Windies keeper aiming for consistency on India tour

Bridgetown (Barbados), Sep 10 (IANS/CMC) Jamaican wicketkeeper batsman Chadwick Walton says he is aiming to achieve consistency in India in an effort to regain his place in the West Indies senior team.

Walton, who has played most of his regional cricket for the Combined Campuses and Colleges, will be playing on the sub-continent for the first time as part of the team for the three four-day matches.

"I just want to be as consistent as possible. Once I achieve consistent performances, I will be satisfied and I know that will help the team as well," Walton said Monday.

"It's always a pleasure to wear West Indies colours. I will be only playing the four-day matches so I have conditioned my mind to be ready for the tour."

Walton played two Tests for West Indies against Bangladesh four years ago at Arnos Vale in the St. Vincent and Grenada National Stadium.

He struggled with the bat, but was brilliant with the gloves - taking seven catches, including a record five in one innings in the second match.

"I have been working really hard to achieve consistency and I want to make sure I give my all on this tour," he said.

"It will be a very important one for me. I see myself contributing in both departments - with the bat and the gloves. I still have some work to do both in front and behind the stumps so I will try my best to balance both."

Walton was a member of the Jamaica Tallawahs, which captured the inaugural Caribbean Premier League last month.

He shared the dressing room with legendary Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and said the two spoke a lot about conditions in Asia.

"I spoke to Murali a lot during the CPL and he told me a lot of what to expect from the pitches in India," he said.

"He was a very good help to have around in the dressing room. I have never played in India before so I tried to gain as much information as I could and he was very helpful."

Windies-A will play three One-day matches and one Twenty20 against India-A to be followed by the three "Tests".

Kirk Edwards will lead the team in the four-day matches and left-handed opener Kieran Powell will be at the helm for the limited-overs portion.

--IANS/CMC

bs/dg