A case for Shane Shillingford

COMMENTARY: A case for Shane Shillingford – in his own figure


Taken in context, Shane Shillingford, like Shiv Chanderpaul, is as resilient as they come. While Chanderpaul’s career spans a much longer period – over two decades and 164 matches – of persistent performance, Shane’s is only over four years and 16 matches. Shane had to overcome all the historical obstacles associated with a spinner attempting to play in West Indian colors.

According to ESPNCricinfo, “Shane Shillingford appeared on the domestic scene in 2000/01, but despite an impressive first-class record, he struggled to break into the Test side. After several years of toil, he finally came into his own during the A team’s matches against England at home, and in Bangladesh in 2010”.

Shane then had to overcome the sanctioning for suspect action. On both occasions he overcame. This last time though the sanctioning has limited his repertoire of deliveries but he still perseveres and thankfully, is still on West Indies retainer contracts.

Notwithstanding his diminished bowling repertoire (no doosra), Shillingford is still a very potent force and frankly, as is so often with West Indian spinners, he was not given sufficient opportunity to recover from this valley of rehabilitated action, whether psychologically, emotionally or technique-wise. Irrespective, there is still logic and sufficient grounds for his recall to the West Indies side for the upcoming Australia-West Indies Tour in June.

Shillingford, like Chanderpaul, if granted the opportunity by the Selectors, the next outing for him would be at the Windsor Park Stadium in Roseau, Dominica. This is his home ground of countless exploits in domestic and regional cricket.

His most recent exploits were less than two months ago in the regional match Windward Islands vs Guyana in which he had figures of:
52 overs 13 maidens 118 runs 5 wickets with an Economy of 2.26

This was 52 from a total of 149.2 overs – a little more than a third of the Windward’s bowling.

Interestingly in that match Shillingford took the wicket of Chanderpaul who had scored 119 to secure Guyana’s victory by an innings and ten runs.

In test matches at Roseau, Shillingford’s performance can only be described as heavenly – supremely divine.

Shillingford is a pelter and now that the pelter cannot bowl the doosra he is mediocre.