Aussies favourites, India dark horses

West Indies

Contrary to popular perception, Cricketnext is not quite bullish about the hosts. After the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy, Brain Lara admitted that his side was yet to shrug off “stage-fright.”

The captain is always a threat but much of West Indies’ fortunes hinge on Chris Gayle. Question is: who will crackle a chemistry with him? Perhaps it would be Shivnarine Chanderpaul, but inducting him at the top creates a gaping hole in the middle-order that has been consistently inconsistent.

Ramnaresh Sarwan is a requiem for wasted talent. Marlon Samuels is making news for all the wrong reasons; we do not know whether his mind would be on the gear.

Jerome Taylor can be hostile occasionally but the same cannot be said about Ian Bradshaw. Denesh Ramdin, Daren Powell and greenhorn Kieron Pollard are yet to ripen into luscious fruits. Of the lot, Corey Collymore has the knack of getting the breakthroughs but he ought to be a certainty in the XI.

Like England, the tail is fragile. Not a very good fielding outfit. We are not sure whether they can cross the Rubicon.