March 10, 2007	Saturday	Safar 20, 1428

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

BRIDGETOWN, March 9: Pen pix of the West Indies World Cup squad:

Brian Lara (LHB/captain). Age: 37. ODI appearances: 290. Debut: v Pakistan, Karachi, Nov 9, 1990. The master batsman has said he will quit one-day cricket after the World Cup and wants to cap a glittering career by winning the sport's biggest prize on home soil. Much will depend on how far he leads from the front.

Career: 10136 runs (40.54), HS 169, 19 100s, 62 50s, 115 catches, 4 wkts (ave 15.25), BB 2-5.

Ian Bradshaw (LHB/LFM). Age: 32. ODI appearances: 59. Debut: v England, Gros Islet, May 1, 2004. The cool and composed left-arm seamer with a vital cog in the West Indian bowling attack. He is capable of drying up runs at one end even as he provides important breakthroughs.

Career: 261 runs (11.86), HS 37, 6 catches, 76 wkts (ave 28.05), BB 3-15.

Dwayne Bravo (RHB/RFM). Age: 23. ODI appearances: 59. Debut: v England, Guyana, April 18, 2004. The all-rounder has made steady progress under mentor Lara and is expected to deliver with both bat and ball. Provides vital breaks with the ball and shores up the later order with a common sense approach to batting.

Career: 791 runs (ave 23.96), HS 112*, 1 100, 2 50s, 24 catches, 62 wkts (ave 31.77), BB 4-39, 4w 1.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (LHB). Age: 32. ODI appearances: 208. Debut: v India, Faridabad, Oct 17, 1994. He may not look elegant at the crease but frustrates bowlers with his uncanny ability to find gaps. Lara will be looking for him to open the innings and hold his end up while others pick up the pace.

Career: 6459 runs (37.99), HS: 150, 5 100s, 44 50s, 59 catches, 14 wkts (ave 44.07), BB 3-18.

Corey Collymore (RHB/RFM). Age: 29. ODI appearances: 77. Debut: v India, Toronto, Sept 11, 1999. He is not a genuine quick but remains fairly accurate and aggressive with the new ball. Has modelled his speedy run to the crease on fellow Barbadian Malcolm Marshall.

Career: 82 runs (ave 5.12), HS 13*, 12 catches, 77 wkts (ave 34.49), BB 5-51, 4w 2.

Chris Gayle (LHB/OB). Age: 27. ODI appearances: 159. Debut: v India, Toronto, Sept 11, 1999. The aggressive left-handed opener can be counted to give the hosts a brisk start and turns the game around with his pugnacious approach to batting. He is also a useful off-spin bowler who breaks partnerships.

Career: 5696 runs (ave 38.74), HS 153*, 15 100s, 29 50s, 75 catches, 134 wkts (ave 31.92), BB 5-46, 4w 4.

Kieron Pollard (RHB/RM). Age: 19. Uncapped. Another Lara protégé, who has been launched into the big league after a string of good performances in domestic cricket. He is a hard-hitting batsman and an accurate medium-pacer.

Daren Powell (RHB/RFM). Age: 28. ODI appearances: 15. Debut: v Bangladesh, Dhaka, Dec 3, 2002. He began his career as an off-spinner but soon decided that he will follow in the footsteps of the West Indian fast bowling greats. He is now a regular member of the West Indian team.

Career: 16 runs (ave 2.66), HS 6, 2 catches, 14 wkts (ave 41.78), BB 4-27, 4w 1.

Denesh Ramdin (RHB/WK). Age: 21. ODI appearances: 22. Debut: v India, Dambulla, July 31, 2005. He was lucky to make the World Cup squad ahead of Carlton Baugh after a disappointing display on the recent tour of India. Started his career as a fast bowler but is now being seen as the long-term solution to West Indian wicket-keeping woes after the retirement of Jeff Dujon.

Career: 357 runs (ave 27.46), HS 74*, 1 50, 26 dismissals (24 catches and 2 stumpings).

Marlon Samuels (RHB/OB). Age: 26. ODI appearances: 83. Debut: v SRI, Nairobi, Oct 4, 2000. A classy batsman who also chips in as an off-spinner. His aggressive style at the crease has reminded many of the great Viv Richards, but he will agree that few, if any, can compare with the master.

Career: 1905 runs (29.76), HS 108*, 2 100s, 12 50s, 23 catches, 53 wkts (ave 40.98), BB 3-25.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (RHB). Age: 26. ODI appearances: 115. Debut: v England, Nottingham, July 20, 2000. He returns to the West Indian squad after missing the recent Indian tour due to injury. His presence will bolster the shaky middle order.

Career: 3724 runs (44.33), HS 115*, 3 100s, 24 50s, 33 catches, 10 wkts (ave 39.90), BB 3-31.

Lendl Simmons (RHB). Age: 22. ODI appearances: 6. Debut: v Pakistan, Faisalabad, Dec 7, 2006. He is the nephew of former West Indian cricketer Phil Simmons but bears no resemblance to the powerful striker. He rose from the ranks after taking part in two under-19 World Cups and is a promising opening batsman.

Career: 112 runs (ave 18.66), HS 70, 1 50, 3 catches.

Dwayne Smith (RHB/RM). Age: 23. ODI appearances: 59. Debut: v South Africa, Cape Town, Jan 25, 2004. Tall, aggressive and powerful, he hit the headlines with a Test century on debut in South Africa and is a useful one-day player with his ability to rotate the strike. He does not hesitate to play the ball in the air.

Career: 717 runs (ave 15.58), HS 68, 2 50s, 20 catches, 39 wkts (ave 38.17), BB 5-45, 4w 3.

Devon Smith (LHB). Age: 25. ODI appearances: 10. Debut: v Australia, Kingston, May 17, 2003. The left-handed opener has played just 10 one-dayers in the last three years, but now is set to leave his mark on the game with his big hitting at the top of the order.

Career: 201 runs (ave 25.12), HS 44, 4 catches.

Jerome Taylor (RHB/RF). Age: 22. ODI appearances: 28. Debut: v Sri Lanka, Kingstown, June 11, 2003. He knocked out world beaters Australia in the Champions Trophy in India with a sensational hat-trick and has since then been entrusted with the new ball by Lara. Will love to bowl on the re-laid wickets at home that will offer more bounce than usual.

Career: 28 runs (ave 7.00), HS 9, 9 catches, 43 wkts (ave 26.72), BB 4-24, 4w 2.—AFP