CAPTAIN JOHN Davison is expecting his Canadian unit to be a much more consistent unit than the one from four years ago.

In 2003, Canada, largely on the back of Davison's performance, raised a few eyebrows as the West Indies wondered what had hit them as Davison set a world record for the fastest Cricket World Cup hundred off a mere 67 balls. He also recorded the most wickets for them, 10. This time around it will be different.

"We might have one or two people standing out. We will have a more consistent performance over the team overall," he said.

A number of new players, he said, will help the team to improve as well as the sacrifice made by some of the players including wicketkeeper Asish Baggai who, along with three teammates, attended a winter training camp in South Africa last year.

"We have got a couple of new players including Geoff Barnett who plays first-class cricket in New Zealand. He will be opening the batting for us. He adds an extra dimension to the team and Baggai has taken a year off from work and has been to camps put on by ICC," said Davison, who will now bat down the order.

So impressed has Davison been with the improvement in Baggai's game that he made the bold prediction that he could be the wicketkeeper of the tournament.

"His development over the past few months, his fitness, his body shape, his attitude to the game and the whole way he is playing, we are expecting big things from him. I would not be surprised if he is the wicketkeeper of the tournament," said Davison.

Another player who should aid the Canadian cause significantly is Barbados-born former West Indies fast bowler Anderson Cummins, who has been living in Canada for the past 11 years.

"Anderson is really looking forward to it (the World Cup) and I am really looking forward to seeing him play.

"When we approached him about playing about 12-18 months ago, he was a little bit doubtful and then he said, 'if I am going to play, I want to put a 100 per cent into it,' and hats off to him he has got himself very fit. He is very strong and for a guy his age, he is bowling at pretty good pace and swinging it.

"He picked up a couple early wickets against Pakistan and put us on a roll there so I am looking forward to seeing him do well," Davison said of the 40-year-old who caused a boycott at the Kensington Oval in 1992 when he was left out of the West Indies team to face South Africa in the inaugural Test between the two teams.

- N.W.