Chanderpaul Back as Guyana Skipper

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) on Sunday announced that axed left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul will captain its team for the one-day warm up game against England on April 16.

Chanderpaul, surprisingly dropped from the West Indies team after showing a reluctance to be examined by a WICB medical panel doctor, will take the helm of a Guyana side previously announced with Neil McGarrell as captain.

There was no immediate word on whether the middle order batsman was seen by a doctor in his native Guyana. A West Indies team spokesman told CaribbeanCricket.com the WICB was awaiting a report from Chanderpaul's doctor in Guyana.

By adding Chanderpaul to its squad as captain, the GCB is leaving no doubt about his availability for the ODI series against England which begins in Guyana on April 16.

Chanderpaul's seeming reluctance to see the WICB medical panel doctor underlines the level of distrust between some players and the board and again raises questions about the relationship between captain Brian Lara and senior members of the West Indies team.

Chanderpaul, who is very close to WICB medical panel chairman Dr Akshai Mansingh, had in the past expressed concerns about taking fitness tests without Mansingh present. In this case, the WICB viewed his reluctance as insubordination and dropped him from the side.

It means Chanderpaul, who is not officially 'injured', is not being paid and the lost income is somewhat significant for a player of Chanderpaul's experience. As a veteran of 74 Tests, Chanderpaul is paid on a senior player scale.

The other issue that has come to the fore is the bad blood between Chanderpaul and Lara. As recently as the tour of South Africa, Chanderpaul and Brian had "a run in or two" and, according to a senior WICB source, the relationship between the two most senior players is best described as "strained".

"In short, Shiv does not trust or like Brian. Nor does Ridley (Jacobs). They both were firmly in Carl Hooper's corner over the change of captaincy," the source explained.

The circumstances of Chanderpaul's omission for the Antigua Test have done nothing to smooth over the issue.

GUYANA SQUAD:

Shiv Chanderpaul (captain)
Neil McGarrell
Sewnarine Chattergoon
Damodar Daesrath
Krishna Arjune
Lennox Cush
Assad Fudadin
Narsingh Deonarine
Vishal Nagamootoo
Ryan Ramdass
Trevor Garraway
Hemnarine Harrinarine
Zaheer Mohamed
Zamal Khan