In a recent interview, Wilden ‘Polo’ Cornwall, a prominent figure in Leeward Islands cricket, opened up about his recent experiences with the Leeward Islands Cricket Board and his perspective on coaching. Cornwall, who serves as the Assistant Coach of the Leeward Islands Hurricanes and the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, Head Coach of the Liberta Blackhawks, and Head Coach of the Leewards Islands Under 19s, shared insights into his coaching journey and his reaction to recent developments.
Cornwall recently put forward his bid for the position of head coach with the Leeward Islands Cricket Board. Despite not securing the role, he maintains a positive outlook.
“You’ll be disappointed if you don’t make the 11 or so forth or make the 13,” Cornwall said, drawing a parallel between team selection and his recent experience. “But at the end of the day, I put forward my bid for the head coach and I think I deserve the right to do so.”
He emphasised that this setback won’t deter him. “I didn’t come up with it this time, but that doesn’t give me the fact that I’m going to really feel depressed and feel any way about it. I continue to move my coaching career forward.”
Cornwall represented the Leeward Islands for over 12 years as a hard hitting bowling all rounder with a total of 53 First Class matches. He scored 1959 runs scoring 300 and seven fifties at an average of 24 and top score of 111. He picked up 106 wickets at an average of 30.66 with a best of six or 53.
His commitment to cricket extends beyond personal ambitions. He stressed the importance of making a difference in players’ lives: “So long as I can make a difference in any young cricketer or any cricketer’s life, that’s most important to me.”
Acknowledging the collaborative nature of coaching, Cornwall added, “We all are coaches. Somebody’s got to lead. You understand? I’ve got to learn to swing and support.”
Despite the disappointment, Cornwall confirmed that the Leeward Islands Cricket Board has been in touch regarding his continuation as assistant coach. He expressed his willingness to maintain his role, stating, “We have conversations about it and I’m pretty much okay, you know, so I’ll continue my duty.”
The Liberta coach views his coaching career as an ongoing learning process. “My coaching career just kicked off massively and I have a lot to learn in terms of coaching,” he said. “Coaching is moving on from where we used to and this is it.”
Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to continue coaching the Leeward Islands team, Cornwall concluded, “I’m still learning a lot. And I’m very grateful that I can still be among one of the coaches who are going to coach the Leeward Islands team for the next two years.”
