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Chanderpaul should only be picked for Test matches

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

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15 Responses to “Chanderpaul should only be picked for Test matches”

Raymond Persaud
on August 7th, 2008 6:23 am

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.

[Reply to this]
Richie
In reply to the above comment on August 8th, 2008 12:36 am:
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

[Reply to this]
jeab
on August 7th, 2008 7:26 am

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

[Reply to this]
docdalloo
on August 7th, 2008 10:22 am

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.

[Reply to this]
nexus
on August 7th, 2008 10:29 am

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

[Reply to this]
popeoplefedup
on August 7th, 2008 1:31 pm

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.

[Reply to this]
docdalloo
In reply to the above comment on August 7th, 2008 6:12 pm:
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’.

[Reply to this]
Jamguy
on August 7th, 2008 2:12 pm

I’m disappointed that Stabroek news would print such rubbish

[Reply to this]
rp
on August 7th, 2008 4:15 pm

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.

[Reply to this]
wahdap
on August 7th, 2008 6:05 pm

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.

[Reply to this]
Raymond Persaud
In reply to the above comment on August 8th, 2008 1:24 am:
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.

[Reply to this]
Trooper
on August 7th, 2008 6:24 pm

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…

[Reply to this]
krk
on August 7th, 2008 10:58 pm

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.

[Reply to this]
Wiffy
on August 8th, 2008 8:03 am

I fully agree with the letter writer. In fact a few weekends a ago we were listening to cricket commentators debate this very issue about Shiv. It was on the occasion of the English 20/20 finals day. Shiv’s team Durham was in the semis and he played one of the strangest innings ever contributing to the team losing the game. This is of course more acute than a 50 over games where time is of the essence and simply ending the innings not out after wasting more than 50 deliveries does the team no good.

This does not take anything away from his previous achievements, but where time is of the essence Shiv is not your man. In the current WI line-up we perhaps don’t have a choice because the rest of the team is piss poor! Had we a choice ……

[Reply to this]
easyandfree
In reply to the above comment on August 8th, 2008 12:10 pm:
Dear Editor,
In Relation to the writer suggesting that Chandra should only be consider for test matches,and citing Chandra as one of the reason for W.I. losses in many matches for the limited overs version of the game, I can only assumed that the writer has very limited knowledge of the game,whether on it’s history or tatics.
Also he is blaming Chandra for playing for himself and not the team.
It would take a lot to convince this writer,that his accusation is without any merit,so I wouldn’t waste my energy and he should not follow the actual cricket alone, but do some research and follow actions by the administration.
All I would like to remind this gentleman of in a West Indies or any World class team, you follow instructions from your team/management, coach and most important, captain, and if these personnel can’t do their job and give proper instructions to a world class player,don’t blame the player.If they did and he didn’t follow it,well then I don’t see why they continue to play him for so much matches.
It’s hard to explain this,but could this gentleman recall that Chandra had be dropped from the West indies team when he was going through a bad patch. Would the writer honestly say that Chandra with his onorthodox stands,if he was performing so well would have been in the W.I. team today ? Does this writer know that Chandra has the 3rd fastest test century in 66 balls against the present world champions.
Please don’t blame Chandra if he is playing for himself. Blame him if he was giving instructions and didn’t follow it and please blame the right personnels who are like square peg in a round holes. Have you ever put a thought on Chris Gale resignation??????????????.
Thanking You
Sheik Mursalene Mohamad
Florida USA

[Reply to this]