When he weighs the lure of money playing T20 leagues across the globe in front of the enriched experience of wearing the whites for West Indies in Test cricket, Rahkeem Cornwall finds the latter giving him more satisfaction as a cricketer.
The off-spinner with three Test caps so far said if he happens to play leagues likes the Indian Premier League (IPL) along the way, it would be a "bonus". But his main aim remains to "nail down" a spot in the Test side at the highest level.
“If I can play the T20 format and travel the world and play leagues it would be good but my aim is to be one of the most successful Test players out there," Cornwall, 27, who is currently featuring in Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020 for St Lucia Zouks, told PTI.
“Playing Test cricket is the art of cricket, everyone wants to play Test cricket and do well. I have already played the format, I just want to make sure I get what I am really looking for in Test cricket and when my times comes to retire, I don’t have any regrets."
“If I get to play different leagues around the world, it would be a bonus for me but the main focus is to keep pushing my Test career," he stressed.
A lot gets said about Cornwall's weight and height, but the cricketer is unfazed and just hopes to be at his fittest for every match and perform.
“Size does not matter to me. I already know who I am and what my size is. I just try to be fit as possible so that can perform for my team."
“You have to be fit for all formats. Playing Test cricket is hard as well. Yes in T20 cricket, you have to be moving up and down but it is still cricket and you have to be fit."
“I would not say I am fine the way I am. I am still a work in progress. I wouldn’t set a goal (on losing how much weight). My family is big boned. I just have to know the right size where I can go my job on the field and once I get to that stage, I am in a good place."
On his Test debut in Jamaica last year, Cornwall dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara, inarguably one of the world's best player of spin, and had got the wicket of the great Virat Kohli in a tour match in 2016.
Later in 2019, he also helped West Indies pull off a rare Test win in India against new entrants Afghanistan with figures of 10/121.
There are no real role-models, but Cornwall would love to walk the path of Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon as off-spinners at the Test level.
“I like to talk to spinners of other teams and pick up bits that suit my game, not everything they would tell me would suit my game. I try not to overcomplicate."
“With Ashwin, basically we had a normal spinner talk, how the ball is coming out from the hand, keep your shape, make sure you maintain balance at the crease and take it from there. Just probably learning from one another," he added.
