Barbados Today

GEORGETOWN, Guyana –– Esuan Crandon, head coach of the Guyana franchise team which will play in the 2015-16 regional first-class cricket tournament scheduled to commence on November 6, feels West Indies’ most capped Test player Shivnarine Chanderpaul still has a role to play in Guyana’s cricket both as a player and a batting mentor.

The 33-year-old former Guyana pacer said during a training session for the players at Bourda on Monday that when the 41-year-old left-hander returns to Guyana he planned to sit with him to discuss his role in Guyana’s cricket.

“As far as I am aware Shiv still wants to play for Guyana at regional first-class level. He is as fit as most of the younger guys and when he comes back I will sit with him to discuss what he wants and how he can help Guyana’s cricket,” Crandon, who has 90 wickets from 38 first-class matches from 2000 to 2011, said.

Chanderpaul has 11,867 runs from 164 Tests with 30 centuries and said he was not retired and available to continue playing for Guyana with a view of batting his way back into the West Indies team.

“Chanderpaul’s experience and temperament would make the ideal batting mentor and once he still has the desire should be an asset for Guyana in the four-day format,” said Crandon, who played his entire first-class career for Guyana as Chanderpaul’s teammate.

Crandon also disclosed that only Rajendra Chandrika, Leon Johnson (at the WICB batting camp in Barbados) Shiv Chanderpaul and Veerasammy Permaul were missing from Monday’s session which included fitness drills conducted by fitness trainer Kezqweyah Yisrael and fielding drills with coaches Crandon, Rayon Griffith and Clyde Grimmond.

Chairman of selectors Griffith, who is also team manager and assistant coach, said Permaul was very disappointed not being selected to tour Sri Lanka with the West Indies team although the Berbician was the leading left-arm spinner in all three formats at the regional level this year.

“Permaul is very disappointed and has been excused for a few days while Johnson will return next week at the completion of the two-week batting camp, while Chandrika will miss the first half of the four-day tournament since he will be in Sri Lanka for the first five games that will be played this year,” Griffith said.

Griffith informed that all of the players, including the Bajan pair of Raymond Reifer and Jevon Searles, are at high levels of fitness, in great spirits and enjoying their preparatory work.

Guyana will play three home games before traveling to Trinidad and Jamaica for their last two games for the year.