Chris wants to be like Shiv

BIRMINGHAM, (CMC)

Chris Gayle plans to have a long chat with Shivnarine Chanderpaul and see if he can get a few tips from his vice-captain on the virtues of batting long and scoring runs consistently.

While Gayle's own form on the West Indies' tour of England has plumbed the depths of mediocrity, Chanderpaul's has scaled the heights of subliminal, and the West Indies captain believes this requires him to take a few lessons from the player everyone calls 'Tiger'.

"He is one of the best batsmen in the World," Gayle told reporters following the second One-day International against England on Wednesday at Edgbaston. "You have to give him credit. He has done the work in the past and he is doing it again.

"I've said in the past that Shiv can destroy any attack whenever he wants. He plays according to the situation, and he can step it up when he needs to.

"I've opened with him several times, and he has outscored me many times already, so he is capable of scoring quickly.

"You have to give him credit for that as well. I don't know how he does it. I'll ask him, and maybe try and learn a few things."

Chanderpaul's seventh ODI hundred came following a decision to strategically place him at No. 3. His innings propelled West Indies to a 278 for five from their allocation of 50 overs and set them up for a 61-run triumph.

"I thought our decision to promote him to No.3 paid off well," Gayle said.

"He batted through to the end which was tremendous. That partnership with him and Marlon (Samuels) put us back in the game.

"He is our 'in-form' batter, so we have to rely on him to carry the guys. We play around him. It has worked in this game, so hopefully it will be the same in the final game."

Chanderpaul was the leading West Indies batsman in the preceding four-Test series which the visitors lost 0-3. He scored 446 runs at an average of 148.66.

The final match of the one-day series is scheduled to take place at Trent Bridge in Nottingham tomorrow.