– the discarded left-hander is being blamed for slow batting, yet Bravo and Samuels seem like mere pedestrians against Pakistan’s spin
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
So Chris Gayle is having a ball in the Indian Premier League, Shivnarine Chanderpaul is working tirelessly to further enhance his skills at the Unity ground every afternoon, and Ramnaresh Sarwan is using the time off to crash a few parties here and there.
And while the omission of the senior trio for the lone T20 and first two ODIs for the West Indies home series against Pakistan has attracted much public interest and criticism, the new-look Caribbean side being groomed to win the 2015 World Cup has been completely outplayed, turning out what can only be described as spineless performances in Gros Islet, St Lucia.
Purposeful and positive batting from opener Lendl Simmons and the crafty leg-spin of Devendra Bishoo were the only bright spots in what has been a disappointing showing, to say the least.
But the biggest displeasure for me has been the dour, uninspiring, and painful batting of Darren Bravo in the initial contest, and the recalled Marlon Samuels in match two.
Here are two guys of immense skill being chained to the crease and occasionally allowed singles. Boundaries were a scarcity, much like the talent that is lacking in West Indies cricket.
One might argue that occupation of the crease was paramount. While I agree to an extent, I still feel that such tactics must be complemented by reproduction of runs, which would eventually help the team’s cause. It certainly didn’t in either case, but rather was more effective in delaying the inevitable.
That brings me to the issue of Chanderpaul’s sacking. The veteran left-hander, who has served the region with distinction for close to two decades, was unceremoniously asked to retire from ODIs by coach Ottis Gibson and the three selectors, citing poor form over the last 12 months and slow batting in that format.
For the record, Chanderpaul’s overall strike rate (SR) in the 50-Over game is 70.74, a fraction lower that Samuels’s 74.47 and Bravo’s 73.98. After two innings in the series, Bravo has accumulated 79 runs from 127 balls at a SR of 62.20, while Samuels’s 31 runs have come at a SR of 33.33.
At no point did the pair try to break the shackles. They were more intent on waiting for something to happen, rather than create an avenue to counter the spin of Mohammed Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, and Shahid Afridi.
If the approach by Gibson et al is to allow the batsmen to occupy the crease, then Chanderpaul fits neatly into that picture.
With an average of 42 as an opener in ODIs, Chanderpaul is the perfect foil for the younger guys to bat around, as his experience in manoeuvring the strike is beyond doubt. He can hit it a far way too. Remember the 69-ball hundred in a Test match against the mighty Australians at Bourda? Also, don’t forget his proficiency against the slow bowlers — another plus for him.
It just might have been different had the ‘Tiger’ been around to partner Bravo and Samuels and shepherd the innings. It’s another clear indication that the WICB did not take the value of experience into consideration when they opted to discard the three most productive WI batsmen of the current generation.
The question is: would the WICB take the bull by the horns and recall the trio to have a realistic chance of salvaging the series; or will they stick with inexperience and throw victory out the window?
If the latter prevails, then cricket crazy Guyanese could potentially be robbed of the Chanderpaul/Sarwan show and Gayle’s fireworks in the fifth and final ODI on Indian Arrival Day at Providence. From the look of things, the series is heading in that direction.
