By Tony Becca - From The Boundary 
THE WEST Indies cricketers are now in South Africa for the World Cup and although they are not the favourites, although the consensus around the world is that they will be lucky to get out of the first round, they were given a wonderful send-off at the Grantley Adams International Airport in Bridgetown on Tuesday evening.
According to reports coming out of Bridgetown, the players were in high spirits, they exuded confidence, and they looked, not like a team of underdogs with limited expectations, but like one expecting to win, believing it can win, and going to win.
The players, however, were not the only ones at the airport oozing confidence. There were many others - including manager Ricky Skerritt, who said the players were ready, and Board president Wes Hall whose parting words to the players were like a battle cry.
"There are still many problems and they still come at us," said Skerritt, "but we are now confident that there is no problem too big, no burden too heavy and there is no opposition too strong. I want you to know that this group of young men is confident, they have worked very hard, they are well prepared."
"I have been prophesising for some time with evangelical zeal that the West Indies will win this World Cup and I am still of this view. Nothing has changed my mind," said Reverend Hall.
"The only thing you have to do," said the fiery fast bowler of years gone by, "is to accentuate the positives, minimise the negatives and leave out the rest in between".
One reason why Hall is so confident is the return of star batsman Brian Lara.
According to him, Lara can make the difference. "When you have a few genuises in your team, then you have to capitalise on that."
Hall did not name the few genuises in the team, but obviously Lara is one and probably the reason why, despite the negatives which must be the bowling, he is backing the West Indies, not only to get into the second round - into the Super Six, not only to get into the semi-finals, not only to get into the final, but to win the Cup.
Can the West Indies really conquer the likes of Australia and South Africa, win the World Cup and surprise the world?
On their day, they can beat anyone - especially if they believe they can and if they believe that others believe they can.
Based on the reports of the farewell in Bridgetown, they believe they can, others believe they can and they, certainly like others such as Hall, who probably has had a vision, are confident that they can.
