Fit-again Sheldon Cottrell ready for West Indies' tour of South Africa

Sheldon Cottrell (L) celebrates after dismissing Michael Lumb earlier this year

Kingston (Jamaica), Nov 26 (IANS/CMC) West Indies fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell said he is ready to continue his international career after a hamstring injury forced him out of action for nearly six weeks.

Cottrell, who has been chosen in the Caribbean side's Test squad for next month's tour of South Africa, was injured while playing for the West Indies A in Sri Lanka last month, reports CMC.

"I'm 100 percent fit right now. No pain, nothing at all. It's just for me to continue to play a lot of cricket. I was in Sri Lanka when I got a slight groin strain and had to leave the tour early to get treatment," said Cottrell.

"But in that five weeks I have been working out with Jamaica fitness trainer David Bernard Senior, where we did a lot of strength work and sprinting."

West Indies selectors have asked the 25-year-old pacer to play for Jamaica against Trinidad and Tobago in the four-day fixture starting on Friday, to prove his fitness.

Cottrell played in the Jamaica Premier League Twenty20 Sunday claiming 2/21 from four overs to help Ocho Rios Charges secure an eight-wicket win over Kingston Hurricanes.

"Coming back, I did not go all out in the game. I just did enough to get an assessment as to where I am and I did well. I feel like whenever I decide to go all out I will be ready," said Cottrell, who is one of five fast bowlers in the West Indies's 15-member Test squad for South Africa.

The others are Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, and Jason Holder.

"I feel that little period here in my career is my time. After being dropped from the Test team, I did not get disappointed or look at it as a turn down or failure," said Cottrell, yet to represent the West Indies in One-Day Internationals (ODI).

"Instead, I saw it as an opportunity to work harder and I believe I have been doing that. The South Africa tour coming up and possibly World Cup early next year, and I am looking forward to playing in all three facets."