West Indies bank on cohesion of T20 stars

THE OUTLOOK:

Things haven't been going well for West Indies both on and off the field. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has hung out the players dry several times now and though the players have signed the contracts offered to them, there isn't a lot of harmony between the board and the players. Having said that, the team has landed in India after a few practice games in the United Arab Emirates against Warwickshire and will be the dark horses in the tournament.

West Indies won the tournament in 2012 in Sri Lanka in somewhat similar conditions but haven't fired to full potential in ICC events of late.

ICYMI:

The West Indies board and the players kept fans, journalists and everyone keeping a close eye on World T20 busy in February with plenty of drama. First the players refused to sign the new contracts and the board threatened to send a second-string side to India. Sunil Narine pulled out of the tournament citing that he still hasn't worked enough on his remodelled action while Kieron Pollard pulled out due to an injury. Darren Bravo decided not to take part in the tournament, opting to work on his game for the longer formats, while Lendl Simmons was ruled out after he failed to recover from a back injury and was replaced by Evin Lewis.

KEY POINTS:

IPL experience: A number of players, including top names like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy, know the Indian conditions like the back of their hand and that makes the side even more dangerous. If they can start firing, then it won't be surprising if the team does exceptionally well. Apart from that, a number of West Indies players have been playing in T20 leagues across the globe and that'll certainly hold them in good stead.

Magic wand: It's uncanny how West Indies bring out the magic wand in ICC events and lift their performance. Their Test performances have been far from satisfactory, the One-Day International wins too have eluded them. But they have been a force to reckon with in the shortest format, be it the performance in the 2012 edition or the performance in the 2014 edition where they reached the semifinal.

Strengths: Without a doubt West Indies' strength in the World T20 is going to be the power hitters. The likes of Gayle, Bravo, Sammy, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels and Carlos Brathwaite will have to do most of the damage up front and allow the bowlers the freedom to work with a significant score.

Weakness: Lack of a quality spinner will hurt West Indies. They have Samuel Badree, who last played for the West Indies in July 2014. Badree is likely to be the first choice spinner and Sulieman Benn is expected to play the supporting role.

Form: West Indies have played just five Twenty20 Internationals since January 2015 and have won three of them. They defeated South Africa in South Africa to clinch the three-match series 2-1. Before landing in India, the team played two games against Warwickshire and won both of them. They also played Zimbabwe in UAE and did well to keep a clean slate.

SPOTLIGHT'S ON:

Chris Gayle: Without a doubt, Gayle's form in the tournament is going to decide how far West Indies go. If the left-hander can somehow reach his audacious best, it'll be pretty hard for the opposition bowlers to escape without getting a stick. Also, Gayle's form rubs onto the team and they come out as a more confident unit.

Andre Russell: Andre Russell's rise as an all-rounder has been phenomenal and he has proved his worth with both bat and ball for the various franchises across the globe. During the last edition of the Indian Premier League, he was one of the main reasons why Kolkata were still in with a chance to make it to the play-offs. He was also a part of the title-winning Sydney Thunder team, doing exceptionally well in the Big Bash. He also picked up 16 wickets from ten games in the Pakistan Super League and West Indies will surely bank on him to produce the goods.

GROUP STAGE SCHEDULE:

March 16, Wednesday: versus England, Wankhede Stadium, MumbaiMarch 20, Sunday: versus Sri Lanka, M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, BengaluruMarch 25, Friday: versus South Africa, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, NagpurMarch 27, Sunday: versus Qualifier 2, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

EXPERT OPINION:

"Look at the team that we have, half of the team are in demand across the world for different T20 leagues. So you may find one guy here, maybe two in this league and two in another league but we have all at once so we have a great chance of winning this T20 tournament, just look at our squad. The senior players - Marlon Samuel, Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, captain Darren Sammy and all the senior players have to lead from the front. From my experience over the years, when the senior players - the guys that we expect to really take the mantle and take the team forward - are doing well, automatically the younger players will step up to the plate" - Curtly Ambrose.

PREDICTION: Super 10

For all the fire-power West Indies possess, they haven't been able to catch up with the other teams. Australia were always a power house, India can never be discarded in any tournament, but the way England, South Africa have improved, that leaves West Indies way behind. Of course, they aren't the only team who have fallen behind. Pakistan are struggling and so are Sri Lanka.

With two teams qualifying from each group, West Indies have a very good chance of making it to the semi-final if they are able to topple the likes of England, Sri Lanka and South Africa. If they do, even the most cynical fan would be hard-pressed not to celebrate their performance.