Chanderpaul Withdraws from Stanford 20/20

Former Guyana skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul has pulled out of Guyana's squad for the Stanford 20/20 tournament, citing personal reasons.

The left-hander is the second high-profile cricketer after Brian Lara to withdraw from the heavily-hyped competition.

Malteenoes all-rounder Orin Forde will replace Chanderpaul in the Guyana squad which will vie for the US$1 million first prize. Guyana opens up against Montserrat on July 21 in Antigua and the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) confirmed that Chanderpaul, who is reportedly in the USA where he now resides, has pulled out.

Chanderpaul, who took over the Guyana captaincy from Carl Hooper in 2003, was replaced by Ramnaresh Sarwan as skipper for the 20/20 tournament and both Test players missed the opening ceremony on July 8.

Sarwan, who is expected in Guyana to join the team on July 17, had informed the GCB of his inability to attend the opening ceremony but according to a GCB official, Chanderpaul?s absence from the Antigua ceremony was unexpected.

Forde, a former national under-19 player, has been playing club cricket in Trinidad this season and returned to practice with the national team after being named in the original 20-man squad.

The team will have their final practice match against a Berbice combination at the Port Mourant ground on Monday July 17, before they depart for Antigua on July 19.

This is Sarwan?s first official appointment as Guyana senior captain and Neil McGarrell, Mahendra Nagamootoo and Narsingh Deonarine are the others players in the side with West Indies international experience.

Guyana team: Ramnaresh Sarwan (captain), Narsingh Deonarine (vice-Captain), Lennox Cush, Travis Dowlin, Andre Percival, Imran Khan, Neil McGarrell, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Deon Ferrier, Orin Forde, Esuan Crandon, Rayon Griffith, Tyrell Tull.