statistics do not tell the whole story and too often has the approach adopted placed immense pressure on the other batsmen contributing to their failure. From this background, one cannot help but question whether the strategy proposed by the captain and selectors is in approval. From my perspective, your experience can be better utilized in taking control of the more difficult situations, vis a vis the lesser players who need guidance. It is a fact that if all adopts a similar approach, most or all non-test matches will be lost at the half way stage.
A new and invigorating approach is necessary for the shorter games!!!!!
Richie
Dear Editor,
I also want to offer my congratulations to Chanderpaul for his rise in the world ratings.
However, I have often bemoaned his performance in one-day tests. I could not help agreeing with the previous writer, Mr Eleazer. I thought I was the only one who saw through his strategy.
Chanderpaul should only play in test matches.
Joan Browne
Often times we allow emotions and prejudice to blur our judgement. The actual statistics will tell a different story. A look at the current top four West Indies bats men in One Day Internationals: CHANDERPAUL: average-40.49, 8 centuries, 52 half centuries. GAYLE: average-38.84, 15 centuries, 37 half centuries. SARWAN: average-43.47, 3 centuries, 27 half centuries. SAMUELS: average-30.27, 2 centuries, 18 half centuries. Not forgetting he is presently in the TOP TEN ratings in ODIs. Instead of dropping him we should try cloning a few more Chanderpauls.
Dear Editor,
I must congratulate the tiger for his position in the world ratings.In relation to one day cricket the tiger averages (40.49) Sarwan (43.37) Gayle (38.37) that is in limited 50 overs.I see no problem the tiger playing 50 overs,but he has to open the batting,if he can,t open then he must not play.In the 20/20 version of the game
He must not play;His style of batting suits Test and 50 overs but not the 20/20…….
I rest my case……………….. Nexus
I believe starting with Mr. Eleazer, everyone here has added a valid point on the Tiger.
Shiv has seemingly been progressively uninterested in shepherding tailenders as we have seen so often, and this has been done with pedestrian bastmanship. This, of course, is predominantly Shiv’s style, since he is more or less a touch player, but it is by this very same demeanour, that people like Mr. Eleazer become concerned of his future in one day cricket.
Au contraire, docdallo reminds us that Shiv has a relatively outstanding one day record and that perhaps we will be better off finding more like him. I tend to believe that if Shiv didn’t feel so burdened by having to carry the West Indies batting almost always, he would have been more consistently aggressive. Lara, some would argue, literally executed the same task with pure aplomb, but then again Lara is Lara.
There is no doubt that Shiv proves more aggressive and productive at the top of the order in one dayers, but I am convinced that his age is negating all of that, and he himself, by choosing to stay in the middle, is content with playing his “normal’ game. Even in England recently, he struggled in the limited overs matches- a fact which was no different in the IPL.
It therefore might not be such a biased proposition to place the Tiger only in Tests. Let him stagnate the opposition, build his average and teach the impetuous youngsters what rewards come from patience.
I quite understand the point you are making POPEOPLEFEDUP. I think its fair reasoning, but with West Indies fragile batting lineup we still need the old Tiger to hold down one end while the others keep the score board ticking. As RP said if Chanderpaul doesn’t hold one end down the entire team will be back in the pavilion before you know it. For now we have to make do with what we have until the younger lads ’step up to the plate’.
I’m disappointed that Stabroek news would print such rubbish
I think you said it all JAMGUY. This guy does not know anything about cricket. If Shiv does not play this role, then the whole team would be out before 25 overs.
Mr Eleazer is talking about the 20/20 matches.
What 25 overs has to do with 20/20 ????????.
Maybe you need to reread his letter again RP.
Mr Wahdap,
I think u should re-read Mr Eleazer’s letter. He concluded that Shiv should only be picked for the Tests. This therefore means that he is not considering him for the 50 overs game.
As for 20/20, I will pick Shiv before Morton, Dyayne Smith etc. Shiv bats according to the team situation and very few of the current WI players can adjust like him.
Rudolph, Rudolph, Rudolph. Had I not known any better I would have thought this article was written by the red nosed reindeer. Actually this garbage is not even worthy of a comment…
At times memory could be a slippery slope to negotiate. My, my how quickly they forget. Recently against the Sri Lankans at Queens Park Oval the West Indies needed 10 runs off two deliveries for the elusive victory. The batsmen? Chanderpaul and # 11 Fidel Edwards.
The crafty Vaas bowled a full toss to Shiv who calmly and irreverently deposited it for a 4. 6 runs needed off one delivery. Inexplicably, again Vaas bowled a full toss. A wide eyed Shiv blasted it over Mahela Jayawardene’s head at the mid-wicket boundary for 6. A focused Shiv followed the trajectory of the ball and as it cleared the boundary he leaped into the air for joy.The fans went wild, delirious with joy.
Sure we would love to see this more often, but………
Mr.Eleazer, if you were a bit more objective, a bit more circumspect, you would have observed that Chanderpaul is often placed in this untenable position as the top order all too frequently folds like a deck of cheap cards. And this includes Gayle. Thus he has to improvise for the good of the team.
Perhaps you believe Shiv is Mr. Ubiquitous. He is not. Though he is the immovable force, he can defend one end at a time.
For the Lara fans , please be advised he retired.