Cottoy not running away from cricket

St Vincent and the Grenadines’ right arm leg spinner Keron Cottoy’s main aim as a cricketer is to play for the West Indies, despite his recent increased involvement in track and field.{{more}}

Cottoy, 23, in getting to his ultimate goal, has to first cement a place in the Windwards team, but is finding it difficult to break in — having to displace the incumbents, Dominica Shane Shillingford and St Lucian Garey Mathurin.

After making his first class debut in 2011 in the regional four-day competition against the Combined Campuses and Colleges, Cottoy lost his place, following the second match at Arnos Vale Playing Field versus Trinidad and Tobago, and has yet to regain it.

In his journey to secure that spot, Cottoy is using track and field to keep him focused and maintain his fitness levels.

SEARCHLIGHT spoke to Cottoy on Friday, during one of his training sessions at the Arnos Vale Playing Field and he said he is accepting the challenge confronting him and is using track as part of his formula.

“Cricket is my first love … I have been running all of my life … Athletics is the mother of all sport; right now I am using it to enhance my cricketing skills … It also keeps me fit and in a competitive state of mind,” Cottoy said.

Cottoy, who was among the first batch of intakes for the West Indies Cricket Board Sagicor High Performance Centre for the 2010-2011 period, is a member of the IT-Dat track and field club, where he is concentrating on the 100, 200 and 400 metres.

But Cottoy was selected as part of the St Vincent and the Grenadines four-man team that competed in the international road relay around Kingstown in September, hosted by Team Athletics SVG.

“I like challenges and it was one of those opportunities in which you just grab and run with it,” Cottoy recalled, as a broad smile plastered his face.

Apart from his bowling and his left-handed lower order batting ability, Cottoy is regarded as the best fielder in St Vincent and the Grenadines — which he believes is because of his natural athleticism and the emphasis he places on fitness.

However, with his ultimate goal of playing for the regional team lodged firmly in his psyche, Cottoy acknowledged that he has to work harder at his cricket game.

“ I have to do some additional cricket work to come up with those demands … I have to work on my individual bowling and my batting as well … I just now need someone to be there to pay attention to me when I am doing my skills work . Where I am going and what I am doing,” Cottoy advanced.

“I want to break back into the Windwards team fulltime … I don’t want in the team for two games and next season out … I want to be a permanent member, then go on to the West Indies,” Cottoy said.

Cottoy, who hails from Richland Park in the Marriaqua Valley, said he is accustomed to disappointments and battles, and has devised ways of dealing with them. (RT)