Rampaul is raring to represent the West Indies once again
West Indies pace bowler Ravi Rampaul has announced that he has his sights set on representing the national team in the second Test against Zimbabwe after recovering from a knee injury that has kept him sidelined for the past two months.
Rampaul has been trying to convince the national selectors about his form and fitness by playing for Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean domestic league.
“I am trying to give it all for my country, trying to get back to playing cricket and easing my way back into bowling,” Rampaul told the Trinidad and Tobago Express. “Hopefully I pick up some wickets and get back on the West Indies team for the Zimbabwe tour.”
Rampaul was forced to miss the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament after undergoing an MRI which revealed that he had damaged his knee.
Trinidad and Tobago manager Omar Khan noted that keeping Rampaul on the sidelines during the Twenty2o competition was a precautionary measure he was willing to take as he did not want the talented seamer to suffer a more serious injury in the near future.
Rampaul’s time out has also allowed him to fully recover from a groin injury he sustained during the West Indies’ tour of Bangladesh in November and December last year.
“Basically my knee was giving me some problems and then I had a groin injury coming out of the Bangladesh tour, those were the two injuries that were bothering me a bit,” Rampaul added. “But both are healed 100% now, so that is a positive for me.
“I have been doing some work with trainer Ronald Rogers. We have been doing a lot of training and a lot of weight training. I just want to continue working hard.”
Rampaul is also excited at the prospect of playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in April after he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for US$290,000 at this year’s player auction.
“I was very happy to be bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore,” Rampaul said. “Since the IPL started [in 2008], I always wanted to be part of it and I hope that I make good use of the opportunity.”