Chanderpaul is Number 1

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

...for the first time in his career. Terrific achievement.

Chanders tops ICC rankings.

Interesting that Collymore is number 13, the second highest ranked West Indian bowler, and yet he's not been so much as picked in a West Indies squad for a year now.

 

[Beleg]

well deserved. best batsman in the world at the moment for mine.

 

[headhunter]

Can't say he doesn't deserve it and one of my favourite players.

 

[Uppercut]

Can't say he doesn't deserve it and one of my favourite players.

Agreed. Absolutely fantastic player.

 

[Dissector]

Yes, easily the best batsman in the world at the moment with Kallis and Sanga suffering from a small slump and Ponting being merely decent in the last year or so.

 

[Migara]

Sangakkara is due to overtake him in this series

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Haha. No bias then.

 

[nightprowler10]

I would actually put Sangakarra ahead of Shiv slightly at the moment, but good on him, he deserves it.

 

[Uppercut]

Nah not at all. Sangakkara still struggles away from Sri Lanka to some extent IMO.

Chanderpaul confirmed himself as the best batsman in the world when he averaged 147 over 6 innings against the world's number one team. Not to mention averaging 111 in 2007 and 101 in 2008.

 

[Richard]

Nah not at all. Sangakkara still struggles away from Sri Lanka to some extent IMO.

Been more than one occasion in Chanderpaul's career where the same charge could be levelled at him, FTR. Nonetheless, both fantastic LHBs, and both in their own way (Sangakkara stylishness, Chanderpaul curate's-egg-ness) utterly enthralling.

 

[Goughy]

As much as I appreciate the fact that Chanderpaul can bat, I fail to see how a guy that has played in a side that has won 3 meaningful Tests in 5 years can be #1.

He (it) isnt that important. We have seen that teams dont have to focus on him and can let him bat, as he isn't a threat to take the game away, and focus on the other end.

Certainly a good batsman but I wouldn't pick him as #1 in the World.

I accept that I may be being a little harsh, but Ive always seen him as the 'Master of making things look respectable' rather than the 'Master of making things happen'

 

[Richard]

Undoubtedly, that's what he is. However,
1) that's all he's been given the chance to be in recent times. We don't know what he'd be if given the chance amongst better batsmen. And it's not like he never played with better batsmen - at a time, he was amongst Lara, Richardson, Campbell, Adams, and several other decent-to-good-of-times batsmen. He still performed well.
2) even being this still merits quite a good bit of credit.

Chanderpaul isn't Lara and never will be, though he can play innings every bit as good as Lara could very occasionally. He's not even Richardson. But he is a very fine batsman and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone convincingly better at the current time.

 

[Days of Grace]

As much as I appreciate the fact that Chanderpaul can bat, I fail to see how a guy that has played in a side that has won 3 meaningful Tests in 5 years can be #1.

He (it) isnt that important. We have seen that teams dont have to focus on him and can let him bat, as he isn't a threat to take the game away, and focus on the other end.

Certainly a good batsman but I wouldn't pick him as #1 in the World.

I accept that I may be being a little harsh, but Ive always seen him as the 'Master of making things look respectable' rather than the 'Master of making things happen'

What does being in a good team have to do with how good a player you are judged to be??

The mere fact that he almost never comes in at 200/2 and is always under pressure to save his team's arse would give him more browny points, IMO.

 

[Natman20]

Hes someone thats always seems to be positive amongst a lot of failure. His team may not have won a lot of games but he has been there and managed to take the team along with him to be competitive. One man can't do it alone and thats the problem. He is deffinately classy no matter what the team results say. It was pretty much the same when Lara was there but no-one complained about his class compared with game results.

 

[Majin]

As much as I appreciate the fact that Chanderpaul can bat, I fail to see how a guy that has played in a side that has won 3 meaningful Tests in 5 years can be #1.

He (it) isnt that important. We have seen that teams dont have to focus on him and can let him bat, as he isn't a threat to take the game away, and focus on the other end.

Certainly a good batsman but I wouldn't pick him as #1 in the World.

I accept that I may be being a little harsh, but Ive always seen him as the 'Master of making things look respectable' rather than the 'Master of making things happen'

Tosh for mine, comfortably the best batsman in the world at the moment and definitely deserves the ranking.

 

[Top_Cat]

As much as I appreciate the fact that Chanderpaul can bat, I fail to see how a guy that has played in a side that has won 3 meaningful Tests in 5 years can be #1.

He (it) isnt that important. We have seen that teams dont have to focus on him and can let him bat, as he isn't a threat to take the game away, and focus on the other end.

Certainly a good batsman but I wouldn't pick him as #1 in the World.

I accept that I may be being a little harsh, but Ive always seen him as the 'Master of making things look respectable' rather than the 'Master of making things happen'

Can definitely see where you're coming from here; sure bowling attacks could work harder at trying to get him out but why bother when there are far easier wickets to be had at the other end? I agree he's been the beneficiary, even just a little, of this attitude, as was Andy Flower. He's the most accomplished batsman in the last 12 months and deserves him #1 ranking but yeah, I agree he's not the best batsman in the world.

 

[roseboy64]

Who is then?

 

[Top_Cat]

Who is then?

Personal opinion but I'd rate Rick Ponting as the best.

 

[roseboy64]

Been on brilliant form lately hasn't he......Would say he's definitely the best active batsman career wise other than Tendulkar but as for who's been best the last year, Chanderpaul hands down.

 

[pasag]

Very happy with this.