Ravindranath Rampaul

Ravindranath Rampaul (born October 15, 1984 in Preysal, Trinidad and Tobago) is a West Indian cricketer. He is the first quick bowler of Indian descent to represent West Indies at international level,[1] playing Tests, One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals. Capable of decent pace and accuracy from a simple, smooth bowling action, Rampaul has been identified, along with Jerome Taylor, as a potential leader of the West Indies bowling attack in the years to come.Rampaul played youth cricket for West Indies and Trinidad and Tobago, playing at the World Under-15 Challenge in England in 2000, and at the 2002 Under-19 World Cup, before breaking the record wicket tally in the regional youth tournament in West Indies after taking 45 wickets in five matches during the 2002 tournament. The following season, he took 27 wickets, as Trinidad and Tobago won their first youth title since 1987. By that time, however, he had also made his first class debut, playing three Busta Cup matches for Trinidad and Tobago during the 2001–02 season and taking six wickets.[2] [edit] International career After playing six further matches during the 2002–03 season, and taking 18 wickets, with only Marlon Black taking more for Trinidad and Tobago that season,[3] Rampaul was selected for West Indies Under-19s in the 2003–04 Red Stripe Bowl one-day tournament. Rampaul was leading wicket-taker for the U-19 team, as his eight wickets was double that of any other,[4] and after the tournament completed, Rampaul was called up to represent West Indies in their tour of Zimbabwe in October and November.[5] Rampaul went wicketless in his first game, sending down 13 no-balls in 30 overs,[6] and was not selected for either of the two Test matches. However, after taking two wickets, including opener Dion Ebrahim, in the one-day warm-up match against Zimbabwe A,[7] Rampaul played in four of the five ODIs. He failed to take a wicket in the series, which West Indies eventually claimed 3–2 with a win in the final game, and Rampaul was the most expensive West Indian bowler among those bowling more than four overs per game