Inspiration: Shiva on Laxman

By John Cheeran
West Indian batsman Shivnaraine Chanderpaul is playing in his 100th Test at Multan in Pakistan. As someone who has played 100 Tests in contemporary cricket what this guy says on batting and batsmen must be worthy of our attention.
Chanderpaul says he is inspired by two batsmen.
One is obviously is the Caribbean great Brian Lara. The second one is an Indian.
Well, it is not Sachin Tendulkar. Let us hear it from Chanderpaul himself.
"Another batter I like to look at is Laxman because he seems to have so much time to stroke the ball. His wrist movements, his placement, the way he works the ball off his legs and into the gaps, it's inspiring for any batter."
It is inspiring for any batter, but not enought for India's national selection commitee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar. I value Chanderpaul's comments since he is far away from the parochial games that Indian cricket often witnesses.
But Indian selectors have the temerity to leave VVS Laxman out of the one-day squad and draft in Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Mongia. The qualities Chanderpaul has found in Laxman's batting such as the way he works the ball off his legs and into the gaps should have sealed the Hyderabadi's place in the Indian XI.
But it is a pity that Vengsarkar had no hesitation to insult VVS by casting doubts on the batsman's fitness level for playing one-day cricket.
Is this the Hyderabad Blues?