Pick Chanderpaul to Play in the Champions League Tournament in SA

By Rodwell Fordyce

As Guyana prepares to travel to South Africa, following its thrilling victory in the Caribbean T20, it is incumbent on the selectors to choose the best possible team to represent the country. Guyana’s participation in the 2010 Champions League Twenty20 tournament, scheduled for Sept 10^th to 26^th, represents an historic opportunity for this country (its first international cricket match outside the WI), and the selection of Shivnarine Chanderpaul to the team should be automatic!

Guyana’s cricket captain, Ramnaresh Sarwan, has reportedly asked for Chanderpaul to be included into the team. Additionally, while Chanderpaul is playing county cricket in Lancashire, he has made it clear that he wants to and is ready to represent his country in the Champions League tournament, if asked to do so.

While West Indies cricket has long been in a state of decline, the exception has been its few world-class batsmen like Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle, and Sarwan. Chanderpaul’s value, however, goes beyond simply being a great batsman. He is an experienced leader, in addition to being a teammate who can be counted on to contribute to the well being of all, especially the mentoring of younger players. Thus, choosing Chanderpaul to be a part of the team that goes to the Champions League Twenty20 tournament would reap multiple intangible benefits for this young Guyanese team.

As a reminder, not that anyone should need to be reminded; Chanderpaul is and has been one of the best cricketers to ever play for the WI. He has represented the region in an exemplary manner, both with his splendid performances on the field and with his sterling behavior off of it for the past 16 years.

With more runs and centuries, in tests, ODIs, and T20Is for the WI than all but a few cricketers, he has always performed at an extremely high level, as his averages in all forms of the game attest. Additionally, the acclaim for him has been global, as evinced by his winning the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for being the ICC Cricketer of the year in 2008.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s International Record as of August 2010

However, this is not a commentary about the great accomplishments of a once legendary player. Instead, it is a recognition that Chanderpaul continues to be a leading batsman for Guyana. A quick review of the current data shows that in the Twenty20 Internationals for 2010, Chanderpaul has the highest average and is the second leading run scorer among WI cricketers who have batted at least five times. Clearly, this performance makes him someone whose current performance, dictates his inclusion in the team.

2010 – West Indies / Twenty20 Internationals

These data demonstrate that given Chanderpaul’s excellent batting performances this year, the Guyanese coach, manager, and the selectors must select him to play in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament, if they truly intend to send the best possible team to represent the country in South Africa.

If Chanderpaul is not selected, they would be marginalizing this great cricketer, in addition to minimizing and devaluing his monumental contributions to Guyana’s cricket. Moreover, they will be wasting the talents of one of Guyana’s best cricketers, especially as he continues to be highly productive.

The selectors must remember the fierce urgency of now, and the best way to do that is by playing the best cricketers, and currently, Chanderpaul is inarguably one of Guyana’s best cricketers. Thus, to reiterate, the selection of Shivnarine Chanderpaul to the Guyana team for the 2010 Champions League Twenty20 tournament should be automatic!