Rahkeem Cornwall

Rahkeem Cornwall

Personal information
Full name	Rahkeem Rashawn Shane Cornwall
Born	(1993-02-01) 1 February 1993 (age 31) Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda
Nickname	Jimbo
Height	198 cm (6 ft 6 in)[1]
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off break
Role	All-rounder
International information
National side	West Indies
Test debut (cap 319)	30 August 2019 v India
Last Test	12 July 2023 v India
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2011–present	Leeward Islands
2013–2014	Antigua Hawksbills
2017–2021	Saint Lucia Zouks / Kings
2022–present	Barbados Royals
2025	Sylhet Strikers
Career statistics
Competition Test FC LA T20 Matches 10 82 61 75 Runs scored 261 2957 1523 1541 Batting average 18.64 22.74 30.46 30.92 100s/50s 0/2 1/17 4/5 2/5 Top score 73 101* 132* 205* Balls bowled 2,761 19,897 2911 789 Wickets 35 404 70 36 Bowling average 37.60 23.90 26.12 28.83 5 wickets in innings 2 26 0 0 10 wickets in match 1 7 0 0 Best bowling 7/75 8/51 4/21 3/10 Catches/stumpings 15/– 81/– 25/– 6/–
Source: ESPNCricinfo, 6 January 2024

Rahkeem Rashawn Shane Cornwall (born 1 February 1993) is an Antiguan cricketer. A right-arm off-break bowler, Cornwall has played for Leeward Islands cricket team and featured in the line-up for the Antigua Hawksbills in the Caribbean Premier League.^[2][3] In August 2019, Cricket West Indies named him as the Championship Player of the Year.^[4] Later the same month, he made his international debut for the West Indies cricket team. He also set the record for the heaviest cricketer to play Test cricket, weighing more than 140 kg (22 stone). For the Leewards Islands, he is their second highest wicket-taker in both First Class^[5] and List A^[6] cricket, while only Kieran Powell has scored more than his four List A hundreds for the side.^[7]

Career

In July 2016, he was chosen for the West Indies Cricket Board President's XI to face the touring Indian Team; he top-scored in his team's first innings with 41, before taking 5 wickets in India's innings. For the same team in 2017, he faced the touring England team; he scored an important 59 runs in a partnership of 123, helping his team recover from 55–5 to 233. He then took 1 wicket in an economical bowling spell in the narrow loss.^[8] He once again played for the Cricket Board President's XI against Pakistan in a warm-up game during their 2017 tour.^[9] In October 2016, he was selected for the West Indies A tour of Sri Lanka, taking part in all three unofficial Test matches; while disappointing with the bat, he went on to take a series-high 23 wickets at an average of below 20.^[10] In a Regional Four Day Competition game versus Guyana in April 2017, he captained the Leeward Islands in the absence of Kieran Powell, who had been recalled to the West Indies Test side.^[11] He finished the competition as the joint third-highest wicket-taker, with the most for his team.^[12] Cornwall spent several months playing in England, during which time he played for Thames Ditton CC and was used as a lethal bowler and occasionally damaging batsman.

In 2017, he was selected by the St Lucia Stars in the CPL Draft for the upcoming season.^[13] In a disappointing season for the team, Cornwall was one of the more promising members of the squad; he finished the tournament with the second-best batting average in the side, as well being one of its more economical bowlers.^[14] His best performance came in a loss to the Barbados Tridents; having been promoted up the order to open, Cornwall reached his 50 off 26 balls (his first in T20 cricket), giving the Stars hope of chasing their target of 196. However, he retired hurt on 78 after being hit in the stomach by a bouncer from Kieron Pollard with 47 runs needed from 3 overs.^[15] This decision was not well received by Pollard,^[16] and St Lucia went on to lose the match.

He was the leading wicket-taker for the Leeward Islands in the 2018–19 Regional Super50 tournament, with fourteen dismissals in eight matches.^[17] He was then the top wicket-taker in the 2018–19 Regional Four Day competition, taking 54 wickets, despite only playing nine matches;^[18] these performances helped his team to 3rd place in the table. However, a controversial declaration by Cornwall, who was stand-in captain for the last game of the season, in an attempt to stop their opponents, Barbados, from finishing second, backfired spectacularly.^[19]

In August 2019, he was named in the West Indies' Test squad for their series against India.^[20][21] He made his Test debut for the West Indies, against India, on 30 August 2019.^[22] At 140 kg (308 lbs/22 st), he is the heaviest man to play Test cricket, though no accurate record exists of the weight of W.G.Grace in 1899, the year of his retirement.^[23]

In October 2019, he was named in the Leeward Islands' squad for the 2019–20 Regional Super50 tournament.^[24] The following month, in the one-off Test match against Afghanistan, Cornwall took his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket.^[25]

In June 2020, Cornwall was named in the West Indies' Test squad, for their series against England.^[26] The Test series was originally scheduled to start in May 2020, but was moved back to July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[27]

In July 2020, he was named in the St Lucia Zouks squad for the 2020 Caribbean Premier League.^[28][29] In June 2021, he was selected to take part in the Minor League Cricket tournament in the United States following the players' draft.^[30] He was the highest wicket-taker with 35 wickets in the 2022–23 West Indies Championship.^[31]

References

1. Parry, Richard (2020) Who is Rahkeem Cornwall? West Indies' 6 ft 6 in, 22 stone spin bowler, Evening Standard, 24 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
2. "Caribbean Premier League squads finalised". Cricinfo. ESPN. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
3. "Player Profile: Rahkeem Cornwall". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
4. "Jason Holder, Deandra Dottin dominate CWI awards". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
5. "Leeward Islands Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
6. "Leeward Islands Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
7. "Leeward Islands Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
8. "West Indies unleash new monster". NewsComAu. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
9. Limited, Jamaica Observer. "Windies President's XI dominate Pakistan in drawn game – Sport". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 22 April 2017. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
10. "Cricket Records | Records | West Indies A in Sri Lanka unofficial Test Series, 2016/17 – West Indies A | Batting and bowling averages | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
11. Alkins, Royston (22 April 2017). "Guyana left tottering on day-one after Cornwall's six-for – Stabroek News". Stabroek News. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
12. "Cricket Records | WICB Professional Cricket League Regional 4 Day Tournament, 2016/17 | Records | Most wickets | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
13. "HERO CPL PLAYER DRAFT 2017 CPL T20". www.cplt20.com. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
14. "Cricket Records | Records | Caribbean Premier League, 2017 – St Lucia Zouks | | Batting and bowling averages | ESPNcricinfo". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
15. "27th Match (N), Caribbean Premier League at Bridgetown, Aug 31 2017 | Match Report | ESPNCricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
16. "Kieron Pollard gets involved in heated argument with Rahkeem Cornwall; watch video". The Indian Express. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
17. "Super50 Cup, 2018/19 – Leeward Islands: Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
18. "WICB Professional Cricket League Regional 4 Day Tournament, 2018/19 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
19. "Leeward Islands' declaration to lose backfires with bad maths". ESPNcricinfo. 16 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
20. "Rahkeem Cornwall makes it to West Indies Test squad". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
21. "'Test format suits my game' – Rahkeem Cornwall chuffed at maiden call-up". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
22. "2nd Test, ICC World Test Championship at Kingston, Aug 30 – Sep 3 2019". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
23. "Meet Rahkeem Cornwall, the World's Heaviest Test Cricketer". NDTV. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
24. "Thomas Leads Star-studded National Squad In LICB 50 Overs Tourney". Antigua Observer. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
25. "Rahkeem Cornwall, World's Heaviest Cricketer, Bags Maiden Five-Wicket Haul in Afghanistan vs West Indies One-Off Test 2019". Latestly. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
26. "Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul turn down call-ups for England tour". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
27. "Squad named for Sandals West Indies Tour of England". Cricket West Indies. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
28. "Nabi, Lamichhane, Dunk earn big in CPL 2020 draft". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
29. "Teams Selected for Hero CPL 2020". Cricket West Indies. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
30. "All 27 Teams Complete Initial Roster Selection Following Minor League Cricket Draft". USA Cricket. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
31. Levy, Leighton. "Athanaze, Cornwall top performers with bat and ball, respectively, in West Indies Championships". SportsMax. Retrieved 3 April 2023.

External links

• Rahkeem Cornwall at ESPNcricinfo