Shivnarine Chanderpaul Finally Gets The Recognition He Deserves

Shivnarine Chanderpaul is a giant of the game. He has, in fact, always been that ever since he stood at one end of the wicket as batsmen with a more pronounced and flashy presence, such as typically Brian Lara occupied the other end. The West Indies in that regard were rather fortunate that there was once a time where focus existed alongside and so naturally with flair. 

But that was often the case because the likes of Lara – and there really haven’t been too many like him- knew Chanderpaul at the other end could be relied upon. When a Brian Lara expressed himself, Chanderpaul attacked with a sense of restraint. When Lara became the cautious guard of the West Indies inning, Chanderpaul resorted with dexterity. 

To this day, and it’s been nearly eight years since the Guyanese hung up his boots, Shivnarine Chanderpaul forms part of the cricketing discussion time and again for one major factor. It’s precisely the one that’s gone missing in the current lot representing the island nations forming the Caribbean: stubbornness in the face of odds and calmness amid adversity. Not that the likes of Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran and Brandon King do not have in them to start a new era for West Indies batting, but when there was Chanderpaul, a thing was certain: even if a defeat loomed somewhere in sight, it would be delayed for the West Indies like a nail biting thriller where the climax takes its own course of time. For as long as he played for the West Indies, and he played no fewer than 164 Tests, 268 one dayers and 22 T20 internationals over a time period spread across two decades, Chanderpaul battled with a sense of purpose and always for upholding the Caribbean pride. It didn’t matter to this simple and selfless cricketer whether he would get the recognition whilst wearing the maroon and he produced 11,867 Test and 8,778 one day runs. For all that truly mattered to him was the ability to fight it out, regardless of whether his team played at home in Georgetown, Guyana, Rawalpindi in Pakistan, Melbourne in Pakistan or at the Sawai Man Singh stadium in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Chanderpaul applied himself and played the saviour on one occasion too many, albeit always with a sense of dignity and seldom fraught with the accompanying frustration of having to bat for a team that rarely applied itself. 

Which is why all of those years replete with grind now make sense since perhaps the biggest possible reward for his patience have borne fruit. 

Shivnarine Chanderpaul has become the first man from the West Indies since his close friend Brian Charles Lara to have been inducted into the ICC Hall of fame. 

Maybe the world whose single minded focus is just on the feats attained by the strongest teams alone may not think much of this decoration. But ask the tireless soldier of West Indies cricket about the significance of being regarded by the game’s all-encompassing, elite and powerful governing body. 

And you’d note in his warm and simple smile the immeasurably important highlight of his career; an award like no other, perhaps even a figure of envy. Isn’t it? As a batman, he may have been a touch orthodox given that batting style and approach to run making but the manner in which one of the daintiest figures of West Indies applied himself and always for the team’s cause is worth respecting for time immortal. Well done to the great ICC. 

Well done to Chanderpaul who did his best for the West Indies.