It was back in 2011 that we asked, “What more can one say about Shivnarine Chanderpaul that has not already been said?” Now, in the outpouring of tributes to the great Guyanese and West Indian cricketer, following his retirement from international cricket, aged 41, cricket writers, former players and fans around the world have been mining their memories, revisiting the archives and extending their linguistic skills to pay homage to one of the most dependable and durable batsmen the game has ever seen. But the question remains: what more can one say? Indeed, what more can we write, when others have already registered so eloquently and fulsomely their appreciation for the man from Unity?
Some things need to be stated, however, even at the risk of repetition. The statistics speak for themselves. Shiv Chanderpaul scored 11,867 runs in Tests for the West Indies, second only to his near contemporary and one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Brian Lara; he played 164 Tests, more than any other West Indian; he made 30 centuries, again second only to Lara with 34; and his final Test average of 51.37 puts him behind only George Headley (60.83), Sir Everton Weekes (58.61), Sir Garfield Sobers (57.78), Sir Clyde Walcott (56.68) and Lara (53.17), among West Indians to have played more than 20 Tests, placing him incontestably amongst the immortals of West Indian batsmanship and securing his place in the pantheon of West Indian legends. He was no slouch in the limited overs game either, scoring 8778 runs, with 11 centuries, at 41.60, in 268 ODIs.
But the numbers only tell part of the Chanderpaul story. He sold his wicket dearly and holds the world record for the longest sequence between dismissals in a Test series ‒ 25 hours and 1050 consecutive deliveries – at home against India in 2002, when he scored 562 runs, with three 100s and three 50s, at an average of 140.5. For good measure, he also batted for more than 18 hours between dismissals against Australia on their 2008 Caribbean tour, and more than 17 hours on tour against England in 2004, repeating the treatment in 2007. More remarkably, he is the only Test player to bat for more than 1,000 minutes before being dismissed, four times. To top it all, he was ranked the world’s best Test batsman in 2008, 2009 and again briefly in 2013; was named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year in 2007; and was ICC World Player of the Year in 2008.
As Tony Cozier once wrote, “He is not known as ‘Tiger’ for nothing. There is no grittier fighter in the game.” Yet, he was not just a one-dimensional player, not just the champion of rearguard epics, as was demonstrated by his 69-ball Test century against Australia – then the third fastest in terms of balls faced, now the joint fifth equal – at Bourda in 2003. As Michael Holding has said, he could “shift gears” when the mood took him.
A fascinating yet unassuming man, Shiv Chanderpaul has had some of the finest cricket writers, including Mr Cozier, the late Peter Roebuck, Rahul Bhattacharya and ESPNcricinfo’s Brydon Coverdale and John Hotten, pen insightful, sometimes lyrical, often moving articles about him. Whilst not claiming to match them in style or substance, we are pleased that we have followed this authentic Guyanese hero’s storied career closely over the years and have ourselves published several articles and editorials celebrating his various milestones and accomplishments.
Now, notwithstanding the bitter taste left by his being dropped last year, we are left with the sadder thought that we may never see the like of this unique player again. Indeed, it has already been posited that he may well be the last great West Indian batsman, given the parlous state of West Indies cricket. We sincerely hope not.
But even as more and more West Indies cricket fans nowadays seek solace in the glorious deeds of the past, let us pause for a moment and recall some of the Tiger’s other feats, although people will undoubtedly have their own personal favourites from amongst the countless gems adorning his glittering career: his half-century on debut at Bourda, aged 19, in 1994; his 68-ball 71 (50 in 38 balls) against a rampant Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in a final-day counter-attack in Sydney, in 1996; his first Test century, an unbeaten 137 against India in Barbados in 1997; his 104 in the world- record run-chase against Australia in Antigua in 2003; his rising after being laid flat by a sickening blow to the head from a Brett Lee bouncer, to make 118 against Australia in Jamaica in 2008; and many more innings of skill, courage and sheer bloody-mindedness, based on what Mr Roebuck called his “proven technique and resolute temperament” that made him increasingly and almost solitarily the batting backbone of a West Indies team in inexorable decline.
It remains only for us to say a heartfelt thank you to the humble record-breaker who, in his inimitable manner, flew the Guyanese flag high, bringing pride and joy to Guyanese and West Indians and earning the admiration of the cricket world, over 21 years of faithful and outstanding service to his craft and to West Indies cricket.
Thank you, Shiv, thank you for the memories.
