Official release confirms K/News story

Feb 25, 2010 Sports

Shiv only Guyanese picked, Gayle not selected

Shiv Chanderpaul

By Sean Devers in Trinidad

Kaieteur Sport, in Monday’s story of the regional cricket match between Guyana and the Leeward Islands broke the news that West Indies Captain Chris Gayle was not selected for the 20/20 clash here on Sunday between West Indies and Zimbabwe.
It was also mentioned in that story that prolific Guyanese left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the only Guyanese selected on the regional side of Sunday’s match at the Queens Park Oval.
Chairman of the West Indies selectors Clyde Butts said on Tuesday that he could not confirm the Kaieteur News story about Gayle’s non selection but an official release from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) yesterday confirmed the Kaieteur News story.
The Captain, who disclosed last year that he prefers limited overs cricket, has had a torrid time with the bat in the ODI and 20/20 series in Australia after boldly predicting the West Indies would have beaten the 50-over World Champions 4-1 in the 5-match ODI series in their own backyard.

Chris Gayle

The Gayle-led side instead lost 4 matches while the other was rained out before being battered in both 20/20 matches with Gayle, the only batsman with a 20/20 International century, making just 5 and 12.
Reliable sources close to the WICB here in Trinidad also told this newspaper that there were off-the field issues during the recent Australian tour with the Jamaican left-hander that had to be addressed.
Denesh Ramdin has been appointed Skipper for Sunday’s 20/20 game in his homeland while the young T&T pair of talented batsmen Darren Bravo and Adrian Barath have both been included the side which has just one Guyanese in Chanderpaul.
Dwayne Bravo, Jermaine Taylor and Fidel Edwards are still not fit and it is understood that Taylor and Edwards might also not be considered for the 5-match ODI series against Zimbabwe which starts in Guyana next Thursday.
Gayle could be back in the team for the ODI series while it is hoped that the elder Bravo will also be available for the 2 ODIs in Guyana (March 4 & 6) and the remaining three in St Vincent.
Guyana’s Narsingh Deonarine, who hit the ‘million dollar’ six to give Guyana the inaugural Stanford 20/20 title in 2006 could be considered a bit unfortunate not to be included in the 20/20 squad and should be back for the ODI series.
Deonarine made a first ball duck on his 20/20 International debut in Australia and although he top scored with an unbeaten 36 in the last game the West Indies side had already been picked.
The 35-year-old Chanderpaul, who returned to cricket with scores of 23, 77, 105* and 32* for Guyana in the regional 4-Day competition after a finger injury during the Test series in Australia caused him to miss the ODI series in Australia, is presently the most successful Test West Indies batman and a key member of the ODI team.
The dependable left-hander, who generally prefers to accumulate his runs and build his innings, has struggled at the 20/20 level and was left out of his English County side limited overs team last season when he excelled in the First-Class competition.
However, his experience is badly needed in a West Indies side struggling to compete at the International level and reliable sources informed that Chanderpaul, who averages under 20 in the game’s shortest format, will be asked to open the batting with Barath as the regional side prepares for the 20/20 World Cup which starts in Guyana on April 30.
“Shiv will be asked to open and is good to see him getting some runs for Guyana since he is at present our best batsman. It’s a bit disappointing that the team for the 20/20 World Cup, which we are hosting, will have to be selected without a regional 20/20 competition being played.
We have a core of players but we are not doing well with the team we have and seeing new players in the region in this form of the game would have provided the selectors with options,” the source said.
The West Indies team is expected to arrive in the Caribbean this evening while the Zimbabwe team is already is Trinidad where they will play a UWI VC X1 at the UWI ground in St Augustine tomorrow in a 20/20 warm-up match.
Former Guyana under-19 player Anthony D’Andrade, who captains in the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) in Trinidad’s domestic cricket, is expected to bat at number three tomorrow against Zimbabwe.
The West Indies team for Sunday’s 20/20 read:- Denesh Ramdin (Captain), Adrian Barath, Shiv Chanderpaul, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Smith, David Bernard, Darren Sammy, Andre Fletcher, Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampaul, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller.