Antigua's Rahkeem Cornwall defied all the odds and has made it to the West Indies squad for the two-match test series against India. The Antiguan bowler weighs 143kg and his international debut was anticipated by cricket fans all over the world as the off-spin bowler was delivering consistently in the domestic circuit. Cornwall should have got the national cap a long time ago but his fitness always came in his way. However, the spinner didn’t put his guard down and his two half-centuries in two unofficial Tests against India A forced the selectors to include him in the squad. India Test Series: Gayle Not Picked in Test Squad, 'Giant' Cornwall Gets Maiden Call-up.

Fitness is a major concern in gentleman’s game nowadays and the introduction of the yo-yo test has even made life even harder for the cricketers. In these circumstances, getting a national call for someone with such a massive weight is quite unusual. However, the 26-year-old can take inspiration from many former cricketers who were a formidable force in the cricket field despite their not-so-suitable body weight. So, let’s have a look at five heavy-weight cricket players to have played the game. Chris Gayle Ignored From West Indies Squad For 2-Match Test Series Against India; Windies Legend Had Expressed Desire to Play Longest Format of The Game.

Inzamam-Ul-Haq

The former Pakistani captain is one of the heaviest cricketers to have graced the game. The right-handed-batsman may have faced few problems while running between the wickets, but he has also demolished many great bowling attacks throughout his career. The veteran is also the leading run-scorer for Pakistan in international cricket. Inzi featured in 120 Tests and 378 ODI in which he accumulated 8830 and 11739 runs respectively and became an indisputable legend of Pakistan Cricket.

Arjuna Ranatunga

The only Sri Lankan skipper to lift the world cup was also blessed with an athletic body. But despite his size, the former had a great international career. The southpaw got the reigns of captaincy when Sri Lanka was in its transition period but the veteran led the team well and guided the island nation to their maiden World Cup victory in 1996. Apart from his captaincy skills, Ranatunga also scored 2373 and 4710 runs in 93 Test and 269 ODIs respectively.

Jesse Ryder

Many cricket experts and pundits regard Ryder as a "talent went in vain" as the cricketer's career was mostly affected by off-field controversies. The 35-year-old might not have an idol physique but was a live-wire on the field. The rotund southpaw was an aggressive opener and has also shown some of his blitzes in his short international career. The left-handed-batsman featured in 18 Tests, 48 ODIs and 22 T20Is in which he amassed 1269, 1362 and 457 runs respectively.

Darren Gough

Many will not believe that the bowler was the leader of the English Pace attack after seeing his chubby cheeks and belly but that’s the reality. The right-handed pacer was one of the best bowlers of his generation and has troubled the batsmen throughout his career with his swinging deliveries.  The pacer made his presence in 58 Tests and 159 ODIs in which he claimed 229 and 235 wickets respectively.

David Boon

Australian Cricket was blessed with many great batsmen and the heavyweight opener is also in the league. The batsman wasn’t a very fit athlete on the field but that fact didn’t restrict him to have a stellar international career. Boon also played a vital role In guiding Australia to the 1987 World Cup. The 58-year-old featured in 107 Tests and 181 ODIs in which he aggregated 7422 and 5694 runs respectively.

So, these were some of the heavyweight cricketers who went on to become big names in the cricketing world and Rahkeem Cornwall will also want to follow in their footsteps in the international arena. The off-spinner has taken 260 first-class wickets till date and will have a challenge in front of the mighty Indian batting line-up. The series consists of two tests with the first starting from August 22.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 12, 2019 02:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).