Team West Indies: Analysis and Odds for ICC World Cup’11

West Indies (Group B)

Group Rivals :-	South Africa, India, England, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands
Coach :-	Ottis Gibson
Captain :-	Darren Sammy
Best Performance in WC :-	Champions 1975, 1979
Highest Score in WC :-	360-4 (50 Overs) v/s Sri Lanka in WC’87
Lowest Score in WC :-	93 All Out 35.2 Overs) v/s Kenya in WC’96
Best Individual Score :-	181, Vivian Richards v/s Sri Lanka in WC’87
Best Bowling :-	7-51 W.Davis v/s Australia in WC’83
Matches Won/Lost/Tied/NR	35-21-0-1
The Odds :-	28-14
ICC ODI Ranking :-	No.9

MAN TO WATCH Chris GAYLE Chris Gayle is a man with pure Caribbean flavour . He is one of the devastating opening batsmen in the world cricket and capable of tearing apart any bowling attack on any ground in the pitch. He will relish playing in sub-continent where batsmen friendly pitches provides him opportunity to dismantle the opposition bowling. He is often gets involved into controversies but as a player he is big asset to his side. He can clear any ground in the world with ease. He can bowl handy off-spin as well. His lazy tantrums on the ground don’t speak volumes about his abilities but he is the man to watch when he is batting. He is entertainer to the core and entertains the crowd even without the bat and ball in his hand. Much of Caribbean hopes of winning World Cup this time lies on his shoulders. If he will succeed in providing good and quick start to the West Indies innings then I believe West Indies can fancy their chances. Watch big booming sixes from the bat of big Gayle in this World Cup. Career-best performance: Batting: 153* v/s Zimbabwe at  Bulawayo  in 2003 Bowling: 46-5  v/s Australia at St.George’s in 2003

West Indies is the team which was rated as the  invincibles in 70s and both of their World Cup championship victories came in that era when they won 2 consecutive World Cup in 1975 and 1979. After that West Indies reached the finals in third edition of the World Cup in 1983 but lost to India in finals and after that they never reached the finals. Also West Indies cricket is on decline since 1983. This time they have few good players who can do well and capable of winning the World Cup. They will highly rely on heroics of Chris Gayle, Adrian Barath and Keiron Pollard. I believe they have in them to do well in the World Cup but will they cross the final frontier is something which is  doubtful. They don’t have many known names in bowling but if they click as a unit then they can be dangerous to any opposition.

Key Players for West Indies:  Chris Gayle, Keiron Pollard, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kemar Roach and Sulieman Benn