Test cricket returns to South Africa with a two-match series against West Indies starting on February 28.
South Africa returned from the three-match tour of Australia with just one draw and two losses to their name, While West Indies will have a chance to continue their 2023 season off to a positive start. They have been on an upward incline in red-ball cricket.
Ahead of the third Test match for the West Indies team against Zimbabwe, opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul said that the constant comparison to his father is something that he’ll have to get accustomed to.
“It’s something that people always talk about, but I just try and be myself, I can’t be him. I can only do what I can do and be me. At the time when he (Shiv) was in Guyana we would train together so basically some of his teaching and batting style kind of rubbed off on me,” said Tagenarine in an interview with the Windies Cricket Youtube channel.
He made his Test debut last year against Australia. he received his Test cap from another West Indies legend Brian Lara. He described that moment as ‘special’.
“It was a special feeling (getting his Test cap) and receiving the cap from the legend himself was even better. I’ll try and take it one game at a time and every time that I go out to bat try and get a start and try to bat for as long as possible,” he added.
Tagenarine also credits the recent appointment of Brian Lara as mentor to the West Indies team and is in the process of soaking up as much as he can from the former West Indies captain.
“Well I watch Alastair Cook, (Kumar) Sangakkara, Lara and all these guys. I guess you watch all the shots that these guys play, but obviously I don’t have all those shots, so I try to keep it simple and do what I can do. He (Lara) is a very cool guy and easy to approach. He’ll also offer a few tips which you can add to your game and improve on, apart from the shots and that kind of stuff, he’ll help with how you think about the game,” young Chanderpaul said.
While still being a youngster in the West Indies senior team set up, Tagenarine hails more than thrilled to have a former Guyanese player in Gudakesh Motie around the team when he got there.
“Everybody seems to get along well with the new players. They treat you well and you can have a conversation with anyone. I’ve known Gudakesh (Motie) since under-15, I’m comfortable with him and I’m glad to have a partner to go around with,” said the soft-soften Tagenarine.
South Africa vs West Indies (SA vs WI) series will start on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
