Pakistan v West Indies at Christchurch

SYDNEY, Australia (CMC) -- Outstanding former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd has cautioned critics not to write of the Caribbean side's World Cup chances just yet.

The Windies have been given little hope of winning cricket's biggest prize, against the backdrop of their recent poor run and the number eight ranking in ODI cricket.

However, Lloyd argued that several underdogs -- including the West Indies in the inaugural tournament in 1975 -- had already won the World Cup, and said once the Caribbean side gelled their performances, they could pose a threat.

"When I see the players here, they must feel proud to be here. This is the showpiece of cricket. You never can tell (as) we have talented cricketers," said Lloyd, who was at the helm when West Indies won in 1975 and again in 1979.

West Indies are coming off a 4-1 drubbing in a five-match series against South Africa, and also slumped to an embarrassing nine-wicket defeat to England in their first official warm-up match for the World Cup last Monday.

The side is missing senior all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard and is being led by a newcomer to international cricket, Jason Holder.

West Indies were due to face Scotland in their second warm-up game last night before taking on Ireland next Monday in their opening group stage fixture at Saxton Oval in Nelson in New Zealand

They will also clash with the likes of defending champions India, South Africa, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates in a tough Group B campaign.

"The West Indies, I do not understand how they could ever think that just over 300 runs that they would just automatically win," insisted Holding, a member of the West
Indies side that won the 1979 World Cup final. Holding said an inability to adjust to match circumstances had hurt the West Indies.

"They cannot take things for granted," the 61-year-old Jamaican told Wisden India. "You should be able to think for yourself, 'OK we got a reasonable score but we still have a fight on our hands and we still have to go out there and perform.'"

However, Holding was far more complimentary about Ireland, indicating the International Cricket Council ought to grant them Test status in a bid to stop the other players from following the example of Irish-born Eoin Morgan, England's captain at the World Cup, in switching allegiance. "If they (Ireland) continue to linger around the lower regions of world cricket they'll continue to lose good cricketers," Holding said.

"Morgan left Ireland to play for England because he saw brighter prospects. England are a Test playing nation and are a world-renowned team. "Ireland need to be recognised now. They are playing good cricket and it's about time they get the recognition otherwise they'll keep losing cricketers."

Meanwhile, Holding predicted Ireland would qualify for the quarter-finals, with four teams from each of the two pools of seven going through to the knockout phase. "I should certainly think (they'll qualify). I think they'll beat Zimbabwe....I would think they have an outstanding chance of going on to the quarter-finals."

   

i wonder what clive thinking now