West Indies were regular winners of the Cricket World Cup in the early stages of its existence but they have flattered to deceive in recent times, however having qualified for the event down in Zimbabwe, they have brought a few of the old guard with them for one last hurrah on the 50 over world scene. They go into the event as dark horses with a lot of people and have the fearsome power to beat anyone.
Profile
Captain: Jason Holder
Previous Best: Winners x2
Key Players: Chris Gayle & Andre Russell
Best Odds: 16/1 General
Fixtures
May 31: vs Pakistan at Trent Bridge
June 6: vs Australia at Trent Bridge
June 10: vs South Africa at Hampshire Bowl
June 14: vs England at Hampshire Bowl
June 17: vs Bangladesh at Taunton
June 22: vs New Zealand at Old Trafford (d/n)
June 27: vs India at Old Trafford
July 1: vs Sri Lanka at The Riverside
July 4: vs Afghanistan at Headingley
Squad
Jason Holder (c), Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Sheldon Cottrell, Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ashley Nurse, Fabian Allen, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Oshane Thomas, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Evin Lewis.
Team Guide
The only thing we know for certain that we are going to get from the West Indies is sheer pace and power with the bat and the ball. They are going to be exciting to watch but whether that can translate into enough wins to make them competitive remains to be seen. If there is a prize for the most entertaining side in the competition you would think West Indies are solid runners in that particular score.
You would think West Indies have the batting power to chase down any score if they use their heads and don’t fold under the pressure. Their success or otherwise in the tournament will come down to how often they can get stuck in with the ball and whether they can up their game in the field and hide their senior players who are not as spritely as they used to be in that department.
Betting
I’m on West Indies in near enough all the six markets that are going in this tournament so I’m not going to get too involved in their batting in terms of a team bet. Another reason for that is because I’m on Shai Hope to top score in the tournament and while I expect him to go very well I’m well aware that where the Windies play their matches in this competition, there are a few in their line up who can fill their boots.
I will take a bet in the top West Indies bowler market though where Sheldon Cottrell might not be getting the respect that he deserves in a lot of ways. There are other higher profile bowlers than Cottrell in this line up with the likes of Russell, Holder and Roach around but Cottrell has good skills at the beginning of the innings and at the death and those are vital requirements. West Indies have no classy spinners to rely on so I think the honours here will be taken by a seamer. At 5/1 he’s the value here.
Tips
WON – Back S.Cottrell Top West Indies Tournament Bowler for a 1/10 stake at 6.00 with 888sport
Back him here:
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