Walsh believes Windies could win World Cup

Kwesi Mugisa, Gleaner Writer

Despite admitting that it is against the odds, West Indies bowling great Courtney Walsh believes the regional team is capable of pulling off an upset at the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup, which bowls off on the subcontinent in two days' time.

There is little doubting that the Darren Sammy-led team will have their work cut out if they are indeed to make an impression at the 10th edition of the tournament.

Following three recent defeats to Sri Lanka, their eighth in their last nine one-day internationals (ODI), the Windies fell to ninth place in the world cricket rankings, one below World Cup co-hosts Bangladesh, once considered to be minnows in the sport.

Game-changers in the squad

However, Walsh, the West Indies' all-time leading wicket-taker in Tests, believes the team could still be dangerous based on the composition of the squad, which he deems to have several game-changers.

"I think you could say they have a reasonable chance of winning. You would have to be brave to take that bet, but they have quality players," Walsh an expert contributor for ESPN's specialist cricket website ESPNcricinfo.com, said via a conference call arranged by ESPN yesterday.

"If you look at the type of players the team has, they can win the game on a given day. They have match-winners and they will have a good chance if they play well," he added.

However, Walsh's colleagues, Ian Chappell, the former Australian cricketer, and Sanjay Manjrekar, a former Indian cricketer, were more sceptical of the regional team's ability to win the tournament.

"The West Indies, they'll probably make the quarter-finals, but in order to progress further you have to put three really good games together. I just don't think they have consistency or the capability to do so," Chap-pell said during the conference call.

Sharing a similar sentiment is Manjrekar, who also believes the Windies must be wary of the threat of hosts Bangladesh, who will be spurred on by home support.

"In those matches you have to be wary of Bangladesh, they won't be minnows at this point and are at home," Manjrekar said.

"To get past the quarter-finals you will need to be all-round brilliant. It will take more than two or three individuals to do it and I don't think they (West Indies) go deep enough."

Two-time World Cup winners West Indies have been placed in Group B along with Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, Netherlands and South Africa.

The top four will advance to the quarter-final stage.

The West Indies will bow into action against South Africa on February 24 at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi, India.