Chanderpaul axed for Australia Tests

Mon, May 25, '15

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Veteran left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul’s illustrious 21-year career appeared all but over after he was dumped from the West Indies Test squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Australia starting next month.At a hastily arranged media conference here last evening, the West Indies chairman of selectors, Clive Lloyd, told journalists that the 40-year-old Chanderpaul had suffered a “rapid” decline in form and as a result, they had decided to look to the future.
This decision, Lloyd said had been communicated to Chanderpaul in a letter.
“Over a period of time, we have noticed a decline in his form and for the last 11 innings he has been averaging 16 and we thought the time had come to look towards the younger players, and that’s why he has been omitted.
His decline in form has been quite rapid,” Lloyd explained, while flanked by newly-installed head coach Phil Simmons.
“I just don’t think it is the last couple of games [that he has failed], this is going way back. I watched the games against India, South Africa and he hasn’t done as well as we expected.”
Lloyd continued: “I don’t think there was any bitterness [over the decision]. I think he’d realised the time is come. At 40 years old, it’s obvious you’re not going to be in the same shape as you were in 20 years ago. And if you’ve seen him play, you’d notice there was a decline, there’s no doubt about that.
“People find it very difficult at time to retire … so we thought here it is, we must now make a decision, we’ve made a decision and we’re looking towards the younger people that we have. We have a lot of good young cricketers and we think it is time that we now inject the youth into our cricket.”