SUNDAY 4 NOVEMBER, 2018 – UWI TODAY
11
GRADUATION 2018
OnMarch17, 1994,
whenMr. ShivnarineChanderpaul
walked out to the crease in his debut match for the
West Indies (WI) against England, many would have
been forgiven for thinking that Manager Rohan
Kanhai and the selectors had lost their minds. His
inclusion was contentious and the sight of this small,
frail-looking 19-year old, dwarfed by his helmet and
protection, waddling out to the crease and assuming
a peculiar crab-like stance, could not have inspired
confidence. He was just recovering from the shock
of his selection and he was limping from a painful
fishbone puncture wound in a toe.
Those more familiar with the story of the skinny
youngster from the small fishing village of Unity
on the east coast of Guyana would have been more
confident. They knew that, thanks to efforts of his
cricket-mad father, Khemraj, and uncle Moonilal,
who introduced him to cricket when he was littlemore
than a toddler, Shivnarine was already a seasoned,
respected veteran of club cricket. At eight years old, he
was a valuablemember of Unity Village team; by 10, he
had faced and gained the admiration of the fearsome
fast bowler Colin Croft. He joined the Demerara
Cricket Club Under-16 team before turning 11 and
played Under-19 cricket at 14. At 15, after a spell with
the East Coast Police, he moved to the prestigious
Georgetown Cricket Club and two years later, made
his first-class cricket debut for Guyana.
Knowledgeable fans recognised the promise of
his unbeaten 203 runs for the West Indies Under-19
Team against England the summer before at Trent
Bridge. They knew that Chanderpaul would uncoil
fromhis deceptively awkward, crouched posture when
it was time to play his shot. So, while everyone in the
crowd was thrilled, not everyone was surprised when
he made 62 runs from 135 deliveries and put on a
century stand with Brian Lara to help the West Indies
to an innings victory against England, or when less
than four months later, he was 75 not out partnering
with Brian Lara for most of his record-breaking 375.
For much of his career, the supporting role often
went to Chanderpaul – a measure of his understated
doggedness, strength and reliability. Later on, he
scored with flair and aggression dominating bowlers
with an ease that earned him a new reputation for
being unstoppable. In 2003 against Australia, he
smashed a century off only 69 balls during the highest
successful run chase in Test history. In 2008, he was
named the ICC international cricketer of the year
following a streak of 819 runs from eight Test matches
at an average of 91, including three centuries and
six half-centuries, all against the top seven teams in
the world. During that time, he also scored 598 runs
including a century and five fifties in 13 One Day
Internationals at an average of 74.75. He ended his
21-year Test cricket career with an impressive average
of 51.37 from 164 Tests including 66 fifties and 30
centuries, the second most of any WI batsman. With
11,867 Test runs, he is one of only two West Indies
cricketers to cross the 10,000 run mark. He was also
prolific in One Day Internationals, amassing 8,778
runs at an average of 41.60 in 268 matches during
which he scored 11 centuries and 59 half-centuries.
Sport pumps the adrenaline and athletes
present us with the most stunning range of human
emotions. Shivnarine Chanderpaul never revealed
his. Unflappable, he remained calm regardless of what
was going on around him – a fallen wicket, a dropped
catch, a whiplashed boundary, a runout – nothing
distracted him from his mission. His former captain
and roommate Jimmy Adams described him simply
as “tough”. He digs himself in, much like the small
burrowing Guyanese reptile species Rhinatrema shiv
named in his honour.
Chanderpaul’s contribution toWest Indies cricket
came at a time when we were sliding down the sad
slope of decay. He often single-handedly propped it
up with a powerful work ethic and utter discipline
that remains undented today. In addition to his
batting prowess, he is a useful bowler and at one
point captained the WI team. Off the field, he has led
community-level projects in Guyana and influenced
cricket policy and practice. A tiger on the field, he
remains an endearingly shy and humble man who,
when asked about his most memorable matches or
series, doesn’t speak of his own successes but rather
The UWI 2018 Honorary Graduate Citation
MR SHIVNARINE CHANDERPAUL
Awarded Degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa
From left, Mr Shivnarine Chanderpaul shakes hands with UWI Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, shortly after receiving his honorary
Doctor of Laws degree on Thursday, October 25, 2018 at the 4pm graduation ceremony.
PHOTO: GUYTN OTTLEY
of teamperformances and instances where he had the
privilege of being there when others shone.
Sustained by his strong Hindu faith and belief
in a simple life, Shivnarine Chanderpaul continues
to be propelled forward by the same thought that
reanimated him after the paralysing shock of his
selection 24 years ago – the thought of all the worthy
cricketers who never had the honour and fortune
of being selected to play for the West Indies. His
continued passion for the game and determination
to give it his all are his powerful dedication to these
people and to the long list of family members, team
mates, coaches, benefactors, managers and well-
wishers who have helped him along the way.
Shivnarine “Tiger” Chanderpaul is the anchor
man, the solid man: “a rare cricketer whose career
needs to be celebrated forever”.
