Sanasie upset over Chanderpaul omission

Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Anand Sanasie is upset that the West Indies Cricket Board selectors have gone back on what he says was an earlier decision to allow West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chnaderpaul to play in today’s One Day International.

The fifth and final ODI of the current Digicel Series between the West Indies and Pakistan takes place today at the Providence National Stadium with Ramnaresh Sarwan being the lone Guyanese player in the squad.

Sanasie, in the release said he would like to make known his “frustration and disappointment that Guyana’s most successful cricketer, Shivnarine Chanderpaul was not considered for selection in the One Day International Series against Pakistan.”

Said Sanasie:”I find it most regrettable that the selectors who had offered Shiv the opportunity to play his farewell game before his home crowd would now take back that invitation without explanation.”

Sanasie who is also a Director of the West Indies Cricket Board said he was making the comments in his personal capacity and not as a representative of either the Guyana nor West Indies boards adding that he respected “the rules/practices and conventions which apply to members of those Boards making public statements.”

But he stated:”I find myself flabbergasted, disenchanted and annoyed that Guyana’s most successful cricketer is promised by the team management and selectors that he will be played in the 5th ODI against Pakistan at Providence, Guyana and seemingly without rhyme or reason and with utter impunity, renege upon that promise.

Anand Sanasie

“The promise to a player must be honoured at all costs or the very selection process would be irreparably undermined,” Sanasie concluded.

Contacted late last night a West Indies Cricket Board official admitted that the selectors had offered to allow Chanderpaul to play in today’s game but said the offer was not made in the context alluded to by Sanasie.

“The West Indies selectors did approach Shiv informing him that they were moving in the direction of building a team for the 2015 World Cup competition and advising him that he was not going to be a part of that plan.”
“He was given the offer of playing in today’s ODI as a farewell match,”  the official said adding that Chanderpaul refused the offer.

“Shiv made it clear to the selectors that he  had two more years in international cricket in all formats and said he was available to play.

“Therefore the selectors did what they thought was in the best interest of West Indies cricket by continuing to blood players in preparation for the 2015 World Cup,” the official said.

The WICB official gave the assurance that  Chanderpaul would be in the test team against Pakistan.
“The West Indies selectors see Chanderpaul as an integral part of the test squad,” he declared.