Chanderpaul ready to face Zimbabwe, South Africa
COUVA, Trinidad (CMC) — Resurgent Guyana and West Indies middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul has declared himself fit and ready for action in the upcoming series against Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Chanderpaul made the disclosure to CMC Sports during a reception hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board on Wednesday night at the Frank Worrell Development Centre here, ahead of the sixth round of the WICB regional first-class matches starting Friday.
“I am pretty good. I had a decent comeback. I am feeling better now than a couple weeks back,” said the left-handed batsman who had been ruled out of action after sustaining a thumb injury during West Indies’ Test tour of Australia late last year.
“I am ready now. I played in the last game (against Barbados) and now I am playing the Leeward Islands.”
West Indies will play Zimbabwe in a five-match One-Day International series starting February 28 before hosting the World Twenty20 Championship which bowls off April 30.
The regional side will then take on South Africa in three Tests and five ODIs beginning May 19.
Chanderpaul is the West Indies’ most seasoned campaigner, having played 123 Tests and 252 ODIs, in an outstanding career.
He has scored 8,669 runs in Tests at an average of 48.7 and is only second behind all-time leading scorer Brian Lara.
Chanderpaul has also added 8,250 runs in ODIs at 41 per innings and is third on the all-time West Indies list.