Millard Rawlins has no doubt that his son Delray will do Bermuda proud when he turns out for the England Under-19 cricket team during their month-long tour of India.

“I’ve been smiling from ear to ear since he got selected,” Rawlins, a former cricketer himself, said. “He’ll do everybody proud.”

Rawlins, 19, was back home for Christmas before travelling to Florida with his family for the new year celebrations.

“We did a family trip prior to him going back to England, then he left us on January 8 to go back to work,” Delray’s father said.

“He did his training and there were certain things I helped him out with. I’m really impressed with how he goes out and carries on his business. He has grown in leaps and bounds, each time we see him he has taken it to another level.

“It’s humbling to me because this is what I want my son to be. I’m really proud of him.

“When he was young he told me he wanted to ‘go away to take my game to the next level’.

“He was about 12 then, because he left at 13. We just paved the way for him, now he’s doing what he wants to do and he’s got his family behind him. Not just me and my wife but the whole family.”

The Young Lions fly out on Monday for the tour, which includes five one-day and two four-day matches, with all-rounder Rawlins hoping to play a key role in the team.

“I’m really looking forward to this opportunity over there,” Rawlins said yesterday. “We are over there for a month so it will be very long and tough but I’m buzzing to get going.

“We play five one-day internationals at the start of the tour and two youth Tests at the back end of the tour.

“All our training at this time of year is indoors, due to weather conditions and the temperatures.”

Rawlins, a St George’s Cup Match player, was a part of the Bermuda team who travelled to Los Angeles in November for the World Cricket League Division Four tournament.

Now the Sussex player hopes to grasp this opportunity with the England youth team, choosing to go to India rather than represent the ICC Americas in a tournament in the Caribbean this month.

Clarence Parfitt recently praised Rawlins in a Royal Gazette article, saying he has what it takes to go far and will be an inspiration to other young Bermudian cricketers.

“This boy has proven that he wants to make it to the top and good for him.” Parfitt said.