Chanderpaul: Contemporary Cricket’s Most Underestimated Batsman?

If you look at the career statistics of Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, it will suggest that he is among the best of batsmen who are current playing and that is across all forms of the game, i.e. the ODIs and test cricket. This might cause some of you to raise the argument that he hasn’t excelled in T20. However, it should be understood that this isn't because of his inability to adapt to the faster version of the game but simply due to lack of opportunities. For some reason, despite being the perennial saver for his team and an awesome ODI record, this guy is never counted among the current crop of batsmen who are often heralded as ‘greats’.I presume that this is due to two main factors. One, he is simply too raw in terms of handing the media part of one’s career that has become a necessity for the modern player. Even the newest of entrants in the Caribbean team can be seen making some form of a style statement by either covering themselves in oodles of gold or with some ritual-like dance after dismissing an opposition batsman. Some folks might say that this is a part of the Caribbean heritage but I would like to opine that these are simply practices stereotypes that are being done to make a splash in the media coverage of the game, ensuring that their overall marketability is sustained for money-making tournaments like the IPL or for county stints.
This is even more applicable to a West Indian player, considering that they lose so many matches that even centurions and five-wicket hauls are mentioned in a remote corner of the newspaper column. Secondly, Chanderpaul has a strange, un-classical batting stance which might be the reason that he is continuously omitted from the bracket containing stars like Sachin and Ponting. Some people might argue that the modern era of cricket is very accommodating in terms of accepting people with unconventional batting styles but I personally feel that the stance used by Chanderpaul is simply so hideous that it drives-out any form of serious praise that might be coming his way.

Sehewag's ODI predicament

There is no other way of saying that it was extremely sad to see Sehewag get out on 293, just seven runs short of becoming the cricketer to have scored most test centuries. Looking at his amazing test record, I wonder what is the reason behind his modest average of just about 33.00, considering that most ODIs are high-scoring run affairs, these days. Further, it seems that the ODI format just fails to bring the best out of Viru, irrespective of how mediocre the bowling may be. His humble average in the 50-over format could be due to the fact that he is not sure about the run rate that he should be maintaining in comparision to test cricket wherein run rate is not his first priority and he can select balls to hit or like the T20s wherein he can madly slash at every ball, since that is what is expected of every opening batsmen batting for just 20 overs. Still, considering his record and his appetite of runs, Sehewag's ODI batting average is a baffling fact.