If you were to consider the top five West Indian batters of all time, without a doubt you would include George Headley and Brian Lara. Uniting both players is not merely their exceptional talents with the bat, but that they excelled in weak sides. Headley, for example, was known as “atlas” because he carried the team’s batting on his shoulders.
I wonder where Shivnarine Chanderpaul would come on the list. The latest ICC Player of the Year may not have the strokes of Lara or the dominance of Headley, but he has carved himself into the most immovable portrayer of his craft.
In the tour of England last year, he kept a home attack at bay for nearly 17 hours between dismissals whilst averaging 148. He thereby became the first player to record three 1,000-minute vigils in Test cricket.
Chanderpaul provides an apt case of how environment has affected style of play. He originates from the humble fishing village of Unity on the northeast coast of Guyana, an hour’s drive from the capital Georgetown.
Unity’s population includes those of both East Indian and African descent. These are represented by the two Test cricketers the village has produced, Colin Croft and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Cricket was, as they say, in Chanderpaul’s blood, with his father keeping wicket to Croft while both uncles played for strong clubs. It helped that they grew up minutes from the cricket ground.
Not that the ground is how we imagine cricket pitches to be. Having no nets or square, it’s just a field of rough grass, often shared with goats and cows. His father and uncles cut a pitch, though it remained muddy and bumpy, not helped by the grazing animals wandering over it.
This type of pitch would encourage the watchful and defensive cricketer, and obviously didn’t hinder the young Chanderpaul. He was playing for his village at eight years old and for the Demerara Cricket Club Under-16s at age 10.
Joining the prestigious Georgetown Cricket Club, he scored 117 on debut. It was at Georgetown’s ground, Bourda, that he made his Test debut against England in March 1994 at 19, in which he impressed with 62.
Chanderpaul’s ascent is further affirmation of the rise of the East Indian community in West Indies cricket. About 160 years ago, hundreds of contracted labourers migrated to the Caribbean to work on the British-owned plantations. The descendents of these workers form roughly half the population of Guyana and Trinidad.
By the middle of the 20th century, three large communities lived side by side—the ruling whites who were on their way out, the Africans who had broken free, and the Indians who were still settling in.
Whilst players such as Sonny Ramadhin, Alvin Kallicharan, and Rohan Khanai played at the highest level, there was a feeling in the 1980s that the all-conquering West Indian sides were African-Caribbean by design.
Not a single Indian was selected to play under Viv Richards and the Ethiopian/Rastarafri colours of red, yellow, and green introduced to the West Indian logo suggested African colours for a team that was supposed to represent the whole of the Caribbean.
Recent West Indian sides have included Ramnaresh Sarwan, Darren Ganga, Dinanath Ramnarine, and Mahendra Nagamootoo from the Indian community.
Chanderpaul doesn’t dwell on issues of ethnicity. “My batting is for everyone,” he says. Yet as he is associated in his village with Croft, on a national basis he and now retired Carl Hooper, an Afro-Guyanese, have been projected as symbols of a coming together.
Their social place has even been portrayed in song: “We must play Carl and Shiv/That’s how we must live.”
Cricket has taken a battering in recent years in the Caribbean, yet the likes of Chanderpaul remind us of the merits of hard work, the ability to persevere, and the potential that a group of disparate islands have when all come together as one.
Source: Bleacher Report
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you. https://www.binance.com/pt-PT/join?ref=V2H9AFPY
Hello there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it is truly informative.
I’m gonna watch out for brussels. I’ll appreciate if you continue this in future.
Lots of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
Escape roomy lista
Useful info. Fortunate me I found your website unintentionally, and
I am shocked why this accident did not happened
earlier! I bookmarked it.
I was very happy to find this site. I need to to thank you for ones time for this particularly fantastic read!! I definitely enjoyed every little bit of it and i also have you bookmarked to look at new stuff on your site.
I need to to thank you for this good read!! I absolutely loved every bit of it. I have you saved as a favorite to look at new things you post…
That is a great tip especially to those new to the blogosphere. Simple but very precise info… Thanks for sharing this one. A must read post!
Pretty! This has been a really wonderful article. Thanks for supplying this info.
Excellent web site you’ve got here.. It’s difficult to find excellent writing like yours these days. I seriously appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
I could not refrain from commenting. Very well written.
Everything is very open with a really clear clarification of the challenges. It was truly informative. Your site is very useful. Thanks for sharing!
Next time I read a blog, Hopefully it does not disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, nonetheless I actually thought you would have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something you could fix if you were not too busy searching for attention.
Pretty! This was a really wonderful post. Many thanks for providing this information.
Good info. Lucky me I ran across your blog by chance (stumbleupon). I have saved as a favorite for later!
This is a topic that is close to my heart… Take care! Where can I find the contact details for questions?
Very nice post. I certainly appreciate this website. Keep writing!
This page really has all of the information I wanted concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Excellent web site you have here.. It’s hard to find good quality writing like yours nowadays. I seriously appreciate people like you! Take care!!
Spot on with this write-up, I actually believe this amazing site needs much more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read more, thanks for the advice!
There is definately a lot to learn about this topic. I love all the points you made.
I’m impressed, I have to admit. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s both educative and interesting, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The issue is an issue that not enough people are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy I came across this in my hunt for something relating to this.
I want to to thank you for this very good read!! I certainly enjoyed every little bit of it. I have you bookmarked to look at new things you post…
There is certainly a lot to know about this subject. I really like all the points you have made.
Aw, this was a very good post. Taking the time and actual effort to create a top notch article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and never manage to get anything done.
I really love your blog.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you develop this site yourself? Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my own personal blog and would like to know where you got this from or just what the theme is named. Thanks!
Good post. I will be dealing with a few of these issues as well..
This is a topic that’s near to my heart… Best wishes! Where are your contact details though?
Good post! We are linking to this great article on our website. Keep up the good writing.
This is the perfect webpage for anyone who would like to understand this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I really will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a new spin on a topic that’s been written about for years. Wonderful stuff, just wonderful.
This is a topic which is near to my heart… Many thanks! Where are your contact details though?
Great blog you have here.. It’s hard to find good quality writing like yours these days. I seriously appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
I’m very happy to discover this website. I wanted to thank you for your time just for this fantastic read!! I definitely appreciated every little bit of it and i also have you book-marked to check out new information in your website.
There is definately a lot to find out about this subject. I love all the points you have made.
Wonderful post! We will be linking to this great article on our website. Keep up the great writing.
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this site. I’m hoping to see the same high-grade blog posts by you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my very own website now 😉
You should be a part of a contest for one of the best websites online. I am going to highly recommend this website!
May I simply say what a relief to discover someone who genuinely understands what they’re talking about on the internet. You certainly know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people ought to check this out and understand this side of your story. It’s surprising you are not more popular given that you certainly possess the gift.
I used to be able to find good info from your blog articles.
Greetings! Very useful advice within this article! It’s the little changes that make the most important changes. Thanks for sharing!
Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve visited this website before but after looking at a few of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m certainly happy I came across it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly!
bookmarked!!, I love your web site.
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this site. I am hoping to see the same high-grade content by you later on as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own website now 😉
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon every day. It will always be interesting to read through articles from other writers and practice something from other web sites.
I seriously love your website.. Pleasant colors & theme. Did you make this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m planning to create my own site and want to learn where you got this from or what the theme is called. Thanks!
Excellent post! We are linking to this great post on our website. Keep up the great writing.
I have to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this site. I’m hoping to check out the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my very own blog now 😉
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon every day. It’s always interesting to read content from other writers and practice something from their websites.
After checking out a handful of the blog posts on your blog, I truly like your way of blogging. I book-marked it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back in the near future. Please visit my web site as well and let me know how you feel.
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular post! It is the little changes that make the greatest changes. Thanks for sharing!
I seriously love your blog.. Pleasant colors & theme. Did you make this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m trying to create my own personal blog and want to know where you got this from or what the theme is named. Many thanks.
You’re so interesting! I don’t think I have read through a single thing like this before. So good to discover someone with a few unique thoughts on this issue. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This website is something that is required on the internet, someone with a bit of originality.
Hi, I do think this is an excellent web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I am going to revisit once again since i have book marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular post! It is the little changes that produce the biggest changes. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent article. I definitely love this website. Continue the good work!
Very good write-up. I definitely appreciate this site. Keep writing!
Great info. Lucky me I found your blog by accident (stumbleupon). I’ve book marked it for later.
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this article! It is the little changes that produce the biggest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
You are so awesome! I don’t believe I have read anything like this before. So nice to discover someone with some unique thoughts on this issue. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This web site is something that is needed on the web, someone with a bit of originality.
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this website. I’m hoping to check out the same high-grade content by you later on as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my very own blog now 😉
I could not resist commenting. Exceptionally well written.
I blog often and I genuinely appreciate your content. This article has really peaked my interest. I am going to take a note of your website and keep checking for new details about once per week. I opted in for your Feed as well.
An intriguing discussion is definitely worth comment. I believe that you ought to publish more on this subject, it might not be a taboo matter but usually people do not discuss such subjects. To the next! Many thanks!
Hello there, I think your site could be having browser compatibility issues. When I take a look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in IE, it has some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to give you a quick heads up! Besides that, excellent site.
bookmarked!!, I love your web site!
It’s nearly impossible to find knowledgeable people in this particular subject, however, you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
Greetings, I do believe your website might be having web browser compatibility problems. When I look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it’s got some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other than that, fantastic website!
I love it when people get together and share thoughts. Great website, keep it up.
Good post. I certainly appreciate this site. Keep it up!
There is definately a great deal to know about this issue. I love all the points you’ve made.
Hi, I do think this is an excellent blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I’m going to come back once again since i have bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.
Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to make a great article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and never seem to get anything done.
Your style is really unique in comparison to other folks I have read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark this page.
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this article and the rest of the site is really good.
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a coworker who has been doing a little homework on this. And he actually ordered me lunch simply because I discovered it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to talk about this issue here on your web page.
I used to be able to find good advice from your content.
This web site definitely has all the information and facts I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Wonderful article! We will be linking to this particularly great article on our site. Keep up the great writing.
I absolutely love your website.. Great colors & theme. Did you develop this website yourself? Please reply back as I’m attempting to create my own blog and would like to learn where you got this from or what the theme is named. Appreciate it!
When I originally left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on each time a comment is added I receive 4 emails with the exact same comment. Perhaps there is a means you can remove me from that service? Appreciate it.
Spot on with this write-up, I honestly think this website needs far more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read more, thanks for the information.
You should take part in a contest for one of the highest quality sites on the web. I most certainly will highly recommend this site!
Профессиональный сервисный центр по ремонту бытовой техники с выездом на дом.
Мы предлагаем: ремонт крупногабаритной техники в москве
Наши мастера оперативно устранят неисправности вашего устройства в сервисе или с выездом на дом!
I really like reading a post that will make people think. Also, thank you for permitting me to comment.