Rahkeem Cornwall has been pressurized to have weight loss ever since he started playing cricket professionally. Weighing 140 kgs (22 stones) with a height of 6 feet 6 inches, he has always been criticized for his size. Even though Rahkeem Cornwall is not bothered about his weight as much as others, he is still putting in efforts for weight loss but because of his knee injury, he is coming short.
Rahkeem Cornwall is an Antiguan cricketer. He is a right-arm off-break bowler who has played for the Leeward Islands cricket team. He was also featured in the line-up for the Antigua Hawksbills in the Caribbean Premier League. He was named the Championship Player of the Year by Cricket West Indies in August 2019. Later the same month, he made his international debut for the West Indies cricket team.
He is the second-highest wicket-taker in both First Class and List A cricket for the Leewards Islands, just behind Keiran Powell who scored more than his four List A hundreds for the side. Also, one thing about Rahkeem Cornwall that’s inescapable to know is his weight. He weighs more than 22 stone (140 kgs) and he holds the record for the heaviest cricketer to play Test cricket.
For someone in sports, the numbers that show on the scale when they weigh themself is not just a number. It can be a curse if it’s a big one. Because everything they do, good or bad, is viewed in accordance with their weight. Rahkeem too – When he does good on the field, it’s despite his weight and when he has a bad day, it’s because of his weight. He has been more pressurized to have weight loss than to play well. That should give you an idea of how bad it is for overweight players.
Let’s talk more about Rahkeem Cornwall’s weight loss efforts and if he ever put them!
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Rahkeem Cornwall’s Weight Loss: The Pressure on the Cricketer to Lose Weight and The Reason Why He is Falling Through!
As far as the cricket world has seen what he has proved, Rahkeem Cornwall (@rahkeemcornwallofficial) is a powerful batsman, an excellent catcher, and a talented off-spin bowler with 303 first-class wickets. However, it’s not the number of wickets people are concerned with. They are more interested in the number that shows on his weight scale. Because that number’s significant. Weighing 140 kgs, he is a chunky lad – an ‘absolute unit’ in modern parlance even at his tall height of 6 feet 6 inches. Reputed to be the heaviest Test player in history, he is often pressurized for weight loss.
No matter how skillful and talented and excellent he is in the field, people cannot help but insensitively think out loud if Rahkeem Cornwall would be a more agile fielder if he was carrying less weight, and have more stamina for battling and bowling. For someone putting all his effort, that must suck. He would surely love it more if people talked about his game than how he desperately needs to have a weight loss.
Remember how in the 2018-19 WICB regional four-day tournament, Rahkeem Cornwall took the most wickets (he was the leading wicket-taker at 54 wickets at 17.68) only to be criticized just later that year before his third Test? He made his Test debut and in his second, took a ten-for. He said that it was such a special moment for him and that he had put a lot of work before the series. His money was ruined shortly after and he was once again reminded that he would not be appreciated till he had a proper weight loss.
West Indian spin legend Lance Gibbs went on the Mason & Guest podcast to ask unempathetically and insensitively how Cornwall could only ‘take two steps and bowl’ and to question his rhythm. He acted real salty towards Rahkeem because of his weight and hinted that he should have weight loss to be considered serious. Apparently, the numbers of wickets he took are of no concern to decide his worth in cricket.
This kind of behavior is especially offensive because Rahkeem Cornwall himself isn’t that bothered about his weight. If he’s doing excellent in cricket, why should it bother anyone that he is not the athlete everyone expects sportsmen to be? He’s delivering, isn’t he? Besides, it may be genetics and no amount of work might ‘fix’ him. He said that he comes from a family of big-boned people. Would weight loss resolve his weight problem then?
Maybe it would, or maybe it would not. Either way, the pressure of weight loss and the criticisms about his weight and size had gotten to him. He found himself having to justify his weight. He said,
I can’t change my body structure. I can’t say that I’m too tall or too big. Everybody is not going to be short, everybody is not going to be slim. All I can do is go out there, back myself and show my skill.
Also, when Rahkeem Cornwall had surgery in 2020 because of his knee injury, the cause of his injury was intensely discussed. And it could have been anything but people chose to fixate on his weight. It was said that sportspeople who carry excess body fat or ‘non-functional weight’ always have a disadvantage and their weight was made out to be the cause. The silent implication of what those people said is ‘have weight loss.’
Rahkeem Cornwall is trying and putting in work for weight loss but easier said than done especially for someone with an injury. He cannot do the regular fitness test required of West Indian players: the yo-yo, which involves running multiple shuttles at increasing speed between markers placed 20 meters apart. He has to do ‘cardio on the bike.’ All the efforts for that one.
I am a big guy, but I have to put in work. I don’t really get too bogged down and lazy about it. I spend a lot of time on my fitness. Try to eat properly.
He was said to be managed with a plan for gradually losing weight and improving his fitness.
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