COLOMBO, Sri Lanka- West Indies will look to jump-start their preparations for the World Cup, with a convincing victory over Kenya in an "official" warm-up match tomorrow at the Premadasa Stadium. The weather wreaked havoc on their three-match series against Sri Lanka, which was to serve as a prelude to the World Cup, and they will be hoping for better conditions over the weekend to get a full run-out. "We are a bit fresher than other teams I suppose, having spent more time indoors than on the field," he said. "This is my first World Cup, and like many other young people in my team, I am excited to have the chance to restore our cricket legacy."
Two other things will be uppermost in the minds of the players on Darren Sammy's side, when they face the Kenyans. It is a part of World Cup history that Kenyans shocked West Indies, which was led by current team operations manager Richie Richardson, during the 1996 World Cup also in South-east Asia. Sammy and his squad will want to avoid a repeat of that performance to gain a vital boost of confidence ahead of the tournament. Also, the latest ICC rankings announced this week disclosed that West Indies are now the lowest ranked Test-playing nation in ODI, and have now found themselves at number nine, behind Bangladesh in ODIs.
But Sammy has communicated a desperation to play well at the World Cup, and restore pride in the Caribbean. "Yes, we have had some difficult times these past few months, but its behind us," he said. "The seniors and the juniors in the team are united to win games in this tournament." West Indies open their World Cup campaign against South Africa on February 24 in New Delhi, followed by matches against Netherlands, Bangladesh, Ireland, England, and India. (CMC)