West Indies, in this past season under Brian Lara’s third stint as captain, have done reasonably well. They have had good enough performances from their players to beat any team in the world.

Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, along with their captain, form the base of their batting line-up. Any one of these four is capable of winning any match on his day. Along with Dwayne Bravo and  the bowling of Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor and Ian Bradshaw, they have enough talent to make a super contest.

Lara’s captaincy has been inspirational but at 37, he has often been ill or injured. There isn’t anyone else to take the burden off his shoulders. Chanderpaul is widely known as a poor captain and Sarwan and Gayle are too volatile to be calm when under pressure. They have to pray that Lara remains fit all through the tournament and their big four fire in all cylinders.

The stage is set for them to succeed in their own backyard and they have been known to be extremely strong at home. They have a fantastic crowd for support, and as Sir Viv Richards aptly said, it would be the biggest party if the West Indies fulfill their dream. The atmosphere promises to inspire their players, but can also add to their pressure.

Bowling and fielding are their weak links. They are pretty ordinary fielders apart from a couple of players in the team. Dwayne Smith and Ian Bradshaw have a tough task of keeping quality batsmen under check during the power plays. Jerome Taylor and Chris Gayle, with support from Marlon Samuels, have to fill the middle overs and Bravo, with his variations, is their specialist in the death overs. Though the task is known to them, they critically fall below par in their performances.

Strengths: Gayle and Lara to add to their knowledge of home conditions. Gayle is their biggest weapon in more in more ways than one. His flamboyant batting in the power plays and stump-to-stump bowling is a crucial armour on the slow and low pitches. To add to this, he is an extremely safe fielder in the slip cordon. Lara, Chanderpaul and Sarwan have to make sure they capitalise on the starts he provides.

Weaknesses: Inexperienced players, inconsistent form and too much dependence on Lara and Gayle. When Gayle and Lara fail to contribute with the bat, the West Indies are known for their collapses. And their bowling is fragile on many occasions.

Opportunity: With a World Cup at home, and huge crowds for support on small grounds, they have the most amicable conditions they would have to change fortunes.

My Prediction: The West Indies would do reasonably well in front of their home crowds and will give most opposition a run for their money. But I feel they are too naïve to go past the Super Eight stages. If Gayle has the  time of his life, the West Indies can sing in his tune for a lifetime!

Can the West Indies pull it off on home territory? Let us know what you think at Sportingo.