Team Preview: West Indies

by Saurabh Somani



Their captain has made no secret of the fact that this is the format of the game he prefers. Now that they'll be playing a tournament that is not forced on them, and that they can compete in, they would be hoping for a better show than the last time, where they failed to make the semi-finals.

Strengths: They have some very talented players in the team. They have the power hitting of Chris Gayle, the smoothness of Sarwan and the reliability of Chanderpaul while batting, and the raw pace and aggression of Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor while bowling. They will also be carrying a lesser weight of expectation than the other major teams, and thus be under comparatively lesser pressure. The Twenty20 format also plays to their strengths, since of late, they have been better in short bursts than for sustained durations of play. And in Twenty20, one short burst of excellence is mostly what is required.

Weaknesses: Ever since they have slipped from the highs of the Lloyd and Richards eras, they have never been the most consistent of teams. Their up-and-down form makes it impossible to execute, or indeed even perhaps make, long-term plans. Apart from their opening bowlers, they lack depth in the bowling, and opposing batsmen can look at at least 4-6 hittable overs. When you take into account the fact that this represents 20 to 30 percent of the overs, it is a huge liability to carry. Their batting also revolves only around the three established stalwarts, and no young batsman has made a strong enough case for himself.

Opportunities: For a team going through the rebuilding phase, Twenty20 is the perfect platform to find one's feet. For inspiration they can look at India's success last year with a team that comprised of many newcomers. With that triumph, Indian cricket was launched forwards towards much greater strength in all three formats of the game. If the West Indians can come close to repeating that, it would go a long way towards reviving the game in the Carribbean Isles, and with the natural talent and athleticism they possess, it would set the Windies on the road to redemption.

Threats: They have looked listless while playing England, a series they were forced into by their board, when clearly all those who had IPL contracts would have preferred playing there. That is a dangerous quality to acquire, because once you get into the laissez-faire mode, it is very easy to continue down that path, and very tough to get out of the rut. Their captain also couldn't have contributed to a healthy dressing room with his irresponsible comments and a happy dressing room is essential to success.

X Factor: Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo

Fidel Edwards had a great initial run in the IPL, and showed just how effective an out-and-out fast bowler can be in the short format. With batsmen being robbed of the luxury of an over or two to settle down - which they can afford in ODIs - Edwards becomes all the more dangerous, since he is not easy to pick immediately. And most batsmen find that by the time they get used to his pace and action, he's nearing the end of his quota of overs. Therefore they take chances before getting fully set, and that is where Edwards slinging yorkers could come in handy.

Gayle has found some form in the warm-up matches, and if he is at the top of his game, he can single-handedly take the West Indians to victory. Bravo, meanwhile has benefitted from his IPL stint, and impressed with his all-round ability.

Quotable Quotes: "It was brilliant at the Champions Trophy in 2004 (which West Indies won). We're a good one-day team and we think we can beat any team we come across" - Chris Gayle

The Squad: Chris Gayle (c), Denesh Ramdin, Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Xavier Marshall, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor