Shivnarine Chanderpaul is a legend in the sport of cricket to my mind but I think he has stayed on far too long and in the end he would leave cricket as a player who did not time his exit as well as he did many of the 27,395 balls he faced in Test cricket.

The left hander is hanging around Test cricket at the age of 40, and 277 days and counting, as he need just 87 more runs to surpass Brian Lara and become the leading run scorer for West Indies in Tests. Lara hung-up his bat at 11,953 runs during his career and Chanderpaul has 11,867 at the moment. He was chosen to play against England recently but failed miserably, as he did in South Africa (averaging around 16 in the two tours).

The question now is whether the West Indies selectors should be emotional and pick him, a decision that would him to pass Lara’s record, or will they think ‘Team’ first and get one of the young players into the team for the two Test matches against Australia.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

This was well written and to the point. Shiv needs to call it a day and if he isn't willing to do so, then Phil and Co must be willing to stand up too Lloyd.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Hogwash!! Of course we don't pick players to break records

How do we know they are going to come close to breaking a record?

Shiv has been a faithful servant of WI cricket and should be afforded the opportunity to get the record

Shiv has carried this team on his back for years and now people are coming up with BS excuses to deny him

This is not Sammy we are talking about!!!

In reply to black

In reply to black

Stupid post!!

In reply to black

In reply to eric365

Insular response!!

Who exactly is "denying" Shiv when he only manages to avg 16 runs over two tours? Reality is HE'S DONE!!!

In reply to eric365

Nothing stupid about it. Some plebs are allowed to fail over and over and keep their spot, or get reselected almost right away, but someone like Shiv doesn't get leeway?

Fcuk dat. That's some straight up bull shit.

In reply to Cleg

Exactly

In reply to Larr Pullo

This from a man who wanted us to carry such accomplished stalwarts as Devon Smith, Sulieman Benn and Darren Sammy.

Yu good nuh rass!!!!

In reply to JahJah

If Shiv were to Average 16 against Australia, (2 tests, 4 possible innings) he would still be short of getting the record. So do you then pick him to take him to Lanka or wherever the next tour is?

The time is now. Shiv is clearly done, time to move on.

In reply to Larr Pullo

Using your logic, why did you think 24 average Devon deserved more chances?

In reply to JahJah

You going to give him a headache

In reply to JahJah

Devon scored runs in FC, and because there were NO other openers with his runs he got picked. Note that he came out of the last two series with more runs than Shiv and was rightly dropped for the Barbados test. So shouldn;t Shiv be dropped too? He's forty, past his sell by date, and not making runs.

He's served the WI well, but all athletes come to the end of the road. No shame in scoring the second most runs in WI cricket history.

We could employ the same garbage about "intangibles" to justify carrying Shiv as some of these hyocrites were using as the rationale to keep picking a notable passenger for 3 years.

We could also use the same excuse they did for Devon Smith and claim "there is no one else" !

Mamchan is possibly the worst journo in the cricket writing world. Prem Panicker, you are forgiven.

What a rubbish article.

Shiv gave his blood, sweat and tears for WI cricket.

If it takes him another 10 test to get the record he should be allowed to do so.

WI cricket was down in the dirt and Shiv was our only shining light. Just batting and batting and batting for a struggling WI team.

Nuff respect to Shiv.

Take your time and make the 87 runs because we will miss you when you're gone.

In reply to Gun_Play

Stupid post!! Shiv did not take us out of the dirt!! Time to go......next!!!

In reply to Commie
But he has a real job!! Obviously one that you are definitely incapable of doing. Maybe you should try getting a job yourself and quit your failed attempt at cricket punditry.

In reply to eric365

When I get a real job I will let you know. In the meantime when Mamchan becomes a journalist and not a parochial flag waver, do let me know.

It's primarily about the success of the team not about the individual.

And, currently a 40 year old is impeding the success of the team.

His past should be respected but, Mr Chanderpaul has over stayed his welcome because he's old and has stopped contributing..

Go now, your time has come...

The problem here is not with Shiv's refusal to retire before breaking Lara's most test runs record, but with the narcissist Lara who with the fear of being dumped as West Indies captain for a record 3rd time, decided to retire.

Had he continued another year or two, his total runs scored would certainly have been at an unassailable figure, even if Shiv played to the unlikely age of 45.

Yes, it's all Lara's fault.

I remember this sort of call back in 1991 over Gordon Greenidge many aid his eyesight was failing he should retire, Greenidge made 226 in an innings against the Aussies.

i am of the opinion Shiv should be left alone, it is obvious he wants to break the record and then retire, what is the problem give him the opportunity he has carried us why can't we carry him. 87 runs is too close for him to be denied the opportunity. We should not be making this call after 1 bad series......

In reply to hawk

ditto

Didnt even need to read the article, the title alone says plenty about how we as a people think.

In reply to black

HOLY FCUK. you and I actually agree on something. Well I never. ..

What a ridiculous headline.

How this pass an editors desk is beyound me.

In reply to Cleg

What team has he carried on his back? What is our ranking? In di one lil win against England he was as good as absent.

Time to say goodbye although it's actually unfair to blood some lil boy against OZ.

Shiv een meking dem runs - I een care. If he wants to face Starc and Johnson, good luck.

The article would make sense if someone else was knocking on the door, but there isnt. Chanderpaul gets in the team irrespective of the record as blooding someone new and not ready against Australia is completely counter productive.

In reply to Chrissy

SHIV has been the lone performer and world class batsmen for a long time, whether he makes the runs or not is left to be seen, fact remains he has earn the opportunity to go after the record and it should be afforded to him, yet another player who has been good to West Indian cricket we ready to dump unceremoniously

ah tyaad ah de sam ting, ovah & ovah

leff di tiger alone...if he make it he make it...up to him...rest of you go about your own bizness

In reply to Chrissy

In reply to Chrissy

Why not allow him to play his last two test, and go for the record?
He is a West Indian and should be allowed to get the forty odd runs, in the next two test matches.
All records are set by someone and broken by another, you cannot stop any of Lara's records from being broken.

If "carrying a team" was just the matter of the rank of the team then George Headley-who carried the West Indies in the early days-would not have been called "Atlas"; and some would have called Lara's runs "meaningless" because most times they did not lead to victory.

That argument makes absolutely no sense!

Chanderpaul almost single-handedly carried the West Indies batting in the post-Lara era. It is not his fault that the team has not been very good so his exploits did not always lead to victory-just like Lara's!

In reply to jacksprat

In reply to Cleg

In reply to hawk

Actually 2 bad Series by Shiv standards. I would venture to ask what would his average be if fails badly in this series? Which does he care about more most runs or higher WI average.

foolish thread... it's called respect

In reply to Cleg

Even if Aus beat the shyte out of WI - by all means, right?

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Seems as if we forgot C-Paul was the 2nd top scorer for WI in the first innings in the very match we won recently.

In reply to jacksprat

In reply to TheTrail

In reply to Cleg

Isolated?How many other series win have we had since/07?

Let the man play out the series

In reply to jacksprat... two wrongs don't mek a right!