Shivnarine Chanderpaul

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A compact batsman of supreme ability, Shivnarine Chanderpaul is vital to West Indies' success. He is a slight but powerful left-hander, who utilises a small range of shots to tremendous effect.

Chanderpaul is not a glamorous player, but works the ball with a pugnacious determination. His innings are filled with nudges and nurdles, occasionally punctuated by classical drives. An average near 44 in Test cricket, and past 36 in ODIs is a testament to his commitment. His only failing is a disappointing conversion rate, turning less than one in six fifties into centuries. He did not reach 100 until his fourteenth Test half-century.

Critics accuse him of falling over at the crease, making him prone to early leg before and bowled dismissals. The statistics do not bear this out however, and this limited batsman is also one of the Caribbean's finest.

Chanderpaul impressed early for Guyana, and was thrown into the West Indies team while still a teenager. He made a plucky 62 in his first Test innings against England in 1994, and thwarted the attack throughout the series, with four fifties in six innings.

He struck two more battling fifties in the 1994/95 series in New Zealand. Injuries have always been a problem for Chanderpaul, but he made the side for the end of the 1995 series with England, making 80 at the Oval.

In one-day cricket, Chanderpaul progressed smoothly. He hit 80 in the World Cup semi-final in 1996, only for Australia to win by five runs. It was only after a mixed series in Australia that Chanderpaul joined the hundred club. On a tough pitch, his unbeaten 137 at Bridgetown was a fine effort. Three years after his debut, Chanderpaul had reached three figures, and kissed the pitch with relief.

An accomplished, and unusually aggressive 95 against Pakistan on the woeful West Indies tour of 1997, proved Chanderpaul's ability on the sub-continent. After a string of twenties and thirties, Chanderpaul's 118 at his home ground in Guyana bought with it immense personal satisfaction. He emerged with some credit from West Indies' 5-0 thrashing against South Africa in 1997/98, hitting two seventies, and moved to the top of the order in both forms of cricket. The highlight was a brilliant 150 in an ODI win.

Chanderpaul missed the visit of Australia in 1999, and got frequent starts against Pakistan and England before falling to injury again. He missed much cricket, and only really found form again in the 2002 series with India.