KINGSTON, Jamaica — The praises continue to pour in for Shivnarine Chanderpaul after he announced his retirement from international cricket.

On Saturday, West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) issued a statement congratulating the veteran left-handed batsman on a “prosperous and illustrious” international career that stretched beyond two decades.

“As a fan, to witness him play was to see a player of grit and determination. Having the honour of playing alongside him, I certainly saw a consummate professional who gave his all for West Indies cricket,” said WIPA president and chief executive officer Wavell Hinds, a former teammate of Chanderpaul.

“Shiv’s contribution to the game has been priceless and we wish him the utmost success in his future endeavours,” added Hinds.

West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President Whycliffe ‘Dave’ Cameron noted Chanderpaul’s contribution to the sport.

“The WICB acknowledges the invaluable contribution Shiv has made to the game globally and we wish him all the best,” Cameron said.

Chanderpaul, who played 164 Tests, was controversially overlooked by West Indies selectors last year after a poor run of scores.

At that time he said he was focused on regaining his place in the team.

However, in a recent email to the WICB, the 41-year-old Guyanese indicated he is no longer available for selection to the senior side.

Chanderpaul tallied 11,867 runs in Tests. He is second on the all-time West Indies list of run-scorers behind the legendary left-hander Brian Lara, who scored 11,953 runs. Chanderpaul, who made his Test debut as a 19-year-old against England in 1994, struck 30 centuries.

The middle-order batsman also played 268 One-Day Internationals and compiled 8,778 runs.

Sanjay Myers