Rahkeem Cornwall: A weighty talent

Can you think of a Test cricketer who created a world record in Test cricket even before he had faced a single delivery or bowled a single ball? Well, meet Rahkeem Rashawn Shane Cornwall; the heaviest ever player to take a Test cricket field. With a body weight of 140 kg., matched with a height of 6’5”, Rahkeem is bound to be a psychological threat for any batsman. Our generation has seen some cricketers of repute like Arjuna Ranatunga and Colin Milburn who weighed heavy on the scales but Rahkeem Cornwall is almost beyond compare.

While there is little doubt that Rahkeem has the talent to be an international cricketing star, the derogatory part of his heavy build is that he lacks the agility which is of utmost importance in modern day international cricket. So as things stand today, the West Indies Cricket Board is more involved in trying to improve Cornwall’s physical fitness than working on his cricket acumen.

With just one Test under his belt against the Indian team, Rahkeem has a long way to go to prove his cricketing worth at the international level but if coming events cast their shadows before, then we may as well presume that this giant cricketer will soon be a threat to batsmen around the world. Cornwall has already proved his endurance by bowling the maximum number of overs for his team in both the innings against India and in India’s first innings was the most successful bowler after Holder with a bag of three wickets.

For obvious reasons, Rahkeen does not have a very impressive T20 career but his First Class record speaks volumes about his bowling talent. With 263 wickets in 56 matches at an average of 24.29 a piece, Rahkeem’s bowling credentials are well established. What is heartening is that in 95 innings, he has bagged five or more wickets in an innings on 17 occasions with the best ever analysis of 8 for 108.

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