Thank You Chanderpaul

-
The Caribbean Is One Nation.
                                                                                    Thank You Chanderpaul    

We are not going to hammer the West Indies selectors for dropping Shivarine Chanderpaul from the team for the current test series against Australia. We saw his cricketing days coming to an end and there is never an unemotional way of saying your time is up to our heroes and great sports persons.
In 2013 MCG named Chanderpaul as a Caribbean Citizen of Note for his outstanding achievements and even then we figured that his last innings was approaching. Many will argue that he could have been given one more series to surpass the 87 runs needed to eclipse Brian Lara’s record for the most test runs scored by a West Indies player. However, that is not a solid reason for his retention in the test team. Sentimentally it sounds good but as Clive Lloyd has said, he had more than enough chances to better Lara. He simply did not get it done.
In many ways, Chanderpaul was unfortunate to have played in several West Indies teams that did not have the talent to win matches. While he succeeded time and time again, the others simply failed. He was by far the only bright light in West Indies teams for many years. He even tried with the captaincy and that did not work out. He did what he had to do with the bat and for that he will be forever considered one of the finest our region has produced.
His longevity should be attributed to his dedication and discipline both on and off the field. Substance triumphed style and a humbling demeanor defeated showmanship. He was the traditional cricketer who understood his limitations, and his tremendous focus, was more than that of all his team mates combined.
He therefore leaves a lasting legacy and one that Caribbean people, who love this game, will respect and talk about for many years to come.
Thank you, Shivarine Chanderpaul.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

International Women's Day : Our Caribbean Women, Our Hope

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation As we celebrate International Womens’ Day, we are cognizant of the role our Caribbean women have played in the cultural social and economic growth of our region and evolving Caribbean civilization. They , like our men , have risen from the depths and decadence of slavery , to the highest political and corporate ladders in the region. They have given birth, to millions and have made and continue to make significant contributions to those in the Diaspora. In many cases, where they were not the biological mothers, they nurtured, cared and developed those , who were deprived of parenthood , and socio-economic hope. They are in our classrooms, directing young and fragile minds , how to navigate a world that we in the region , must forever avoid being dragged into conflicts of the so-called super powers. They are pursuing all the opportunities of our tertiary educational institutions, including the University of the West Undies, often in higher numbers than our men. I
Read more

Me and V: a personal introduction to gay tolerance

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation. By William Skinner Me and V: a personal introduction to gay tolerance I must have been around nine or ten years old. V was a well-known gay citizen, who lived in my beloved hometown of Britton’s Hill, in the parish of St. Michael, Barbados. My earliest recollection of V was his apparent penchant for dressing in white. I seldom saw him in a long pants, and he walked with an amazing rhythm. Even at that early age, I realized that he was very effeminate. He always seemed busy   out and about in the Brittons Hill area and it was obvious that everybody knew him, and his notoriety was island wide. I also noticed that he was always exceptionally clean. Later, I would learn that he was also known as a popular pudding and souse vendor, who carried on his trade in the vicinity of Nelson Street, in the city. He was well loved and respected in Britton’s Hill; along with that respect came good-natured heckling. One day, around midafternoon, about three of my childhoo
Read more

Barbados Elections 2013 and Cash

-
Image
The Mahogany Coconut Group submits that the real vote buying is in the upper echelons of our society. What we witnessed on Election Day was some voters getting   cash, cell phones, IPods and a bill paid here and there. The real votes were bought by those shadows- black and white, - who Dr. Don Blackman referred to a few decades ago! Of course Dr. Blackman talked only about white shadows but the corporate landscape has dramatically changed over the years – we now have shadows of all colors and ethnicities. While we shout from the roof tops about what took place on elections day, we bury our heads in the proverbial sand, by refusing to ask one simple question: How did the two political parties, both claiming to be rather financially impoverished, raise a conservative estimate of over twenty million dollars to pour into a three week campaign? We ask Dale Marshall (BLP) to tell us about the successful “cake sales and car washes” that raised their money. We ask Ronald Jones (DLP) to t
Read more