West Indies World Cup Squad
Batsmen
Chris Gayle - 31 - Left Hand Opening Batsman
Adrian Barath - 20 - Right Hand Opening Batsman
Devon Smith - 29 - Left Hand Opening Batsman
Shivnarine Chanderpaul - 36 - Left Hand Top/Middle Order Batsman
Ramnaresh Sarwan - 30 - Right Hand Top/Middle Order Batsman
Darren Bravo - 21 - Left Hand Middle Order Batsman
Carlton Baugh - 28 - Wicket Keeper - Right Hand Middle/Lower Order Batsman
All-Rounders
Dwayne Bravo - 27 - Right Hand Middle Order Batsman - Right Arm Medium Fast Bowler
Kieron Pollard - 23 - Right Hand Middle Order Batsman - Right Arm Medium Fast Bowler
Darren Sammy (Captain) - 27 - Right Arm Fast Medium Batsman - Right Arm Lower Order Bowler
Spin Bowlers
Sulieman Benn - 29 - Left Arm Orthodox Spin Bowler
Nikita Miller - 28 - Left Arm Orthodox Spin Bowler
Fast Bowlers
Ravi Rampaul - 26 - Right Arm Fast Medium Bowler
Kemar Roach - 22 - Right Arm Fast Bowler
Andre Russell - 22 - Right Arm Fast Bowler
The West Indies are somewhat of an enigma, with a difficult to predict fate at this World Cup. They of course have been in terminal decline for the best part of twenty years, with outright turmoil filling the last ten. The Caribbean festival in 2007 went so wrong, both as a tournament thanks to the incompetence of the ICC, and the poor performance of the hosts. Their failure to really threaten any Test nations genuinely throughout the tournament was made even more disappointing because it represented the swansong of the legend Brian Lara.
The four years that have since passed have surely been the worst years yet in the sorry history of 21st century West Indies cricket. Contract disputes leading to player walkouts resulted in a humiliating pair of Test and ODI series defeats at home to Bangladesh by a team scarcely able to even be called second XI quality. The general feeling remains that the Windies to this day have not fully returned to the very best team they can play since the strike. In 2010 the notoriously blase Chris Gayle finally saw reason and resigned from the captaincy, but with no suitable candidates ready or willing, the captaincy went to Darren Sammy, despite the fact that he is far from a certain starter in any form of international Cricket. Sammy is one of the least credentialed Test and ODI captains in recent memory on paper but to his credit he has stepped up, proving to be a strong marshaller of troops and showing the natural leadership qualities the West Indies administrators saw in him. But his Cricket will need to lead by example at this World Cup.
The West Indies' squad for the tournament still looks suspiciously light on genuine talent when you consider the cricketing depth of the Caribbean system. But it is at least a stable team. The Windies recently look to be at their most stable off the field, and consistent on the field since the last World Cup. The batting is the key for the calypso men. Chris Gayle is always inconsistent but he should surely have a good day or two in the tournament, and if they come against quality opposition he could singlehandedly cause an upset. Gayle's opening partner Barath is a young superstar who could potentially lead the way for the West Indies in the World Cup. Chanderpaul, Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo have vast amounts of talent and experience in the middle order and if they all find form, any team would struggle to bowl the West Indies out.
But the bowling looks to be a huge issue. For a nation famous for its legendary mean fast bowlers, the lack of depth is astonishing. Ravi Rampaul is international quality, but hardly world class, and yet for any West Indies ODI squad is an automatic selection. Spinners Suliemann Benn and Nikita Miller will be useful at times, but lack consistency and real killer turn. In a dilemma similar to Australia's, it could be the form of the young vibrant pair of Kemar Roach and Andre Russell that decide their fate. Both are supremely talented bowlers of express pace, but both of them (Russell in particular) are inexperienced and unproven on the big stage. If they fire along with the batsman then the West Indies could spring a surprise or two, which could be all a team needs to be out of the tournament because of the Quarter Final format.
Prediction
The West Indies unit looks to have stabilized enough to be able to play its best cricket in this tournament. But there are question marks over how good that is. They should beat Ireland and the Netherlands at least (even that looked decidedly unlikely two years ago) but D Day will be March 4 and the game against Bangladesh. There is very little to split the two sides and the in form Bangladesh recently overtook the Windies for No.8 in the ICC ODI rankings. That game should decide who makes the Quarter Finals in 4th. Neither team is likely to go any further.
Hosford's XI
Gayle, Barath, Sarwan, Chanderpaul. Dw Bravo, Dr Bravo, Sammy (C), Baugh, Benn, Roach, Russell
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