Rampaul heads for B’dos physicals

TALENTED West Indies fast bowler Ravi Rampaul leaves for Barbados today to undergo a thorough physical fitness assessment by newly appointed Australia-born Stephen Patridge who is contracted by the West Indies Cricket Board. Patridge is working along with coach Bennett King and their Australian counterpart David Moore (assistant coach) in preparing the West Indies for the VB triangular limited overs series in Australia next month. They are currently in Barbados and have the 25 players called up for selection undergoing intense physical fitness and cricket practice at the 3Ws Oval, Cave Hill UWI Campus and the Kensington Oval. Rampaul sustained shin splints during West Indies tour to England and have been sidelined from cricketing action for the past six months. He missed an opportunity of playing in the NatWest Series and the ICC Champions Cup competitions.

The 20-year-old also missed a chance of representing Trinidad and Tobago in the regional  President’s Cup competition in Guyana (preliminary rounds) and Barbados (semi-finals and final). TT, under the astute captaincy of Daren Ganga, brought home the President’s Cup, emblem of regional Limited-Overs supremacy. It has not been an easy time for Rampaul, who desperately wants to get back on the cricket field and to regain full cricket fitness to compete successfully at the highest level. Under the guidance and treatment by Dr  Terry Ali, the designated West Indies Board medical specialist in TT, Rampaul was able to rejoin his team-mates who are currently preparing under the guidance of physical trainer Gerard Garcia and coach David Williams at the Sir Frank Worrell Development Centre, Balmain, Couva.

He participated in the First Trial match but was involved in batting and fielding but no bowling. Batting number 11 for the Rodney Sooklal’s Team “A”, Rampaul displayed good touch with the bat and made 11 runs out of the final first innings total of 178. To show his level of determination and commitment to get back in top level cricket, Rampaul worked out at the Ato Boldon Stadium gymnasium on Monday and yesterday. Trainer Garcia supervised the sessions with only the promising fast bowler involved. None of the other players took part. And he also joined the rest of the players at the Sir Frank Worrell Development Centre from 3 pm for normal physicals and cricket practice at the Angostura Indoor Nets.

Garcia said he was impressed with Rampaul’s enthusiasm and level of fitness. “Ravi is very keen to get back unto the cricket field. You can see and feel his great desire to be back in the West Indies team. He never hesitated to participate in all the activities planned for him. “He did about 30 minutes of workout on the bike. Then he did the strengthening exercises and we discussed the mental side of being ready for the grind. He responded well to everything and you can feel the intensity and determination coming from him. He wants to get in shape very quickly and will do everything to help himself to be back in control and be able to bowl to the best of his ability. “He has put more muscles which makes him look so much bigger than before.

And this has been a result of all the gym work he did with Ronald Rogers (former West Indies team trainer) and with Dr Terry Ali,” he said. Meanwhile the rest of the TT training squad except those in Barbados and three cricketers- Jonathan Augustus, Earnil Ryan and Samuel Felix who were involved in a tragic vehicular mishap on Sunday, turned out at the NCC, Balmain yesterday. Augustus, Ryan and Felix were all shaken up by the accident and will need time and counselling to recover from the traumatic experience. Rampaul could end up being a member of the training camp in Barbados as a replacement for  the injured Barbadian Corey Collymore.