Tony Becca
THE WEST Indies are now in Australia for a three-Test series and although the odds are stacked them against even drawing one of the matches, coach Bennett King, manager Tony Howard and captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, plus a few diehard fans, believe that victory is possible.
According to King, Howard and Chanderpaul, the team is blessed with a few experienced players and some talented youngsters, the players have been working hard, there is no problem in the team and with a little luck the West Indies can upset the odds and return home with the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy.
Is it that King, Howard and Chanderpaul are just talking for talking's sake; is it that as the three in charge they are simply attempting to motivate the players to make them believe that they believe in them; or is it that they really do believe that the West Indies are good enough, with a little luck, to knock off the world champions?
No, that does not seem to be the case. Howard has never missed an opportunity to talk about the talent in the team; Chanderpaul has always believed that at their best the West Indies are better than their recent performances; and listening to King, he really seems to believe that the fast bowlers can unsettle Australia's batsmen.
GREAT POTENTIAL
He also feels hat the West Indies possess some of the fastest bowlers in the game and that if they rise to the occasion the West Indies batting, led by Brian Lara, is good enough to carry the West Indies to victory even against an attack that includes the likes of pacers Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee, legspinners Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill.
And guess what: as good as Australia are, King, Howard and Chanderpaul could be right. Although it is three matches and not one, although they will have to be consistently brilliant, the West Indies, like David against Goliath, could come away victorious.
Up to now the West Indies pacers have not shown the consistency necessary at the highest level. Jermaine Lawson, Fidel Edwards, Daren Powell and Tino Best, however, are fast, Lawson, Edwards and to an extent Powell, have all made life difficult for batsmen with their pace.
FEW GOOD PERFORMANCES
They also have a few good performances under their belts to prove that, and who's to tell, they could come into their own on the fast, bouncy Australian pitches.
And remembering that they are at their best when the ball is coming on to the bat as it should in Australia, so too could the Windies batsmen.
Although the West Indies batsmen, with the exception of Lara and Chanderpaul, have not done justice to the talent that King so often talks about, there is no doubt that Chris Gayle, on his day, is a dangerous batsman, that Sarwan can bat, that Wavell Hinds can also bat, that Marlon Samuels is a gifted batsman, that Devon Smith is good and that Dwayne Smith, blessed with a good eye, power and confidence in his ability, has potential. Also, that wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo are useful down the order, and if they come off, the West Indies batting can look after itself.
The Australians are good no question about that, and they should win the series comfortably.
Before placing any bets against the West Indies, however, the fans, in the Caribbean and around the world, should stop and think, and if they do that, they may either not bet at all or they may also put something on the West Indies.
It will be interesting to see how Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer fare against the pace of Lawson, Edwards and company, how Australia's batting, with a middle-order that was exposed in England, will deal with the pressure if they lose one or both of their openers early and regularly.
INTERESTING PROSPECTS
Also, remembering that Lee, Warne and MacGill have not been as successful against the West Indies as they have been against other teams, it will be interesting to see what captain Ricky Ponting will do if the West Indies batsmen, led by Lara, get going.
It may be wishful thinking, but if the West Indies are at their best, on and off the field, they could, with a little luck, spring a surprise Down Under.
