2007 Wisden Cricketers of the Year

Interestingly Shivnarine Chanderpaul is one of the 5 Wisden Cricketers for 2007, the others being Ian Bell, Ryan Sidebottom, Ottis Gibson, Zaheer Khan.

Readers of Cricket Burble won't be suprised that I want to pick up on Chanderpaul's inclusion, although that's not to say that I wholeheartedly agree with the others! Chanderpaul was in England last summer and batted brilliantly, but was aided by some poor England fielding - in effect he was very lucky, as determined by real averages, but he did take advantage of that luck very well. Ian Bishop's glowing write up about Chanderpaul goes to emphasise the old adage that it's only results that are remembered.

While Chanderpaul was lauded for some excellent batting in the series, he actually came 5th in the list of real averages with 44.2. A very creditable perfomance but not one, if it were not for his very healthy portion of luck, that would have seen him named as one of the Cricketers of the Year.