(Caribbeancricket.com) [ please note: link provided by LOSP web site ] Shivnarine Chanderpaul is one of the mainstays of the present West Indies cricket team. The 28-year-old left-hander from Guyana plays select range of shots but his strength lies in making the best use those. He is regarded as the crisis man of the Caribbean and has the ability to occupy the crease for hours. Born in Unity Village of East Coast in Guyana, Chanderpaul made his Test debut at the age of 19 against England at Bourda in March 1994 and scored an impressive 62 in his first visit to the crease. He then demonstrated his potential by throughout the series cracking four fifties in six innings.
He has never been a glamorous cricketer but makes up for that with sheer determination. An average of over 44 in Test cricket, and 36 plus in one day internationals is a perfect testimony to his value to the West Indies.
In his 61-match Test career, Chanderpaul has scored 3859 runs in 100 innings with six hundreds. He also made 127 appearances in the instant version of the game and scored 3717 runs with three hundreds.
The in-form left hander is now in Bangladesh with the touring West Indians. Although he has been ruled out of the one day series because of a cut on his right palm, Chanderpaul is confident of coming back when his side face the hosts in the Test series starting with the first one in Dhaka on December 8.
Hasan Masood of The Daily Star Sport had a talk with this quiet man of West Indies cricket at the Bangabandhu National Stadium during practice on Sunday.
Following are the excerpts from that interview:
Daily Star Sport (DSS): Missing the one-day series against Bangladesh must be very disappointing for you as you were in a rich vein of form before the hand injury?
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (SC): Yes, it's a bit disappointing for someone who loves to play cricket. But again I can't do anything about it. I'm looking forward to be fit for the Test series though.
DSS: You made a very impressive debut against England in 1994. But in your career, you've been out of the team on a number of occasions for various reasons. Talk us through your absences and comebacks?
SC: I think it's got a lot to do with injuries. I have been in and out of the team for years because of injuries. It's really hard to get back into the team after injuries. You got to start by getting your fitness back and then play a few games at First Class and club level before you can even think of coming back into the West Indies squad. But I worked hard and hard work always pays.
DSS: What was the recipe behind the West Indies' recent success specially in the one-day series against India which you won 4-3?
SC: We always had the talent in West Indies cricket. It's just that we have started to believe in ourselves. We played to our true potential and that helped us win the one-day series. We always had this ability. What we lacked all these years was a collective team effort. We have it now.
DSS: How did you come into cricket?
SC: My father and uncle were cricketers. They always wanted to see me become a top cricketer. They helped me a lot in learning cricket during my boyhood. In fact my whole family was there to inspire me.
DSS: Did you have a role model?
SC: Well, personally I still don't have any. I enjoy my own way of playing cricket. But it was former West Indies great Alvin Kalicharan whom my parents wanted me to follow. They were always encouraging me to become a player like Kalicharan.
DSS: Who is the most difficult bowler you have ever faced in Test cricket.
SC: It's Wasim Akram. He can keep you guessing all the time when you bat.
DSS: How do you rate Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulker as batsmen?
SC: Both are geniuses but I don't want to go into any comparison.
DSS: Which is your favourite ground?
SC: It's my home ground, the Bourda in Georgetown.
DSS: What are your tips for youngsters in Bangladesh who aspire to be like you?
SC: Work hard, hard and more hard. There are no short cuts to success other than training hard.