Full of self-belief - Gibson says confidence levels high in WI team

CHENNAI, India (CMC):

Coach Ottis Gibson has warned teams at the World Cup they can write off West Indies at their own peril.

He was speaking ahead of today's clash with England, where a win would hand the Caribbean side their fourth successive positive result and clinch them a place in the quarter-finals.

"We were always pleased that nobody was giving us a chance. We had a lot of belief in ourselves and the ability of the guys within the team," Gibson told reporters.

"We know we have a lot of guys who've got experience in the subcontinent before, and we always knew we could get out of the group.

"Of course, we're not there yet, but the game against England is our next challenge, and we look forward to that game. We look forward to playing the kind of cricket that we've played up to now, and it might have surprised a few people, but it's no surprise to us."

The Caribbean side entered the World Cup ranked ninth in one-day internationals (ODI) behind Bangladesh, following their 2-0 loss to Sri Lanka in a three-match series last month.

Despite opening their World Cup campaign with a seven-wicket loss to South Africa, they have rebounded with emphatic results to reel off three wins on the trot.

Successive wins

They crushed the Netherlands by 215 runs, flattened Bangladesh by nine wickets after routing them for a World Cup low 58, before brushing aside Ireland by 44 runs to put themselves on the brink of a quarter-final spot.

"We know the talent in the team. Of late, that talent has not been coming to the fore, but as you've seen in the last couple of games - albeit teams that we should beat anyway - there's a lot of confidence inside the group because, obviously, winning breeds confidence," Gibson pointed out.

"All the guys, from how they're practising now, they're enjoying that success; they're enjoying being at the World Cup and they're also enjoying the position we're in as well."

West Indies are third in Group B with six points, behind leaders South Africa on eight points and second-place India, who have seven.