By Neto Baptiste
National all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall is hoping to further impress West Indies selectors during the forthcoming India A tour of the Caribbean starting next month.
Cornwall and his Antigua and Barbuda senior team partner, Devon Thomas, were named as part of Windies A for the five One Day International (ODI) matches here while Cornwall was further named for the first two Test matches.
“It feels good to be back as part of the A squad after being left out during the England series for what reason I don’t really know, but it’s good to be back. I just have to go and put in a good performance and see what comes up for the senior team selection.
“My goal is just to go and perform to see if I can get into the ODI team and then whenever the opportunity comes around for the two warm-up four day games, I just keep doing the same thing and see what happens at the end of the day,” Cornwall said.
The tour opens with the first one-dayer at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on July 11th, with the next two matches scheduled for the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground on July 14th and 16th.
Coolidge will host the final two matches on July 19th and 21st.
The first “Test” bowls off three days later at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, with the second match carded for Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, starting July 31st.
The final “Test” is set for August 6th at the Brian Lara Academy, also in Trinidad.
Cornwall said his ongoing fitness programme with Cricket West Indies (CWI) has aided his preparation.
“I think it has equipped me even better than before because I feel the big change; I feel different in terms of even local cricket where the movements and so on are way better than before. I am just going to keep my fitness level and everything else in order and probably a week or so before I start, to tone down a bit to get the muscles ready cricket wise, play one or two local games to get that cricket fitness under my belt,” he said.
Test batsmen Kraigg Brathwaite and Roston Chase will lead West Indies A on India A’s tour in preparation for the senior series to follow in August.
Brathwaite, the Test vice-captain, will be at the helm for the first two four-day “Tests” while Chase will take charge of the one-day squad for the five-match series.
Shamarh Brooks, meanwhile, will lead Windies A for the final four-day “Test”.
SQUADS:
ONE-DAY – Roston Chase (captain), Sunil Ambris, John Campbell, Jonathan Carter, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich, Akeem Jordan, Kjorn Ottley, Keemo Paul, Khary Pierre, Rovman Powell, Raymon Reifer, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Devon Thomas.
1st & 2nd TEST – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Sunil Ambris, Jermaine Blackwood, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Chemar Holder, Shermon Lewis, Raymon Reifer, Jomel Warrican.
3rd TEST – Shamarh Brooks (captain), Sunil Ambris, Jermaine Blackwood, Miguel Cummins, Akim Frazer, Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Chemar Holder, Brandon King, Shermon Lewis, Raymon Reifer, Jeremy Solozano, Jomel Warrican.
