January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Leverock: Weight criticism doesn't bother me
Sluggo took 11 wickets at an average of 18.45 and a miserly economy rate of 3.4 in the seven one-day-internationals on the tour of Africa - stats which saw him move to number three in the unofficial world rankings for non-Test playing nations.
But the defeats Bermuda suffered put the spin-bowler's weight issues in the spotlight once again with critics viewing him as a poster boy for a perceived lack of fitness among the national team.
And while Sluggo admits he would like to shed a few pounds, he points out that he is giving his all for his country on and off the pitch.
"It (criticism) doesn't bother me. I know I'm pretty fit. I'm still struggling to lose an extra couple of pounds, but it just fuels me to go forward. I've been living with it for a while. I know I can make the adjustment but if people don't want to let it go, that's up to them. When I put the shirt on and play for my country I play with all my heart and give 150 per cent."
He said he was pleased with the results he had achieved with the ball, but would be working hard in the gym over Christmas to shed some more weight, to help take his game to the next level.
"The training doesn't stop. I'll be doing my gym work trying to come down some more weight and get myself prepared for the World Cup and for the rest of my life. I don't want to be this size forever.
"It's something that I want to do in order for me to go to the next level and show people that I can do even better than what I am producing right now."
Leverock added that opposition players and spectators were often deceived by his size. "People do have things to say but once they see me playing and what I can do, they see me moving in the field and they see me running when I'm batting, they give me respect."
Leverock said the whole team had found it tough in Africa. But he said the key was in how they responded to those defeats.
"We're playing at the next level now and it's a little harder than what we are used to in the Americas. It's just a case of adjusting to it. You can't be loose at this level, you can't not turn up on the day, you can't get away with putting the ball in the wrong spot - that's all stuff we are working on.
"It is dispiriting to lose but it's also a learning process. It's about what we take from the games in order to make us winners."[[In-content Ad]]
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