Guyana, West Indies and Durham’s prolific middle order batsman Shivnarine ‘Tiger’ Chanderpaul as expected carted off the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Cricketer of the Year award for the second year in succession when that entity held its 2008 Annual Awards ceremony at the Umana Yana Friday night.
Even as the 34-year-old left-hander, who also won the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricketer-of-the-Year award was carving out another unbeaten innings for the regional side, speakers at the ceremony were recalling his achievements from the time he made his debut in 1994 against England at Bourda, up to his present innings an unbeaten 126 at Mc Lean Park against New Zealand.
Chanderpaul’s Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) and West Indies teammate Ramnaresh Sarwan won the senior Regional Cricketer-of-the-Year award for his performance in the Carib beer competition whilst Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) Shemroy Barrington and national under-17 leg spinner Amir Khan won the Domestic and Junior Cricketer-of-the-Year awards respectively.
Another national leg spinner in Albion Sports Club’s Devendra Bishoo was voted the Most Improved Player while Reeaz Hussein, Clyde Duncan, Ms. Emily Dodson, Roger Mc Donald, Wazim Habib and Ravendra Mandholall all received individual awards for their yeoman services to cricket.
National under-19 players Seon Hetmyer, Royan Fredericks and captain Eugene La Fleur were all given special awards for highest individual score, best fielder and most valuable player respectively in the just concluded West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) TCL Under-19 tournament in Barbados.
The GCB also distributed Corporate Awards to Neal and Massy, GTM Fire and Life Insurance, National Communications Network (NCN) and UNICEF, in recognition of their contribution towards the development of cricket.
Female national fast bowler Erva Giddings received a plaque in recognition of her selection to the West Indies team on their tour to Sri Lanka while national female schools champions Friendship Secondary and runners-up Dolphin Secondary schools were honoured. But amidst all the awardees, the night belonged to Shivnarine ‘Tiger’ Chanderpaul whose son Tajenarine ‘Brandon’ Chanderpaul received the award in his honour.
Chanderpaul recently surpassed Sir Garfield Sobers and is now third on the all time run scorers list for West Indian batsmen behind Sir Vivian Richards and Brian Lara, world record holder for the highest test and individual first class scores.
