Shivnarine Chanderpaul, a former cricketer for the West Indies, thinks his son Tagenarine Chanderpaul's success in the Test series against Australia will be a plus for him and likely assist advance his career.
The 26-year-old Tagenarine nearly secured his spot in the touring team's playing XI for the first Test match in Perth, which begins on Wednesday, by scoring 119 and 56 against a Prime Minister's XI that featured a bowling attack that included several Australian internationals.
As a just reward for a sustained run of runs in First Class cricket, the left-hander will likely open the batting alongside captain Kraigg Brathwaite.
The runs in Canberra were in addition to two centuries for his native Guyana, to which he has consistently contributed, as well as an unbeaten hundred for West Indies A during a recent tour of Bangladesh. Only his skipper's 584 runs in the West Indies four-day competition surpass Chanderpaul's 439 runs.
The First Class average of 35.55 for Tagenarine may not pop off the page, but the numbers reveal that hitters in the area are frequently forced to start out on slow surfaces. For instance, Nkrumah Bonner, who built his skills in the colours of Jamaica, has 24 innings into his Test career with a career average of 37.47, a far cry from his 28.43 average.
His father Shivnarine, who was recently inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, feels a successful series Down Under can help him climb the ladder even faster. His early success in Australia is encouraging for his future on the international stage.
"In Australia, it won't be simple. Here, no other squad has ever performed well. If you do well against Australia, it will be a plus for your resume and probably assist further your career "told icc-cricket.com Chanderpaul.
Shivnarine, who has a notable record against Australia in Test cricket, has scored five hundreds and amassed 1649 runs at an impressive average of 49.96. Although the left-hander made five fifties at an average of 30.20, all five scores of three figures came at home because he was unable to convert on Australian land.
But for Shivnarine, it was testing his abilities against the best—at the time, an all-powerful Australian team—that prepared him.
Because they push you to play at a higher level, the former cricketer said, "I used to love playing against Australia, especially in the beginning of the year. If you can do well against them throughout the year, you will do well, because you're playing at a different level."
"It will benefit him with his career if he can get a start and do well out here," he continued.
It's easy to draw comparisons between the two players because they are both almost directly in front of the bowler and highly concerned with protecting their wicket.
When their respective careers overlapped, the two played batting for Guyana, and according to Shivnarine, his technical philosophies of advancing into the ball to prevent the head and eyes dropping were key principles used as his son rose through the ranks.
"He is one of those individuals who will attempt to bat long when given the opportunity to enter the game. He can work on a few other things, but he has an opportunity right now, and hopefully he can seize it "said he.
The two-test series, which begins on December 8 with play in Perth and continues with a match at Adelaide Oval, is a part of the World Test Championship.