Roebuck regards Chanderpaul as most astonishing batsman around

Sydney, Nov 25(ANI): Noted Australian cricket columnist Peter Roebuck has said that West Indies middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul is the most astonishing batsmen around and among the finest.

"From his first outing for the West Indies in Georgetown in 1994 to his coming 389th appearance this week, at the Gabba, he has batted by his own lights and been effective and entertaining. Remove him cheaply and the job is half done. But, he will not lend a hand. Chanderpaul likes batting and knows his game inside out," Roebuck writes in a syndicated column for the Sydney Morning Herald.

He says that with every passing year Chanderpaul seems to get better and "he picks an attack apart like a buzzard on a bone."

"In every respect, it has been an incredible journey. He bats like a puppet, every part of his body in motion: arms, wrists, legs, nothing static. He can look out of his depth, a man of rubber in a time of steel, a skinny fellow in an age of muscle," Roebuck said. "Bowlers think they will get him out in a minute, and then the minutes turn into hours and sometimes days and still the modest man from the fishing village continues to pull in his haul. In the end, everyone looks at the scoreboard and realises he has done it again," he added.

He further said that Chanderpaul likes batting and is about five times as good as he appears.

"His chaos is, but an illusion. Everything is in its rightful place," Roebuck said. (ANI)