March 16th, 2010.

Despite the recent shaky performances by West Indies in the recently concluded limited overs home series against Zimbabwe, two former WI players still have faith that the home team can get their act together for a good run in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup which will be held in the Caribbean from April 30 to May 16.

Former selector and opening batsman Joey Carew expects Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and captain Chris Gayle to make up a formidable force, while former West Indies fast bowler Tony Gray believes that it’s anybody’s game when it comes to T20s.

Carew, speaking to the Express in a telephone interview yesterday, said the hosts have a ’fair chance’ of winning the T20 tournament, noting the ’hit and miss’ nature of the format.

’I must congratulate the team on their victory over Zimbabwe.

Winning is very important although the quality of cricket was not that high.

We have displayed a lack of consistency in the batting and we looked particularly susceptible against spin.

I have my fingers crossed and I hope that when the 20/20 bowls off, we can do well and start climbing the ladder,’ Carew said.

West Indies will be without injured pacers Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards for the tournament but Carew believes that their services with the ball would be hardly missed on the slower pitches.

’Twenty20 is more about entertainment. We will be playing at home and the slower wickets will suit us.

You might find that (Darren) Sammy and (Dwayne) Bravo and a spinner, I think (Nikita) Miller and (Sulieman) Benn, will be more suited to the conditions,’ Carew said.

’The coach (Otis) Gibson will have to sit down and think about the composition of the team but I don’t think West Indies will be missing those players at this point in time, for the Twenty20,’ he added.

Gray shared Carew views, saying ’anyone can win the Twenty20 World Cup.’

’In the shortest form of the game, a team only needs one or two players to come up trumps and they can beat the best team in the world.

It is about planning but it is also about individual performances and we have some individual players who are match winners,’ Gray explained.

West Indies have a lot of players taking part in the Indian Premier League including skipper Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Adrian Barath and Kemar Roach and Gray also believes that the experience they gain during the seven-week tournament in India will be of great value in the World T20.

’It is great that we have players in the IPL because the best preparation is to simulate what you will meet in a tournament and the IPL provides that0a place where the best Twenty20 players in the world play each other,’ Gray said.

’What we can learn from Trinidad and Tobago’s performance on the Champions League Twenty20 is that they peaked at the right time and I think we will have players peaking at the right time,’ he added.

While having players in the IPL is a plus, Gray believes that is if very important that those players are back in training with the regional squad at least a week before the start of the tournament so that they can share their experience with the team.

’When we look at Trinidad and Tobago and the eventual winners of the Champions League Twenty20 New South Wales, we see that these are teams that were together for long periods working together as a team and forming a bond.

That will be beneficial for West Indies and hopefully we can get everybody together before the tournament,’ Gray said.

Carew shared Gray’s sentiments saying: ’It is always a disadvantage when you don’t have a team together before a big tournament but when the times comes I think there will be enough unity created that they will understand what they are all about.’


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