Rampaul heads to Australia for guidance

Ravi Rampaul, the Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) and West Indies fast bowler, has been awarded a cricket scholarship by John Michell, Australia's High Commissioner to T&T. The nomination for Rampaul, who has played seventeen one-day internationals for West Indies, follows consultation between the Australia High Commission and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

Rampaul, 21, will spend four weeks at Cricket Australia's Commonwealth Bank Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, and will be taught the intricate nuances of fast bowling under the guidance of Australia's top cricket coaches.

The scholarship is being funded by the Australian Sports Outreach Programme (ASOP), which Michell launched in the Caribbean on June 23. The Australian High Commission believes the awarding of a young Caribbean cricketers' scholarship is an important step in building stronger relations between Australia and the Caribbean region. The ASOP is a five-year programme running from July 2006 to June 2011.

Rampaul made his international debut against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in 2003, and has taken 11 wickets at 49.45. He has not represented West Indies for two seasons.