Chanderpaul installed as Jaguars assistant coach

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (CMC):

Legendary former West Indies batsman Shiv Chanderpaul has been appointed interim assistant coach of Guyana Jaguars.

The 44-year-old fills the breach created by the secondment of head coach Esuan Crandon to the West Indies coaching staff.

Rayon Griffith, the former Guyana fast bowler, will replace Crandon with Chanderpaul taking the vacant spot.

"He will definitely be assisting the batters," Griffith was quoted as saying.

"He has been around this set up for many years during the team's success, and I think it is best for a man like him to be around this set-up."

In announcing Chanderpaul's appointment, the Guyana Cricket Board said the move came at an "imperative time in the development of Guyana's cricket, where the utilisation of knowledgeable and experienced coaches can lend effective support to the programme, which has shown significant growth."

"Shiv's appointment is aided by his on-and-off field experiences in the sport. He has been a very productive ambassador, having played all levels of cricket, and it is expected that he will transfer valuable knowledge to the Jaguars," the GCB statement continued.

Leading standings

Jaguars are four-time reigning first class champions and are currently leading the standings following four rounds of matches in the ongoing 2018-19 season. Chanderpaul scored 11,867 runs from 164 Tests to be the second-leading run-getter for West Indies in the longest format behind Brian Lara. He was controversially dropped from the West Indies side in 2015 before calling time on his career eight months later.

However, he continued to represent Jaguars in the first-class championship, topping the side's batting charts in the 2016-17 season.

Chanderpaul also turned out for English county Lancashire last season.