Windies seek early World Cup boost

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CMC):

West Indies will look to jump-start their preparations for the World Cup with a convincing victory over Kenya in an 'official' warm-up match tomorrow at the Premadasa Stadium.

The weather wreaked havoc on their three-match series against Sri Lanka, which was to have served as a prelude to the World Cup, and they will be hoping for better conditions over the weekend to get a full run-out.

"We are a bit fresher than other teams I suppose, having spent more time indoors than on the field," captain Darren Sammy said.

"This is my first World Cup, and like many other young people in my team, I am excited to have the chance to restore our cricket legacy."

Two other things will be uppermost in the minds of the players on Sammy's side when they face the Kenyans.

It is part of World Cup history that Kenyans shocked West Indies, who were led by current team operations manager Richie Richardson, during the 1996 World Cup also in Southeast Asia.

Sammy and his squad will want to avoid a repeat of that performance to gain a vital boost of confidence ahead of the tournament.

WI RANKED NINTH

Also, the latest ICC rankings announced this week disclosed that West Indies are now the lowest ranked Test-playing nation in ODI, and have now found themselves at No. 9, behind Bangladesh in ODIs.

But Sammy has communicated a desperation to play well at the World Cup, and restore pride in the Caribbean.

"Yes, we have had some difficult times these past few months, but it's behind us," he said. "The seniors and the juniors in the team are united to win games in this tournament."

West Indies open their World Cup campaign against South Africa on February 24 in New Delhi.

Squad: Darren Sammy (captain), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh Jr, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, André Russell, Ramnaresh Sarwan.