Chanderpaul wants youngsters to 'pull their weight'

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies middle-order batsman, is hoping his inexperienced team-mates "pull their weight" in the four-Test home series against England, which begins in Kingston on February 4.

"I think the young fellows around are learning. [Brendan] Nash did well in New Zealand in the last Test match and we have other players like Xavier Marshall and Dale Richards. Hopefully all these guys can go out there and all pull their weight, because everybody has to pull their weight in all these games," he was quoted by the Jamaica Gleaner. "I don't know what is going to happen on Wednesday but we just have to go out and do our best. Hopefully we can all do well and win the game."

England have had tremendous success against West Indies this decade, and have won 10 of their last 12 Tests against them - the other two were drawn. England won the four-Test contest 3-0 on the previous visit, in 2003-04. "It is for us to come out on top in all the games because winning the series is the main focus now," Chanderpaul said. "Starting ahead and staying ahead will be the main focus for us. I am hoping to go out there and do better than the last time they were out here."

Nash, who had scores of 74 and 65 in Napier Test against New Zealand, sounded optimistic ahead of his first home series. "I am looking forward to this home series because this is something I have waited for a long time and hopefully if given the opportunity, I would like to come out and play well for the West Indies.

"I am still very new to Test cricket and one-day cricket and for me it is still a learning curve and hopefully I can continue on the good work I have done so far and keep working hard in the nets and whenever I get my opportunity, I will really try and grab it with both hands."

With not many changes made to the squad that drew the two-Test series in New Zealand 0-0, Nash said the mood was upbeat. "We are very confident because it has only been a few changes from the last Test squad and so we still have the nucleus from the last Test match in New Zealand. We are hoping that the experience that we have gained playing together can help us in this series."