Feels good to be on top says Chanderpaul PDF Print E-mail
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Sunday, 29 April 2012 20:43
ROSEAU, Dominica – Shivnarine Chanderpaul said it was good to be back at the top of the World rankings for Test batsmen.
This followed yesterday’s announcement from the ICC, the sport’s World governing body, that the durable West Indies batsman had leap-frogged the South African pair of A.B. de Villiers and Jacques Kallis to claim the No.1 spot.
“It feels good to be back in the top spot in Test cricket,” said Chanderpaul. “I am batting well at the moment, and when things are going well for you at the crease, you try to keep going and building and look to make the most of every innings you play.”
The ICC said in a media release that Chanderpaul earned 19 rankings points for his back-to-back half-centuries in the third and final Digicel Test against Australia in Dominica, where he made 68 and 69 at Windsor Park.
This came after his 25th Test hundred of 103 in the first Digicel Test in Barbados and 94 in the second Digicel Test in Trinidad.
The announcement culminated a memorable week for the 37-year-old Chanderpaul, affectionately known as “Tiger”.
He became just the second West Indian and 10th player in history to make 10,000 Test runs on Thursday before he was the shoo-in for Man-of-the-Series award for the Digicel Test Series against the Australians.
Chanderpaul was previously the World No.1 batsman between 2008 and 2009, which earned him the Garfield Sobers Trophy after being crowned the ICC Cricketer-of-the-Year in 2008.
He departs with West Indies tomorrow for England, where the visitors will play three Tests for the Wisden Trophy.
This means that Chanderpaul will again arrive in England as the World’s No.1 Test batsman, as he did three years ago, and will be looking to fortify his hold on top spot, as he leads de Villiers by just six ratings points.
“I’m feeling confident as we get ready for England and, like everyone else in the team, my eyes are fixed on the next few weeks and what we want to achieve,” said the veteran of 140 Tests spread over 18 years.
“The conditions there are quite different to what we saw [in the Caribbean] against Australia. You have to stay focussed and use all your skills to get the right results.”
West Indies face England in Tests at Lord’s (May 17-21), Trent Bridge (May 25-29) and Edgbaston (June 7-11).
Last Updated on Sunday, 29 April 2012 20:45
 

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