Boosted Windies to bounce back for Zimbabwe

PORT OF SPAIN, Feb 25, 2010 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul is one of four players who will return to the West Indies’ line-up for Sunday’s Twenty20 International against Zimbabwe at Queen’s Park Oval.

By (AFP)

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Published: Thu 25 Feb 2010, 9:36 PM

Last updated: Tue 14 Nov 2023, 3:19 PM

The evergreen left-hander is back from an injury lay-off that allowed him to nurse the fractured thumb he sustained in a Test against Australia last December.

“I am feeling okay,” he told the Trinidad Express newspaper. “(The thumb) just needs to be tested at the higher level to see where we are.”


Chanderpaul and the other returning players have boosted the West Indies line-up that was severely depleted for the recent limited-overs series in Australia.

Left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn has rehabilitated the left knee he wrecked in the recent Tests while opener Adrian Barath’s hamstring has healed, and left-handed batsman Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo’s younger brother, has recovered from a shoulder injury.


Chanderpaul immediately got down to business, leading his native Guyana to their first victory in the West Indies first-class championship in the last three seasons with a five-wicket triumph over Leewards Islands on Monday at the National Cricket Centre here.

He made 105 not out in the first innings and 32 not out in the second. He clocked eight hours, seven minutes in the middle — not the most ideal preparation for the frenetic pace of the limited-overs formats — but appropriate for someone returning from a thumb injury.

“As a batsman, it is always good to get some runs behind you, especially going into an international tournament,” said Chanderpaul.

“It helps with your confidence. It helps to build you up, and if you are going into the One-day International and Twenty20 International formats, you need to have runs behind you.

Chanderpaul’s return follows the side’s horrific trip to Australia, where no less than seven seasoned players — including himself — were missing through injury.

As a result, a series of five one day internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals was a “no-contest”, and Australia convincingly swept both series.

“It is pretty tough out there,” said Chanderpaul. “It is never easy against Australia.

“They are on a high. They have been playing good cricket, and even Pakistan went down there and struggled to win a match.

“It is never easy there, but you still have to give the guys support, and make sure when we come home, we put that behind us as quickly as possible because we have tournaments in front of us.

“We need to move forward, and we need to look ahead at these matches here. Zimbabwe is here. We have to try and get some wins from Zimbabwe, and gain some confidence going into the Twenty20 World Cup (to be hosted in the Caribbean from April 30 to May 16).”

Sunday’s T20I is the first between the two sides since the format gained international status six years ago, and West Indies have never lost a bilateral ODI series against these opponents.


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