Sep 20 2008
Shivnarine Chandepaul’s on Top!!

West Indies batting star Shivnarine Chanderpaul is now the Number One batsman in the International Cricket Council Test Match Players Rankings.
The 33-year-old left-hander has displaced Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara as leading batsman in the latest rankings, which were release on Monday. Chanderpaul now has 890 points compared to Sangakkara’s 882 points. This is Chanderpaul’s first time at the top of the batting rankings after 112 Test matches, which have so far brought him 8001 runs at an average of 49.08. He has made 19 centuries, with a best score of 203.

In the West Indies last series against Australia, Chanderpaul was named Player-of-the-Series, making scored 442 runs from six innings, including two centuries and three half-centuries.
On the bowling end, pacer Jerome Taylor remains at Number 12 and Corey Collymore at Number 13 are the two West Indians in the list of top 20 bowlers. Exciting all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is ranked as the third best all-rounder, behind South Africa’s Jaques Kallis, and New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori.
Guyana’s government recently hailed Shivnarine Chanderpaul as a regional icon and says he also serves as the ideal role model for all young people in the country. He 442 runs came at an average of 147.33 against Australia in the Home Series earlier this year, moving to 8001 runs in 112 Tests and fourth on the all-time West Indies run-scoring list behind legends Brian Lara, Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Garfield Sobers.
Speaking after the 34-year old captured the International Cricket Council’s Cricketer of the Year award this week, Youth and Sports Minister Frank Anthony said the left-hander had been outstanding ambassador. Anthony described Chanderpaul as an individual who rose to the pinnacle of World cricket from humble beginnings on the East Coast of Demerara and noted he was a fine example of accomplishment.
“This is still a young Guyanese sportsman whose dogged determination for the highest standard of excellence in his chosen field of sport has been paying all types of dividends recently,” Anthony pointed out.
“Truly a role model to all young Guyanese, Shivnarine epitomizes what single-minded dedication to discipline, training and team work can achieve.” ---item reprinted from windiescricket.com