World Cup Teams / Ed Hawkins / 08 February 2011 /

West Indies have the batting to surprise everyone in the World Cup but they look pitifully short of bowling options. Ed Hawkins fears for their chances of making the knockout stages

West Indies would surely be the most popular winner of the World Cup. Their fall from grace has been rapid and only a major win - and a major shock, too - it would seem can restore pride to a once proud cricket culture.

Unfortunately, their recent record suggests embarrassment awaits. In the last 12 months they have managed to beat only Zimbabwe (they lost to the African outfit, too), Canada and Ireland while losing zip to Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Their record in the last two years is also disastrous. With a win-loss ratio of 0.39 they are ranked 10th in the world.

It is their presence in the same group as Bangladesh that makes the joint-hosts such a hot betting option. If Bangladesh beat West Indies in Mirpur, then it is likely that the caribbean outfit will not qualify for the quarter-finals.

West Indies are [24.00] for glory. It is a shame their stats do not back up because on paper, they have a perfectly balanced batting line-up.

Chris Gayle can get them off to fast starts, Shiv Chanderpaul can manipulate the field while Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard can hit the big shots. The class of Ramnaresh Sarwan should not be forgotten either.

Their great weaknesses are with the ball and in the field. They lack a strike bowler - Fidel Edwards and Jerome Thomas have been plagued by injuries and did not travel - while their discipline often leaves a lot to be desired.

The captain - Darren Sammy
Sammy was a surprise replacement for Chris Gayle as leader. As former Windies legend Michael Holding said: "The first thing a captain has to be is worth his place in the side". That is certainly debatable about Sammy. As an allrounder he averages 23 with the bat and 46 with the ball.

It is hard to judge whether Sammy has made an impact on his squad - he has led them in only four completed games, losing two and winning two. But what is noticeable is that he is much more involved than previously.

He opened the bowling against Sri Lanka in the recent series. That is a worry for West Indies and exposes their lack of bowling options. His medium pace could be meat and drink in the bowling powerplays.

The force of nature - Chris Gayle
Gayle is notoriously hard to predict for punters. He never seems to be in form, or out of it. And a brilliant innings can blow in as quickly as a disastrous one.

At first glance the [23.00] available for him to be top runscorer in the tournament appeals because of his hard-hitting style and the fact he opens the batting, a huge advantage.

Then reality kicks in. West Indies may not go deep into the tournament and Gayle's record just is not good enough. In the last World Cup, on home soil, he was hugely disappointing: averaging only 25.

The limpet - Shiv Chanderpaul
The world reliable is not associated with West Indies cricket at the moment, save for when talking about this guy. Chanderpaul is a bettors' dream. He is consistent and is almost always a value price because Gayle takes up a decent chunk of the book

Chanderpaul comes into the tournament with an average of 41 in the last 12 months and a fantastic record in Asia. He has a mark of 41.84 in 74 matches - that's what you call a hefty study period - and that is superior to some bloke called Lara.

Best bet: S Chanderpaul to be top WI runscorer at around [4.50]

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: