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| March 06, 2007 | Tuesday | Safar 16, 1428 |
Lara prefers slow start
MONTEGO BAY, March 5: West Indies skipper Brian Lara said on Monday that he prefers his team to start the World Cup slowly, saving ammunition to ambush their rivals in the closing stages of the tournament.
Lara, one of a number of world class players who will be taking part in a last World Cup, is adamant that a cautious beginning to the seven-week event is key if West Indies are to break the curse of a host nation never having won the World Cup.
“We don't want to be one of the front-runners. We want to gradually get into our stride and surprise people coming to the end,” said Lara.
“One of the most important things in the tournament is to pick up momentum.
It is all about the team that picks up momentum that will carry us through, not the individual,” he said, aware of the criticism often aimed at his side that it is a one-man team.
Like many others here, Lara believes that Australia's travails, which have seen them lose back-to-back series against England and New Zealand, will only serve to make the defending champions stronger.
Only a fool, he says, would write them off.
“A lot of the Test-playing nations are quite competitive and it is very hard to say any one or two countries are going to control the World Cup and win it.
“Australia will definitely start favourites because of their statistics and how they have played over the past few years.”—AFP
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