Rahkeem Cornwall

Cricket in the modern day is not like the old days where fitness wasn’t regarded as one of the principles to success in international cricket. However the modern-day cricketers are some of the fittest athletes going around but when you look at Rahkeem Cornwall, it doesn’t seem to be the case. With a towering height of 6”6 and weighing 308 pounds, Cornwall is by far the heaviest cricketer at least in recent times to be included in the national side. However, he is much more than his heavily built stature. 

An excellent all-round player who doesn’t mind throwing his body around, Cornwall made his first-class debut back in 2014 as a frontline 20-year-old off-spinner. To go with his wily off-breaks, Cornwall also has the ability to hit the long ball with utmost ease. He packs a punch and is a terror to the bowlers, especially in a powerplay. His high actions off-break delivered from over two metres helped him scalp out 40 wickets in his maiden first-class season before being directly elevated to the Test team. 

Born in Liberata, the third-largest town in Antigua, Cornwall wanted to follow in the footsteps of his maternal uncle Wilden Cornwall who had played 53 first-class matches. Cornwall first rose into the limelight and was close to being selected in the national side back in 2017 when he smashed 252 runs in the Super50 competition and also chipped in 10 wickets at a staggering economy rate of 3.63. 

Despite being a “special talent”, the then chairman of selectors Courtney Browne had said that Cornwall needs to have some special coaching and needed to have a proper dietician before being considered for national selection. He was consistent for the next couple of years while plying his trade for the Leeward Islands and earned a spot in the West Indies 'A' side. 

He bagged 23 wickets at an average of 19 and also impressed all and sundry with the wickets of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara against the touring Indians in 2017. Yet again Cornwall bagged 18 wickets against a touring England Lions side. It was an injury to Roston Chase which eventually paved way for his selection in the senior side. 

He became the 319th Test cricketer from West Indies and bagged the wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara in his very first innings. In the same year, Cornwall was awarded the Domestic Cricketer of the Year by Cricket West Indies. He has always been a wicket-taking option and has starred very well in his limited opportunities for the national side so far.

(As of April 2021)