By Rawle Toney
`Sometimes people think I just turn up and things would happen for me but it’s not like that I have to go and put in the hard work’
With the West Indies preparing to wing off to Australia to compete for the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy, star batsman Guyana’s Shivnarine Chanderpaul said he is ready to let the ‘Tiger’ loose ‘Down Under’ as he expressed optimism for the West Indies success.
“It’s always going to be a big challenge going to Australia but I think that our main aim would be to go there and come out on top and looking at how things have been for cricket recently, winning the series would be good for us,” Chanderpaul said.
Speaking exclusively with Stabroek Sport yesterday, he also noted that Australia was a tough place to do well but said he was more than prepared for the huge challenge which faces the West Indies.
“Everyone is expecting to go out there and do well but you don’t know if you will do because let’s face it, Australia is a pretty tough place. But I’m always focussed on my cricket and it will always remain that way, it doesn’t matter what’s going on I will always be focussed on cricket.
“I love the game too much to go off track from it, so in all I expect to just play my game, if success comes well, I’ll take it but as a team I think we’ll give our best,” Chanderpaul declared.
The team was selected and released yesterday among much public debate about who should or shouldn’t be in the squad which will tour Down Under.
Asked what is his take on the team selected Chanderpaul said that …”the selectors they picked the best players they think possible who will go out there and get the job done. You know it’s their job to do such and to make sure that the West Indies is properly represented so like I said it’s really their job, so I can’t really comment on it too much.”
The Guyanese known around the cricketing world for his unconventional batting style mentioned that he has been working on his game steadily since he knows that regardless on what team he is playing on, a lot always depend on his batting.
“Over the years I’ve been working hard, putting in a lot of hard work in the nets, you know, sometimes people think that I just turn up and things would happen for me but it’s not like that. I have to go and put in the hard work physically and then mentally figure things out, you know measure my game and probably look at a tape and analyze people…also as a player you need to look at other players and learn from them; it’s the only way to stay on top of your game,” Chanderpaul noted.
The 15-member West Indies team will play their first test against the Aussies at Gabba in Brisbane (November 26-30), the Adelaide Oval (December 4-8) and at the WACA Ground in Perth (December 16-20).
Prior to that, however, they will have a three-day warm-up match against Queensland from November 18.
The 36-year-old Chanderpaul has had an illustrious career with the bat being one of only six players to have gone 1000 minutes in Test cricket without conceding his wicket and he is the only player to have done so more than once.
Chanderpaul is the only batsman in the history of Test cricket to have faced 1000 consecutive balls without getting out and one of only four batsmen to have averaged more than 100 in two different calendar years with only one other than Sir Donald Bradman to do so in consecutive years. The man from Unity Village, Mahaica in 2002 against Australia scored the then third fastest Test hundred in the history of the game from just 67 balls.
The Guyanese is currently the second highest run scorer for the West Indies, with over 8000 Test runs, having overtaken Sir Vivian Richards (8,540) this year. Only Brain Lara (11,953) has scored more runs.
Chanderpaul is also among only three players to score half-centuries in seven consecutive Test innings.