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Home , Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd, Garfield Sobers, Michael Holding, Rohan Kanhai, Shivnarine Chanderpaul

The West Indian . April 27, 2019 . Page 49

PROFILE of The Week By Dr. DHANPAUL NARINE

My Heroes(PART ONE) am glued to the Indian Premier League (IPL). I it needed to become a lians. In that innings, hero would be given Inever thought that I would be fascinated by the popular world sport. he played all the shots, an appropriate send shortest version of cricket but I can’t move away Sobers went on to driving and hooking to off ’ that befi ts a na- the all parts of the ground. tional treasure but it from the television. My conversion to the IPL, and and to dazzle the fans Sobers did not play has never happened. later the CPL and the Big Bash, started a year ago. with his exceptional as many limited Chanderpaul was It was then that I watched the T20’s seriously. skills. Many argue that games as Chanderpaul; up in crick- his record as captain the record shows that et politics and was The glitz and and it is a good place to where the young Chan- could have been better Chanderpaul has scored pushed out of the glamor and the thrill- start. derpaul perfected his but for sheer entertain- over 7,000 runs in fi f- team when it was said ing fi nishes left me My fi rst two choices skills. One of the ment and watch-ability ty-over games and has a that he had at least spellbound. The four are Garfi eld Sobers and great infl uences on the he reigned supreme. He healthy average of over another year of Test hour entertainment . young Chanderpaul was was the fi rst player to 40. cricket left in him. also fi lled stadiums They are similar and yet Garfi eld Sobers. hit six sixes in an over The great players There are those and brought in much very diff erent. Sobers It is diffi cult to grow and his innings of 274 often say that averages that claim he was needed cash to the and Chanderpaul are up in the West Indies against , mean little. It is the joy the victim of racism game. But the T20’s both lefthanders, and and not know about and others, is seen as the of bat hitting ball or and favoritism that have had its critics, once set, are diffi cult Sobers. He played in greatest played in Aus- knocking over has dogged Carib- and from the senior bean public policy. ranks of the game. Since his retirement, thinks Chanderpaul scored that it erodes the heavily in county and skills that are needed domestic cricket so for while his ability was hardly impaired. A treasured wouldn’t be seen near bright spot occurred a T20 game. He says when the University that it’s not cricket. of the West Indies , on the conferred an hon- other hand, is on the orary doctorate on staff of the Chanderpaul for his League and services to cricket. players from Austra- This was appropri- lia, Sri Lanka, and ate and perhaps the South Africa can be University of found in the IPL. will confer honorary The purists of the degrees on Chander- game argue that Test paul and Clive Lloyd cricket is the real to honor them and deal. It is the ultimate to help bring about Test that brings into social cohesion in play a wide range of Guyana. The lead up skills for a prolonged to the event can be a period. A Test Match T20 game at Provi- can end in a draw dence with a Chan- but the contest itself derpaul Eleven versus can be gripping to a Clive Lloyd Eleven the last ball. I have with Gary Sobers been asked on several WEST INDIES LEGENDS: Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Sir Garfi eld Sobers and as occasions to write coaches. about some of my fa- to dislodge. But Sobers various games in the tralia. There are other that count. But when There is no doubt vorite players. I have had it all. They said Caribbean, and abroad, records that can be seen the media constantly that Chanderpaul will profi led some of them he was fi ve cricketers but one of the earliest on social media. reminds one that a cer- make an ideal coach in the past, including in one, rolled up in the introductions of So- If Chanderpaul were tain statistic is needed in the West Indies Rohan Kanhai, Roy total package. He could bers was his 365 not batting at the other end to overtake a record, a cricket structure. Fredericks, Clive bat, fi eld in any position, out against Pakistan in Sobers would have player fi nds it diffi cult to It is hoped that the Lloyd, Alvin Kalli- bowl fast, at medi- 1958, at Kingston. The applauded his determi- ignore it. new administration, charran, and others. um pace, and dazzle record was subsequently nation and resilience. There is no question under Ricky Skerritt, I am aware that so with his chinaman and broken by While Sobers took the that Chanderpaul would will make use of his many greats have . He was and is in 1994 but Sobers still apart Chan- have liked to break services, and that of played the game that personable and always holds the record as the derpaul would have Brian Lara’s record for other senior players. it would be impossi- willing to give advice. youngest triple centuri- defended stoically. But scoring the most runs in Chanderpaul and ble to discuss all of Chanderpaul lived for on. He played an unfor- this does not mean that Test cricket. But Chan- Sobers belonged to them. I would there- cricket. He was brought gettable role on the 1960 he would allow himself derpaul was treated in a diff erent eras but fore limit my choices up using coconut tusks tour to where to be tied down. Chan- shoddy and disrespectful their commitment to the modern era, for a bat and played on led the derpaul has one of the manner by the West to cricket and the starting from around the sandy beaches at team with distinction. fastest Test centuries Indies Cricket Board. Caribbean nation 1950. It is the year the Mahaica foreshore. The fi rst oc- and it was compiled at The former president could not be faulted. when West Indies His father constructed a curred on that tour and his home ground Dave Cameron prom- They are two of my beat at Lords in the yard gave cricket the impetus against the Austra- ised that ‘this Caribbean favorite players.