Legendary Guyanese batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul is looking forward to the next few days of cricket in Guyana, as he believes that the upcoming Women’s World T20 tournament will have a positive impact on female cricket in Guyana.
The West Indies Test stalwart, who has recently received an honorary doctorate from the University of West Indies, noted that he was looking forward to the competition that will run from November 9 to 24 as it will showcase some high-class cricket.
“It’s the first time we’re having something as big as this in the Caribbean, we’ve had regular World Cups but this is the first time for women. I’ve seen them play all over the globe already and I’ve seen the standard of cricket they’re playing and this is very good for us in the Caribbean, it’s really exciting,” Chanderpaul stated.
More so, the former West Indies batsman shared a little story of his childhood where he would engage in cricket games with his sister. ‘Devi’ as he affectionately called her, was said to have been a better player than the West Indies star. When questioned about his sister’s career, “Tiger” explained that there weren’t any opportunities for female players at that time.
“There was no women’s cricket at that time in Guyana that much for her to carry on, when we were kids playing together she was actually better than me, it was just that there was no women’s cricket for her to continue playing,” Chanderpaul explained.
In this light, the batting legend went on to explain why he is of the opinion that the 11 preliminary games in Guyana will give young female cricketers a pattern to follow suit.
“We already have a lot of young female cricketers in Guyana and this inter-county tournament that just finished playing, the Essequibo girls won it. This is the perfect thing to have for them to see that there is a future for them if they want to pursue a career in cricket,” Chanderpaul noted.
He even had a bit of encouragement for those who have already been involved in the sport, but have put their careers on hold.
“This is the perfect opportunity for them to have a look and see how they can take their career forward.”
As such, “Tiger” encouraged cricket fans in Guyana to take the opportunity to witness the historic standalone Women’s World Cup at Providence Stadium, which begins today with three matches.
“It’s exciting and I think this is something everyone needs to see, the world needs come out and see what this is all about. I know it’s going to be broadcast around the world. You cannot miss it, you have to come and look at it,” Chanderpaul noted.
