MIAMI, (Reuters) – West Indies are hoping that youth will provide the tonic needed to regain their status in the one-day game after dismal failure on home soil four years ago.
With a new captain, coach and team manager in place and several fresh faces in the squad, West Indies, who won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979, have made sweeping changes in the past year.
St Lucian Darren Sammy has proved to be a popular choice as the new skipper, allowing his predecessor Chris Gayle to focus on his explosive batting.
Barbadian Ottis Gibson has come in from England’s set-up as coach while former West Indies batsman Richie Richardson was recently appointed as manager and charged with ensuring the frequent problems that have plagued the team off the field do not distract them in the sub-continent.
“We have some of the most experienced ODI cricketers on the international stage along with the effervescence and freshness of some quality young players who we are confident can not only contribute to the team but win matches,” said chairman of selectors Clyde Butts.
Sammy’s enthusiasm for the game and all-round talents have been particularly effective in the shorter versions of the game and he has a youthful squad at his disposal which, while it would be a huge shock if they were to triumph, should make for a better showing than in 2007.
Then, with Brian Lara in his final games before retirement, a team lacking motivation bowed out in the Super Eight stage, finishing sixth.
Even that disguises the very poor performances when it mattered with West Indies managing just two wins from seven games in the Super Eight stage and those against minnows Bangladesh and Ireland.
As well as young talents such as Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard, Sammy can also call on experienced campaigners such as Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo.
NEW ARRIVALS
Sarwan returns to the side after being dropped for the recent short and rain-hampered tour of Sri Lanka due to concerns over his fitness and he will have a point to prove.
If the little Guyanese right-hander can find his form — he averages 44.07 from 159 one-day games — then a batting line-up with Gayle’s huge hitting, seen in devastating fashion in Sri Lanka where he struck an astonishing 333 in the first test in Galle, could set some decent targets.
The key factor will be whether the new arrivals — Darren Bravo and Barath in particular — can live up to their promise.
The West Indies batting may also reap the benefits of increased involvement in Twenty20 cricket such as the recent Caribbean competition as well as the Indian and Australian tournaments where the occasionally devastating Pollard has made his mark.
There is more concern on the bowling front where injuries have set back the progress of pacemen Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor, neither of whom will feature.
Kemar Roach has emerged as a promising quick bowler and Ravi Rampaul will hope to get some swing in helpful conditions but Jamaican Russell is untried in this format.
Sammy and Dwayne Bravo are both effective medium pacers but the key will surely be how effective the spin duo of left-armers Sulieman Benn and Nikita Miller will be.
With conditions traditionally helpful for slow bowlers, West Indies are likely to play both spinners — possibly one of them opening with the lively Roach.
The talent, on paper, is there and if all the component parts of the team fire at the same time, West Indies will be competitive.
However, Caribbean fans know all too well that the story of the past decade of West Indies cricket has been one of false dawns.
