West Indies legend Chanderpaul deserves a hero's farewell

Ajit Vijaykumar 11:12 01/06/2015
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  • Chanderpaul shouldered the batting responsibility for West Indies.

    Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding made an observation the other day on how to treat players who are nearing the end of their careers.

    Caribbean batting great Shivnarine Chanderpaul had just made his displeasure known after being jettisoned for the Australia series, telling coach Phil Simmons that he deserved a chance to say goodbye on his own terms.

    For Holding, Chanderpaul was simply not good enough to be selected and the idea of a holding a ‘farewell’ didn’t make any sense.

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    While it’s true cricket is a team sport and no individual is bigger than the game, some cases are special. The end of a stellar career like Chanderpaul’s isn’t just an incident, it’s a moment to celebrate. Because the diminutive Guyanese batsman is truly a rare talent – the 40-year-old has spent more of his life as a Test cricketer than not. He made his debut in 1994 as a 19-year-old and carved out a marvellous career through determination.

    A player like Chanderpaul had to be extraordinarily determined. He is small in stature, has the most awkward stance in the history of cricket, his batting is not pleasing to the eye one bit and he doesn’t do many spectacular things in the field. But like a duty-bound clerk in a government establishment, he goes about his job with ritualistic precision and never changes his approach, come rain or shine.

    When a batsman has played in 164 Tests, scored 11,867 runs at an average of 43.31 and has 30 centuries against his name, the end of his career surely has to be honoured. Is it asking for too much?

    When Sachin Tendulkar’s bat stopped producing runs, he was told by the selectors that his time was up. But given the reputation of the man in question, the BCCI organised a hastily-arranged farewell series for him in 2013. Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman had announced their retirements away from the field, so it was imperative Indian fans were not denied an opportunity the third time. 

    South Africa’s Mr Cricket, Jacques Kallis, got a superb send off at home against the Indians in 2013. In fact, in his last Test innings, he scored a critical century which set up a win in the Durban Test and a series win.

    Muttiah Muralitharan was given a chance to play the first Test of the three-match series against India in 2010 at the iconic Galle Stadium. As fate would have it, the last wicket of the Test that fell went to Murali – his 800th Test scalp in the five-day game.  

    Chanderpaul’s feats are no less extraordinary. He has battled for two decades and has carried the West Indies batting on his shoulders since the retirement of Brian Lara and even after the emergence of the likes of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle. Sarwan has left the scene and Gayle has been an irregular member of the side, but Chanderpaul has always been there.

    Maybe it’s because of his unassuming style that people find it easier to ignore him. How many people know that Chanderpaul holds the record for the second fastest Test century by a West Indian, behind Viv Richards and ahead of Gayle? He scored that ton against the mighty Aussies, but because it’s Chanderpaul, it’s not a ‘well-known’ stat.

    It is difficult to see proven performers being denied a chance to bow out on a high. The West Indians famously denied their favourite son Viv Richards a chance to play at the 1992 World Cup. The Australians turned abrupt ending of careers into an art form.

    Allan Border, David Boon and Mark Waugh were packed off unceremoniously. Ian Healy was not even allowed to play one Test at his home town of Brisbane and have a crack at 400 Test dismissals as a wicketkeeper. Instead, his last match in a Baggy Green ended up being a clash against Zimbabwe in Harare.

    Recently, we saw how Kevin Pietersen was told in no uncertain terms that he will not represent England again. This despite him being the highest run-scorer for England across all formats and having recently smashed an unbeaten triple century in the county circuit. Forget a grand comeback, Pietersen wasn’t even allowed to retire with any fanfare.

    I see no harm in giving a proper farewell to legends of the game. Though it is a team game, cricket is driven by star names. When they walk away from the game, they take a part of it with them. And Chanderpaul is our last link to the magical batsmanship of the 20th century. To simply dump him is cruel to him and fans of the game.

    If the West Indies management and selectors thought he wasn’t good enough to play in both Tests against the Australians, he could have been picked for the first match. It’s not as if the Windies are overflowing with batting talent and in fact they have picked two uncapped players for the match. The Australians are not in top form at the moment and I for one would have backed Chanderpaul to score some runs against them. 

    But the decision to overlook Shiv has been made. Apart from the fans, it’s history that will feel the pain of a lost chapter.

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