BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER knocking on the door for quite some time, Rahkeem Cornwall has finally been selected as a member of the West Indies Test squad.
According to the Head of Cricket West Indies’ Interim Selection Panel, Robert Haynes, the 26-year-old was selected because of his consistency and match-winning performance.
“Rahkeem has been performing consistently over a long period of time and has proven to be a match-winner, so we believe his elevation to the Test squad is merited at this time,
“We believe he can provide an attacking option to our bowling attack with his sharp turn and extra bounce…He can also lend a bit of depth to the batting. So we are looking forward to him coming into the squad and making a valuable contribution.”
The burly off-spinner and hard-hitting lower order batsman had made his first class debut in 2014 and has since been a regular member of the Leeward Islands cricket team of which he captained earlier this year.
Cornwall had taken 260 scalps in 55 first class matches and was the most successful bowler in the recently held Regional Four Day Tournament.
The 6'5", 140 kgs Antiguan has also been a member of a number of West Indies A teams, including the one that played recently against India, in which he picked up four wickets and scored two half centuries.
Listed below are the players of the 13-member squad:
Jason Holder (Captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich (Wicketkeeper), Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer Shai Hope, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach
