Chanderpaul replaced by Sangakkara as world's top batsman

Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara has knocked veteran West Indies left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul off the top of the International Cricket Council's Test batting rankings.

Sri Lankan Sangakkara [left] replaces West Indian Chanderpaul [right] at top batting ranking

In the latest rankings released on Thursday, Sangakkara had crept ahead of Chanderpaul to move to 892 ratings points.

Chanderpaul is 36 points adrift in second, with South African AB de Villiers in third on 821 points.

Selected positions from the latest International Cricket Council Test player rankings released on Thursday:

Batting

1 Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 892

2 Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) 856

3 AB de Villiers (SA) 821

4 Jacques Kallis (SA) 819

5 Younus Khan (PAK) 796

6 Michael Clarke (AUS) 771

7 Hashim Amla (SA) 763

8 Ross Taylor (NZ) 761

9 Alastair Cook (ENG) 756

10 Graeme Smith (SA) 753

Bowling

1 Dale Steyn (SA) 886

2 Saeed Ajmal (PAK) 813

3 James Anderson (ENG) 785

4 Rangana Herath (SL) 765

5 Vernon Philander (SA) 764

6 Stuart Broad (ENG) 758

7 Ben Hilfenhaus (AUS) 756

8 Graeme Swann (ENG) 742

9 Peter Siddle (AUS) 740

10 Morne Morkel (SA) 733

16 Kemar Roach (WI) 620


Via Trinidad Express Newspapers

Chanderpaul inspires West Indies

The West Indies took inspiration from another defiant innings by Shivnarine Chanderpaul to set up the chance of an unlikely victory in the first test against England at Lord's on Sunday.

The talismanic left-hander made 91 and Marlon Samuels hit 86 to lift the touring side to a second-innings total of 345 and England, needing 191 to win, lost captain Andrew Strauss as they stumbled to 10 for two in the evening gloom on the fourth day.

Chanderpaul was lbw to off-spinner Graeme Swann shortly before tea, ending a knock lasting 383 minutes in which the limpet-like left-hander was at his tenacious best.

“He is unique in the way he plays and he's number one in the world so it's always nice to get him out,” Swann told a news conference. “He batted superbly but we stuck to our guns.

Read more: IOL Sport

Chanderpaul should emulate Dravid and put team above self

Brian Lara is right. As a batsman with 140 Tests and more than 10,000 runs at an average of over 50, Shivnarine Chanderpaul has to bat at No 3 for the West Indies. His continued refusal to do so smacks of self-interest and is a serious disservice to his inexperienced team mates.

There’s no doubting Chanderpaul’s qualities to stick around and bat with the tail, but West Indies need far more than that from their premier batsman. Chanderpaul needs to shape innings, not continually try and revive them by walking to the crease with his side three wickets down for not a lot.

Read more: Cricket Country